Coadministered by City of Philadelphia Fairmount Park Commission Memorial Hall, West Park, P. O. Box 21601 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19131
Coadministered by Fairmount Park Art Association 1616 Walnut Street, Suite 2012 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19103
Located Fairmount Park East side of park, Kelly Drive at the North end of Boat House Row near Samuel Memorial Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Date:
1915-1918. Dedicated 1920
Notes:
Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985
City of Philadelphia, 1973.
National Park Service, American Monuments and Outdoor Sculpture Database, PA5020, 1989.
Monumental News, July 1919; March 1921.
Fairmount Park Art Assoc., "Sculpture of a City: Philadelphia's Treasures in Bronze & Stone," NY: Walker Publ., 1974, pg. 276.
Bach, Penny Balkin, "Public Art in Philadelphia," Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1992, pg. 215.
Save Outdoor Sculpture, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia survey, 1993.
Image on file.
Monumental News, March 1921, pg. 204.
Fairmount Park Art Assoc., "Sculpture of a City: Philadelphia's Treasures in Bronze & Stone," NY: Walker Publ., 1974, pg. 276.
Bureau Bros./Bronze Founders/Phila/Penn (Sculpture, lower proper left:) Einar Jonsson/sculptor/1915-18 (On back of Karlsefni's shield: Icelandic verse) (Base, front:) Thorfinn Karlsefni/Icelander/1003-1006 (Base, front plaque:) Following Leif Ericson's Discovery of/North America in 1003, Thorfinn Karlsefni/with 165 men and 35 women established a/settlement which lasted for 3 years and/his son Snorri was born in North America/Leif Ericson Society of Pennsylvania/Scandinavian Craft Club of Philadelphia/October 9, 1974 signed Founder's mark appears.
The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.
Summary:
A standing figure of explorer Thorfinn Karlsefni as he might have looked dressed in Nordic attire consisting of a long tunic of chain mail, tall boots, a long cape, and a pointed cap. He carries a circular shield slung over his proper left shoulder. The shield is engraved with a verse in tribute to Iceland. A sheathed sword hangs from his waist on his proper left side. With both of his arms stretched out straight in front of him, he holds a long-handled battle-ax. Both of his hands rest on the blade of the ax which is positioned vertically with the handle toward the ground. His head is turned to his proper left and he looks off into the distance. The sculpture rests on a square base by the edge of the river.
