Earlier this year we reported the exciting news that master sculptor Sabin Howard had been awarded the commission for the United States World War I Centennial memorial in Washington, D.C. We have an exclusive look into his progress.
Soon there will be a new national monument near the White House that will honor the more than 116,000 soldiers who died in World War I and the nearly 5 million individuals who served. Veteran sculptor Sabin Howard, along with 25-year-old architect Joe Weishaar, were awarded the commission, undoubtedly cementing Howard’s legacy as one of the nation’s top artists.
Already extremely busy in his studio, Howard has graciously allowed a sneak peek into the monument’s design in addition to his thoughts behind the composition. Howard writes, “I wanted to share with you the idea that this three-figure composition in the middle of the chaos is about.
“Zach, on the left, represents the age of innocence and his face and pose exemplify an angelic look … To me they have an almost Leonardo da Vinci angelic quality, like one of his paintings of the Visitation in the Uffizi.
“James to me, has this demonic look that is exactly what I wanted in this relief, and on the other side is Paul, who is wounded, representing the fall from grace that our world and society suffered because of World War I.
“Normally I would not go to a place of such graphic representation of war, but I think it is a really good idea and I’m proceeding this way.” We couldn’t agree more!
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Tracking History, Pt. 1
