COLLECTIONS
Sculpture
Carved Eagle
On July 20, 1782 the Continental Congress inaugurated a Great Seal for the newly created United States. Intended to symbolize the new Republic, the seal introduced the bald eagle into the lexicon of American design. Under a newly ratified Constitution in 1789, Congress adopted "The Seal of the United States" thereby assuring the eagle a permanent place in the iconography of the new nation. Since its appearance on the Great Seal, the American bald eagle has been depicted in a variety of styles, mediums and poses.
The Treasury Department has recognized the symbolic value of the American bald eagle and has adapted it in a variety of artistic expressions. This naturalistically carved and painted wooden eagle first appears in a photograph of a Treasury workroom. While the eagle is documented in Treasury interior photographs, it may have been originally intended for use in a portico. When the eagle was recently conserved in 1992, minimal evidence of weathering was found, indicating that it may have greeted Treasury visitors from a different vantagepoint, most probably above an exterior doorway.
The exact origin of Treasury's carved wooden eagle is unknown. Stylistically, the eagle is neoclassical in its inspiration characterized by an emphasis on realism. This is evident in the bird's extremely fine carving, its accurately rendered polychromatic paint scheme and sand-painted rock base. The eagle's neoclassicism is to be expected, given the Treasury Building's strong manifestation of the Greek Revival style. The Treasury eagle ranks among the finest American nineteenth century examples to survive and is also one of the best preserved.
F.984.221
Last Updated:
November 21, 2008
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