Horse of Remorse
Sculpture commemorates massive loss in Civil War battles
Text by Bob Layton
Photography by Darl Bickel
Don't be too quick to judge the statue that stands on the veranda of the Virginia Historical Society on the Boulevard. There is an explanation for its repentant stance.
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| The equine sculpture on the veranda of the Virginia Historical Society was commissioned by Paul Mellon and sculpted by English artist Tessa Pullan. |
The remorseful appearance is intended. Noting the thousands of statues honoring Civil War soldiers and none existing paying tribute to equine efforts and loses, philanthropist Paul Mellon commissioned one. The assignment fell to noted English equestrian artist Tessa Pullan of Rutland, England, whom he had worked with previously. The sculptor had produced a three-quarter life-size bronze of Sea Hero, Mellon's 1993 Kentucky Derby winner.
When contemplating the horse's placement, with full appreciation of her talents, Mellon remarked, "Tessa Pullan's interpretations of animal life have a directness and honesty which mirror the alert, vital, and spontaneous quality of the animals themselves.
Whether untamed or domestic, whether depicted in repose or moving with grace, there is something about these enormously attractive forms which rivets the eye and warms the heart." Further attesting to the significance of the piece, Dr. William M. S. Rasmussen of the Virginia Historical Society shared these thoughts: "This is one of the best pieces of outdoor sculpture to be introduced to the Richmond landscape since Jean-Antonin Mercié's Lee was unveiled a hundred years earlier. It's only a horse, but the sculpture can be viewed as more, as a symbol of the suffering inflicted on so many living creatures in Virginia during the Civil War. People from all ways of life were affected. This is a message that is very easy for us to forget today, partly because it isn't offered at all by the Monument Avenue sculptures."
The inscription on the base of the statue speaks with clarity to all who read it:
IN MEMORY OF THE ONE AND ONE HALF MILLION HORSES AND MULES OF THE CONFEDERATE AND UNION ARMIES WHO WERE KILLED, WERE WOUNDED OR DIED FROM DISEASE IN THE CIVIL WAR. |
Ms. Pullan truly captured the intended mission; the magnificent steed looks its role. The veranda rendition is her third horse of this kind. The first "War Horse" was placed outside the National Sporting Museum in Middleburg. A second statue was set at the U.S. Cavalry Museum in Fort Riley, Kan. The historical society's horse was enlarged from the original's quarter-horse size to ensure proportion on the veranda.
The historical society makes it possible to enjoy this work of art on a regular basis. A miniature copy is available in its gift shop for $295.
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