Progress of the State
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Progress_of_the_State_quadriga.jpg
Progress of the State is the group of statues that sits above the south entrance of the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The statuary group is in an arrangement known as a quadriga, consisting of a chariot pulled by four horses. There are also with three human figures: two women and a man. The sculpture, made by Daniel Chester French and Edward Clark Potter, was completed and raised to the roof of the capitol in 1906. The underlying materials are copper and steel, although the entire set of figures is completely wrapped in gold leaf. It is also fairly unique that the group of figures sits atop a building, rather than a triumphal arch like many other such statues.
The quadriga is an ancient style of statue, having a history of more than 2000 years. The horses in this statue represent the classical elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Independently, the women represent industry and agriculture. Collectively, they represent civilization. The man, who stands in the chariot, represents prosperity.
In 1994 and 1995, the group was taken down from the capitol roof for a complete restoration procedure, and the figures have had in-place touch-up procedures since then.
External links
- Minnesota State Capitol: Quadriga. (http://www.mnhs.org/places/sites/msc/quadrelatedlinks.html) Minnesota Historical Society.
- Quadriga restoration project (http://jensenconservation.com/port/current/projects/quadriga.html)