1.1 The ‘whys’ of equestrian statues
How to become immortal. How to be remembered for centuries.
Most often, the reason to erect an equestrian statue is to glorify the sitter, a process not infrequently initiated by the sitter him or herself. Leaders still love to be seen on a horse, even today. I refer to recent pictures of Vladimir Putin, stripped to the waist, and of Nicolas Sarkozy, both on horseback. Also, to the statues of dictators in countries such as North Korea (Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, unveiled in 2012) and Turkmenistan, where a golden equestrian statue portraying President Berdimuhamedow was erected in Ashgabat in 2015.
According to the official version, the edifice in a central square in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat was built only after public clamouring for a permanent monument to the president became impossible to ignore. Mr Berdimuhamedow remained modest in the face of his people’s apparent adoration. When presented with the proposal for a statue last year, he said, ‘My main goal is to serve the people and the Motherland. And so, I will listen to the opinion of the people and do as they choose’. He did not attend the unveiling ceremony.
Of course, this is a generalization. There are also statues of charming and decent people, erected by admirers, but most equestrian statues are intended to impress. After all, one of the characteristics of a life-size equestrian statue is that the spectator has to look up, all the more so if the statue is placed on a pedestal. A good statue radiates authority. It creates a distance between the viewer and the person portrayed. It is the distance between the foot soldier and the officer.
For the purposes of this book, I distinguish between the following groups of riders of equestrian statues:
Rulers
The emperors, kings, tsars, presidents, dukes, governors and similar. This is not only the largest group, but as history has proven, also the most vulnerable one. A great many of the statues in this category ended their existence in a furnace. In this context, please also see Chapter 2: Getting to grips with history.
Military leaders
The marshals, generals and other commanders also form a large group, especially in the US and the UK. Their statues were in most instances erected in memory of a battle, and in a number of cases are located on the site of the battlefield.
Freedom fighters
The number of equestrian statues honouring freedom fighters, such as George Washington, Simon Bolivar and José de San Martin, is also considerable.
National symbols
Equestrian statues can mark the emergence of a new state, for example the statue of Wilhelm I in Germany. Countries often like to emphasize their identity by erecting equestrian statues of local heroes from the past. France for instance needed some self-confidence after their defeat by the Prussians and came up with Jeanne d’Arc. At election times, French political parties still come together by the statue of this national heroine to show their affection for France. I see similar things happening in countries that have recently gained independence. This can lead to controversies when more than one country claims the same hero, such as Alexander the Great (Greece and Macedonia) and Genghis Khan (China and Mongolia).
Others
A new breed of equestrian statues is appearing in the US: equestrian statues portraying millionaires, cattle barons, actors, industrialists and even a casino owner, mobster and convicted felon (for instance, see the story about Frederick Ward in Section 2.17).
It goes without saying that the distinction between the aforementioned groups is not always as clear as suggested. For example, George Washington can be categorized in the group of freedom fighters, because he is best known for his role in the War of Independence. However, he was also a military leader, and as president, a ruler.
As a matter of fact, the motives to erect an equestrian statue as mentioned above are not restrictive. Other reasons to do so include:
- To commemorate an important historical event that took place in or near a town or city, such as the statues on the battlefield of Gettysburg or the one of Robert the Bruce in Bannockburn, UK.
- To embellish a town or city, or to raise its status by honouring a monarch or a successful military leader. This not infrequently results in competition between places. Some examples are the statues of William III in Bristol, Glasgow and Kingston upon Hull erected in the 1730s; of Wellington in Glasgow, London and Edinburgh in the 1840s and 1850s; and of George Washington from around the same period in Richmond, New York City and Washington DC.
- To remind people of the old roots of a town, for example Emperor Nerva in Gloucester, UK (once a retirement colony for Roman soldiers), and the statues of Augustus and Agrippa in Mérida in Spain. Alternatively, to commemorate the birth of a famous ruler in or near a town, for example the statue of Charles the Great in Liège, Belgium.
- To tell a story, for example the tale of the migration to the West in the US.
And so on.