Coming of the White Man
The sculpture in 2006
ArtistHermon Atkins MacNeil
Year1904 (1904)
MediumBronze sculpture
SubjectTwo Native American men, including Chief Multnomah
LocationPortland, Oregon, United States
Coordinates45°31′23″N 122°42′12″W / 45.523142°N 122.703310°W / 45.523142; -122.703310

Coming of the White Man is a bronze sculpture by American artist Hermon Atkins MacNeil, installed in Washington Park, Portland, Oregon in the United States. The statue was gifted to the City of Portland in 1904 by former mayor David P. Thompson and installed the following year. It depicts two Native American men, including Chief Multnomah, looking towards the Columbia River upon the arrival of Lewis and Clark.

Description

The sculpture in 1922

Coming of the White Man is a bronze sculpture designed by Hermon Atkins MacNeil (1866–1947), an American artist most known for depicting indigenous peoples of the Americas and Western pioneers. The statue is installed in Portland's Washington Park, along Southwest Washington Way.[1] It depicts Chief Multnomah and another Native American man looking towards the Columbia River upon the arrival of Lewis and Clark.[1] One man is shown holding branches in his lifted right arm, pointed in the direction of the approaching explorers; the other figure folds his arms in front.[2]

According to the Regional Arts & Culture Council, which administers the work, the sculpture measures 8 feet 8 inches (2.64 m) × 6 feet (1.8 m) × 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and is mounted to a stone base that measures 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) × 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) × 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m).[1][2] The irregular stone base has an inscription of the work's title.[2] The pedestal displays the text "Presented to the City of Portland by the Family of David P. Thompson" as shown in the image.

History

The statue was donated to the City of Portland in 1904 by former mayor David P. Thompson.[1] It was installed the following year,[2] ahead of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition.[3] A plaster cast of the sculpture, donated by MacNeil, resides in the Poppenhusen Institute in College Point, Queens, New York.[4] Most of the branch originally held by the other man has broken off.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Coming of the White Man". Regional Arts & Culture Council. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Coming of the White Man, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  3. ↑ Tolles, Thayer; Smith, Thomas B.; Clark, Carol Lea (2013). The American West in Bronze, 1850-1925. Yale University Press. pp. 44–45. ISBN 9780300197433. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  4. ↑ Walsh, Kevin (Jul 16, 2013). "A Look Inside the Poppenhusen Institute of College Point". Brownstoner LLC, a subsidiary of Schneps Media. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  5. ↑ "'Coming of the White Man' statue, Washington Park, Portland". The Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
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