3d model of Statue of Mary McLeod Bethune
3D Model
On View
Community/Third Floor, 3 050
Exhibition
Forces for Change: Mary McLeod Bethune and Black Women's Activism
Created by
Comas, Nilda Maria, Puerto Rican, born 1953
Subject of
Bethune, Mary McLeod, American, 1875 - 1955
Date
2020
Medium
plaster with acrylic paint and metal
Dimensions
Statue: H x W x D: 96 × 40 1/2 × 36 1/2 in. (243.8 × 102.9 × 92.7 cm)
Base of Statue: H x W x D: 3 × 24 1/2 × 25 1/2 in. (7.6 × 62.2 × 64.8 cm)
Caption
On July 13, 2022, a marble sculpture of Mary McLeod Bethune was installed in National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol, one of two figures chosen to represent the state of Florida. Bethune is the first African American, and the second woman, to be honored with a state-commissioned statue in the hall. The Florida Legislature selected Bethune to replace a statue of a Confederate general.
This is the original plaster model created by artist Nilda Comas, who won the commission to create the sculpture of Bethune. She used this plaster model to sculpt the final version in marble.
Description
A plaster statue of Mary McLeod Bethune. Bethune is depicted standing, with a smiling expression on her face. She wears a graduation cap, stole and gown, which she wears open over a ruffled shirt and smooth skirt, along with heeled shoes, and a pearl necklace and earrings. Bethune rests her right hand on a cane with carved decorative motifs including a lizard climbing up the bottom half. In her left hand, she holds a rose that is painted black. The back hem of her graduation gown rests upon a stack of seven books. This plaster statue is a model used to create the marble statue in the National Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol and there are multiple machinetta points on each side of the statue created by nails and plaster that were used as part of the replication process.
Place depicted
United States, North and Central America
Place made
Italy, Europe
Classification
Visual Arts
Movement
Women's Club Movement
Type
casts
multimedia works
Topic
Activism
Art
Civil rights
Education
Suffrage
Women
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Nilda Maria Comas
Object number
SC.0092
Restrictions & Rights
© Nilda Comas
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5493533ea-d88f-4303-926e-508558aa86a4

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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