Francis Asbury (Lukeman)
Encyclopedia
Francis Asbury, also known as the Francis Asbury Memorial, is a public equestrian statue, by American
artist Augustus Lukeman
, located at 16th Street and Mt. Pleasant Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Mount Pleasant
neighborhood.
It was originally surveyed as part of the Smithsonian's
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
survey in 1994.
sculpture features Francis Asbury seated upon his horse wearing a cape and hat. In his proper right hand he holds a bible
. The horse is bending its head down to lick its left leg. The sculpture sits on a granite
base (approx. 100 in. x 140 in. x 200 in.). On the proper left side of the sculpture, near the base, it is signed "Augustus Lukeman Sc 1921."
The sculpture is inscribed on the front of the base:
FRANCIS ASBURY
1745-1816
PIONEER
METHODIST BISHOP
IN AMERICA
On the left side of the base it is inscribed:
HIS CONTINUOUS JOURNEY THROUGH CITIES
VILLAGES AND SETTLEMENTS FROM 1771 TO 1816
GREATLY PROMOTED PATRIOTISM EDUCATION MORALITY
AND RELIGION IN THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC
Act of Congress
On the right side of the base it is inscribed:
IF YOU SEEK FOR THE RESULTS OF HIS LABOR
YOU WILL FIND THEM
IN OUR CHRISTIAN CIVILIZATION
And on the back of the base it is inscribed:
THE PROPHET
OF THE LONG ROAD
in New York City
. The piece was erected by the Francis Asbury Memorial Foundation and was approved by Congress on February 29, 1919. It was dedicated on October 15, 1924 and cost $50,000.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist Augustus Lukeman
Augustus Lukeman
Henry Augustus Lukeman was an American sculptor, specializing in historical monuments. He was born in Richmond, Virginia, and introduced to sculpting at age 10 at a boys' club miniature workshop. From 10 to 13 he worked with clay and wood. He then became a pupil of sculptor Launt Thompson until...
, located at 16th Street and Mt. Pleasant Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant
- Australia :* Mount Pleasant * Mount Pleasant, New South Wales* Mount Pleasant * Mount Pleasant, South Australia* Mount Pleasant, Western Australia* Mount Pleasant, Victoria- Canada :...
neighborhood.
It was originally surveyed as part of the Smithsonian's
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture! is a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. By fostering awareness and appreciation, SOS! aims to advocate proper care of a nationwide public resource....
survey in 1994.
Description
This bronzeBronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
sculpture features Francis Asbury seated upon his horse wearing a cape and hat. In his proper right hand he holds a bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. The horse is bending its head down to lick its left leg. The sculpture sits on a granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
base (approx. 100 in. x 140 in. x 200 in.). On the proper left side of the sculpture, near the base, it is signed "Augustus Lukeman Sc 1921."
The sculpture is inscribed on the front of the base:
FRANCIS ASBURY
1745-1816
PIONEER
METHODIST BISHOP
IN AMERICA
On the left side of the base it is inscribed:
HIS CONTINUOUS JOURNEY THROUGH CITIES
VILLAGES AND SETTLEMENTS FROM 1771 TO 1816
GREATLY PROMOTED PATRIOTISM EDUCATION MORALITY
AND RELIGION IN THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC
Act of Congress
On the right side of the base it is inscribed:
IF YOU SEEK FOR THE RESULTS OF HIS LABOR
YOU WILL FIND THEM
IN OUR CHRISTIAN CIVILIZATION
And on the back of the base it is inscribed:
THE PROPHET
OF THE LONG ROAD
Information
The sculpture was founded by Roman Bronze WorksRoman Bronze Works
Roman Bronze Works in New York City, established in 1897 by Ricardo Bertelli, was the pre-eminent sculpture bronze foundry in the United States during the American Renaissance. It continued to cast sculpture after that period ended. Its foundry, long a sub-contractor to Louis Comfort Tiffany's...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The piece was erected by the Francis Asbury Memorial Foundation and was approved by Congress on February 29, 1919. It was dedicated on October 15, 1924 and cost $50,000.