The Crusader (sculpture) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Victor Lawson Monument
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Location | Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States |
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| Built | 1931 |
| Sculptor | Lorado Taft |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Part of | Graceland Cemetery (ID00001628) |
| Designated CP | January 18, 2001 |
The Victor Lawson Monument, also known as The Crusader, is a special memorial. It marks the grave of Victor Lawson, a famous newspaper publisher from Chicago. This monument is located in Chicago's historic Graceland Cemetery. It was created in 1931 by the American sculptor Lorado Taft.
Contents
Who Was Victor Lawson?
Victor F. Lawson lived from 1850 to 1925. He was the publisher of a newspaper called the Chicago Daily News. This newspaper was started in 1875 by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty.
In 1876, the Chicago Daily News was having a tough time. Victor Lawson decided to help by putting money into the newspaper. He then became its business manager. By the 1890s, the newspaper was very popular. About 200,000 copies were sold each day! Lawson continued to work with the newspaper until he passed away in 1925. His brother, Iver Lawson, asked Lorado Taft to create The Crusader to remember Victor.
What Does The Crusader Look Like?
The Crusader is a large statue of a medieval knight. It stands over thirteen feet tall, which is taller than a basketball hoop! The statue was carved from a single, dark block of granite stone. This stone came from the Henry C. Smalley Granite Company in Massachusetts. The granite was then polished to make it shiny.
The knight holds a big sword and a shield. This image of a knight was something sculptor Lorado Taft had thought about for many years. He used similar knight figures in other artworks he created.
The Meaning Behind the Statue
Unlike some of Taft's other works, The Crusader looks very solid and strong. It doesn't have a lot of tiny, realistic details. This helps show its "sheer mass" or large size.
The monument does not have Victor Lawson's name on it. Instead, it has a special message carved into it. The message reads, "Above all things truth beareth away victory." This quote comes from an old book called 1 Esdras.
The style of the Lawson Monument is called Gothic Revival. This style often looks like buildings from the Middle Ages. The Crusader is a great example of Lorado Taft's later work. In this statue, he mixed realistic ideas with allegory, which means using symbols to represent ideas. The knight symbolizes Victor Lawson's strong character.
Images for kids
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The Crusader monument in Graceland Cemetery.
