The Strange Saga of America s Most Reviled Statue, Nude George Washington
The tale of America s first major national monument to Washington is astonishing and largely forgotten. Also forgotten is its artist, Horatio Greenough, who, depending on how you define it, was America s first professional sculptor. Just two years after being dragged up into the Capitol, the 12-ton, 10-foot-tall statue was dragged back out and plopped down outside. Over the years, wind, snow, and rain took their toll until it was moved into the Smithsonian Castle. Today, it humbly presides in the recently reopened American History Museum.