Europe, The Four Continents

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Europe, The Four Continents by Daniel Chester French, 1903-1907
Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House
Bowling Green
Financial District, Lower Manhattan
New York, September 2008

“The next sculpture to the right is Europe. The central figure in this sculpture sits majestically on a throne with a relief on the side referencing an ancient frieze from the Parthenon. She sits up straight, her crowned head held high as she looks somberly ahead. She wears a voluminous, draping cloak, in the style of the ancient Greeks, with a hem decorated with coats of arms. Her left arm rests on a large book, which is itself on top of a globe of the earth. Behind her, the throne turns into the front of a ship, and there is a Roman Imperial Eagle perched above it. Behind the central figure there sits an old woman, shrouded in a long cape, and reading from a book.” (The Four Continents, New York City Public Art Curriculum)

See also: Asia - America - Africa (The Four Continents)