The Statue of Liberty holds great significance in the United States because of its symbolic and patriotic nature. It also represents hope; the statue bears the words “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” (Cable 3). Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi designed this majestic figure, one of the first works reflecting neo-classical style of architecture, as a benevolent gesture from the French people. Over a century has passed since then and with it came the myriad of controversy surrounding this national symbol. One of the controversies was over the issue of restoration: why and how will this century-old statue be restored? Another controversy is the growing threat of terrorism affecting the kinds of steps that should be taken to preserve the statue. The way in which these arguments were resolved had tremendous implications on the symbolism and historical value of the Statue of Liberty.
[...] The Statue of Liberty has changed drastically since Bartholdi designed it, both in structure and in meaning. With modern times the lady liberty has lost a lot of its originality, thus altering its historical and emotional value, in order to preserve its future existence. Bartholdi's goal of seeing the statue become a universal symbol of liberty was only partially successful and the meaning of the statue has changed over time to include the struggle that many refuges had taken to achieve freedom. [...]
[...] In either case the Statue of Liberty can be called a work of art because of its old age, communication with history, and uniqueness. The Statue of Liberty is possibly one of the most easily recognizable icons of America in existence today. At approximately 92 meters, it can be seen just as easily the skyscrapers that tower over New York. When one thinks of the Statue of Liberty, perhaps the most common association for one to make is the Statue as somewhat of a welcoming sight for immigrants first setting foot upon American soil. [...]
[...] Bartholdi decided France should pay for the construction of the statue and the United States would take care of the foundation and the pedestal. An issue that remained unresolved was how France and the United States would raise money for this project. A fund-raising committee called the Franco-American Union was formed, with members from both nations. An appeal for funds to underwrite the cost of creating the statue was launched in French newspapers in September 1875 (Hayden 57). The committee's goal was to present the Statue of Liberty to the United States on July in honor of America's centennial. [...]
[...] On the other hand, in order to preserve the future existence and the proper operation of the statue it should be restored or even replaced if the damage is beyond repair. Restoration was also difficult because it was expensive and there was little public monetary support, thus Congress spent about twenty million on the project. The lady liberty was covered metal buttresses, see Figure and a new glass torch that was completely waterproof was installed. Figure 3 The new glass torch if being installed. [...]
[...] Thus the Statue of Liberty is considered a work of art because of its age, emotions it evokes, and uniqueness it possess. The Statue of Liberty is considered to be one of the most unique structures ever constructed, which also has to do with its history and age. A man of his time, Bartholdi wasn't alone in his passion for art on a grand scale. During the 19th century, large-scale public monuments were an especially popular art form (Holland 218). [...]
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