The Arts of War Sculptures — Attraction in Washington

If the landscape of Washington D.C. was a work of art, then surely the well-renowned Lincoln Memorial would be its subject, the scale of the Washington Monument would command its foreground, and the National Mall would frame its background. However, each landscape painting relies on subtle brushstrokes to make the clouds or the blades of grass that are seldom noticed but masterful upon closer inspection. For me, the Arts of War Sculptures represent precisely this function for the capital: one of several delicate brushstrokes in a larger masterpiece of cultural design. Despite the potential for the sculptures to go unnoticed or under-appreciated by passing tourists, their placement in the city is crucial to the sense of dynamism and layered history.

Commissioned in 1929, the sculptures faced a long and challenging origin, enduring a lengthy design and selection process as well as budgetary restraints, meaning that the sculptures were not placed until 1951.

Designed by Leo Friendlander, the sculptures, Valor on the left and Sacrifice on the right, were intended to command a striking silhouette of fire-gilded bronze against the recently constructed Arlington Memorial Bridge. Receiving support from foundries in Naples and Florence to avoid the costs of bronze in the United States, the successful delivery of the statues assisted in the reduction of military and economic constraints imposed on Italy around WWII.

One of the most direct methods of viewing the statues is to drive along the Arlington Memorial Bridge which permits the sensation of being dwarfed by the presence of the statues. However, visitors that wish to view the statues with patience and contemplation will find a path available to them that leads comfortably from the Lincoln Memorial.

One of the only downside of the statues is that, despite their fascinating history and fine detail, larger and more well-known monuments over-shadow the statues. I would encourage all visitors to the area to spend the additional time to savor the artistry of the Arts of War Sculptures, especially with their placement between the National Mall...

So many pass these on their daily commutes, but how many walk right up to these beautiful gold statues to appreciate their massiveness? They are worth checking these out if your're visiting the Lincoln Memorial. You'll also get great views of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the Robert E. Lee House down the Arlington Memorial Bridge across the river...

Two golden sculptures, one represents Valor and the other Sacrifice at the exit of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. They were sculpted in a Italy Florentine foundrie, the unique in world still producing works in bronze utilizing the Renaissance technique...