Serenity is a public artwork by Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 artist Josep Clarà

Josep Clarà

Josep Clarà i Ayats was a Spanish sculptor.Clarà was born in Olot, Gerona, Spain in 1878. He attended the Olot School of Drawing with professor Josep Berga i Boix...

, located at Meridian Hill Park

Meridian Hill Park

Meridian Hill Park, is located in the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Columbia Heights in the United States. The 12 acres of landscaped grounds are maintained by the National Park Service as part of Rock Creek Park, but are not contiguous with the main part of that park...

 in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. "Serenity" was originally surveyed as part of the Smithsonian's

Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...

 Save Outdoor Sculpture!

Save Outdoor Sculpture!

Save Outdoor Sculpture! is a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. By fostering awareness and appreciation, SOS! aims to advocate proper care of a nationwide public resource....

 survey in 1993.

Description

This large sculpture is of an allegorical woman wearing long, flowing classical robes which are tied at her waist. She has long hair and stares intensely in front of her. "Serenity" sits on a rocky ledge with her arms casually resting on the rocks behind her.

The sculpture is signed on the proper left side: Jose Clara

The front of the base is inscribed:

SERENITY

IN REMEMBRANCE OF WILLIAM HENRY SCHEVTZE

LIEVTENANT COMMANDER VNITED STATES NAVY

MDCCCLIII-MCMII

Artist

Clara was a Spanish sculptor born in Olot in 1878 and died in Barcelona

Barcelona

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

 in 1958. After studying fine art in Toulouse

Toulouse

Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...

, he met Auguste Rodin

Auguste Rodin

François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...

 during a visit to Paris which led to him deciding to become a sculptor. A student of Barrias Louse-Ernest, his primary model was Isadora Duncan

Isadora Duncan

Isadora Duncan was a dancer, considered by many to be the creator of modern dance. Born in the United States, she lived in Western Europe and the Soviet Union from the age of 22 until her death at age 50. In the United States she was popular only in New York, and only later in her life...

 until her death in 1927. With world-wide recognition, he worked and lived the rest of his life in Barcelona.

Acquisition

"Serenity" was privately funded Charles Deering as a tribute to his friend and classmate from the U.S. Naval Academy - William Henry Scheutze (1853-1902). The sculpture was dedicated on March 12, 1924.

The sculpture is identical to the sculpture "Serenidad," which sits in Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

 and is by the same artist.

Information

Scheutze was a naval officer from the Academy who graduated in 1873 and went on to serve as a navigator on the U.S.S. Iowa during the Spanish American War. He was active in the U.S. Naval White Squadron in Chicago. Before his death in 1927 he became president of the International Harvester Company.

Condition

In 1960 the piece was reported as having a missing nose. This sculpture was surveyed in 1993 for its condition and it was described as needing treatment.