Sculpture: bronze; Base: Regal grey granite; Original base: Vermont white marble
Type:
Sculptures-Outdoor Sculpture
Sculptures
Owner/Location:
Administered by City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation The Arsenal - Central Park New York New York 10021
Located Prospect Park Grand Army Plaza Brooklyn New York
Date:
Original sculpture 1965. Originally dedicated May 31, 1965. Replacement sculpture 2010. Rededicated August 24, 2010
Notes:
Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985
Lederer, Joseph, "All Around the Town: A Walking Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in New York City," New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975, pg. 219.
Save Outdoor Sculpture, New York, New York survey, 1993.
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, 2017.
Image on file.
Lederer, Joseph, "All Around the Town: A Walking Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in New York City," New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975, pg. 219.
(On front of tapered base:) JOHN / FITZGERALD / KENNEDY / MAY 29, 1917 / NOVEMBER 22, 1963 / 35TH PRESIDENT / OF THE / UNITED STATES / 1961-1973 (On front, lower base:) ASK NOT WHAT YOUR / COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU; / ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR / YOUR COUNTRY unsigned
(On front of original base:) TO THE MEMORY OF/JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY/THIRTY FIFTH/PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES/MAY 29, 1917/NOVEMBER 22, 1963 (On back of original base: ) ASK NOT/WHAT YOUR COUNTRY/CAN DO FOR YOU/ASK WHAT/YOU CAN DO FOR/YOUR COUNTRY/DEDICATED BY THE BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN/MAY 31, 1965/ROBERT F. WAGNER, MAYOR, CITY OF NEW YORK/ABE STARK, PRESIDENT, BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN
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:
Bronze bust of Kennedy atop a tapered granite pedestal. Originally, a bronze bust by Neil Estern projected from the top half of a rectangular base made of slabs of marble. In 2010, due to deterioration of the base, the original bust was replaced with a remodeled bust that could be seen from all sides atop a tapered base. The original circle of oval Amazon River ebonite black stones was replaced with bluestone. IAS images show the sculpture on the original base.