Paula Murphy considers the work of acclaimed Irish-American sculptor Thomas Crawford
Among the many sculptors who were invited to carry out work for the complex of buildings that forms the Capitol in Washington DC (the Capitol itself, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court and the Senate), Thomas Crawford (1813/14–1857) received several of the most significant commissions. His bronze statue Freedom (also known as Armed Freedom) alone would have been sufficient to establish his renown. In its lofty position on the dome of the Capitol, Freedom has attained iconic status (Figs 1&2). The statue, a classical female figure, has frequently appeared on banknotes, medals and flags and, in more recent decades, has regularly featured as a backdrop in television news bulletins. The full-size plaster model of Freedom is displayed in the visitors’ lobby of the Capitol, where people have the opportunity to view at close quarters what is usually only seen at a considerable distance. This helps viewers come to terms with the colossal scale of the figure and enables scrutiny of the costume details, including the eagle helmet with its starred crown. When Crawford died, it was an engraving of the statue of Freedom that was selected to accompany some of his obituaries. Crawford was also commissioned for two of the pediments at the Capitol, the bronze doors for the east portico of the Senate and the figures of Justice and History (modelled 1855, carved 1858), which were once located above the Senate doors.
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