Immigrant Mother (sculpture)
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''Immigrant Mother'' is a public artwork by Croatian artist
Ivan Meštrović Ivan Meštrović (; 15 August 1883 – 16 January 1962) was a Croatian sculptor, architect, and writer. He was the most prominent modern Croatian sculptor and a leading artistic personality in contemporary Zagreb. He studied at Pavle Bilinić's ...
located in
Cathedral Square Park Cathedral Square Park is a small urban Milwaukee County Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, located to the west of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. The park only takes the name of the nearby cathedral, with the Archdiocese of Milwaukee ho ...
in
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
,
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, United States. The bronze sculpture sits on a red
granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
base and depicts a mother with her children.


Description

Meštrović's ''Immigrant Mother'' is located in Milwaukee's Cathedral Square, opposite the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. It stands high on top of a tall pedestal. The female figure carries a baby in her arms, while a young child stands beside her. An inscription on the front of the base states: DEDICATED TO THE/ VALIANT IMMIGRANT MOTHERS/ BY WILLIAM GEORGE BRUCE/ IVAN Meštrović SCULPTOR
SIRIS.


Historical information

William George Bruce William George Bruce (March 17, 1856 – August 13, 1949) was a Milwaukee author, publisher of educational, historical and religious books, and founder of the American School Board Journal. He was a noted civic leader for the Milwaukee School Board, ...
(1856-1949) was the force behind the creation of ''Immigrant Mother''. Bruce was a newspaper business manager in Milwaukee born from
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
parents. He established the Bruce Publishing Company, and is best known for his efforts in developing and administering the
Milwaukee Auditorium Miller High Life Theatre (previously Milwaukee Theatre and originally Milwaukee Auditorium) is a theatre located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The building was extensively renovated between 2001 and 2003, at which point its name changed to the Milwauk ...
. The esteemed businessman was president of the Milwaukee Harbor Commission and instrumental in developing Milwaukee's position as a world port on the Seaway. He even published a three-volume history of the City of Milwaukee.Buck, Diane M. and Virginia A. Palmer (1995). ''Outdoor Sculpture in Milwaukee: A Cultural and Historical Guidebook'', p. 24. The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison "Due to his distinguished public service career, Bruce gained the sobriquet 'Mr. Milwaukee."
William George Bruce. Bruce bequeathed $30,000 to the city of Milwaukee for the creation of a sculpture that symbolized universal motherhood. It was to be dedicated to his mother, Apollonia Becker Bruce, as well as to all immigrant mothers bringing up children in the New World. "Bruce's heirs chose Ivan Meštrović to carry out this commission as Meštrović had immortalized his own mother's image in many of his religious sculptures; Milwaukee's ''Immigrant Mother'' may be an example of this homage." ''Immigrant Mother'' was placed in Cathedral Square in recognition of Bruce's lifelong devotion to the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. The sculpture demonstrates the dignity of motherhood. It depicts a mother carrying one child, with another child at her side, in a simple figural style. Tool marks are apparent on the sculpture's rough surface. This piece was dedicated in honor of immigrant mothers on October 1, 1960 by the Modern Art Foundry.


See also

*
The Bowman and The Spearman ''The Bowman'' and ''The Spearman'', also known collectively as ''Equestrian Indians'', or simply ''Indians'', are two bronze equestrian sculptures standing as gatekeepers in Congress Plaza, at the intersection of Ida B. Wells Drive and Michi ...


References

{{MilwaukeePublicArt 1960 establishments in Wisconsin 1960 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Wisconsin Monuments and memorials in Wisconsin Monuments and memorials to women Outdoor sculptures in Milwaukee Sculptures by Ivan Meštrović Sculptures of children in the United States Sculptures of women in Wisconsin Statues in Wisconsin Works about immigration to the United States