Poetry in bronze, that’s what stands before you. The William Shakespeare Monument. Isn’t it something?
This statue of William Shakespeare resides in Lincoln Park. It is west of N. Stockton Avenue. The monument aligns with W. Belden Avenue.
Let’s step back in time. Samuel Johnston, a businessman, left money in his will. This was for a William Shakespeare memorial. This was after his death in 1886. A competition followed to select a sculptor. William Ordway Partridge won. He was a Columbia University graduate. He had studied sculpture in France and Italy.
Partridge faced a unique challenge. The only Shakespeare portraits were after his death. Partridge studied Shakespeare and Elizabethan England. He visited Stratford and London. He reviewed artworks. He examined a death mask. He consulted Shakespearean actors. Henry Irving and Seymour Lucas assisted him. Lucas helped with authentic period clothing.
Partridge displayed a plaster model at the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. He cast the work in bronze in Paris. It was then shipped to Chicago. Cornelia Williams, the donor’s grandniece, unveiled it. This was on April 23, 1894. The supposed anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth and death.
Partridge remarked at the dedication. He said Shakespeare needs nothing of bronze. His monument is England and America. He belongs among the people he loved. His words explain the low pedestal. It offers visual and physical access to the William Shakespeare Monument.
This William Shakespeare Monument is more than bronze. It is a tribute to a literary giant. It captures Shakespeare’s essence. It invites everyone to connect with the Bard. It stands as a testament to Shakespeare’s enduring legacy. A legacy that transcends time and place.