New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...

is home to many works of public art in various media, such as bronze, stone and tile. Many are sculptures in the form of busts, statues, equestrian statues, and panels carved or cast in low relief. Others are two-dimensional bronze or tile plaques. Some artworks do double-duty as fountains, or as part of fountains; some serve as memorials dedicated to a cause, to notable individuals, and in one case, to a notable animal. Most were donated by individuals or civic organizations; only a few were funded by the city. Examples of public art in the park include memorials dedicated to notable individuals such as the poet

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

and the statesman

Daniel Webster Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison ...

; depictions of archetypical characters such as ''The Pilgrim'', ''Indian Hunter'', and ''The Falconer''; depictions of literary characters such as '' Alice in Wonderland''; numerous depictions of imaginary animals, and at least one of a real one (the statue of Balto). There is one artifact from the ancient world—the Egyptian

obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by An ...

known as " Cleopatra's Needle", probably the oldest and largest artwork in the park. Until recently, depictions of real (as opposed to imaginary) humans have been men, whereas depictions of women have been either mythological characters (angels or goddesses) or characters from literature. The installation in 2020 of the

Women's Rights Pioneers Monument The ''Women's Rights Pioneers Monument'' is a sculpture by Meredith Bergmann. It was installed in Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, on August 26 ( Women's Equality Day), 2020. The sculpture is located at the northwest corner of Literary Wal ...

, depicting three female activists, was a first step in addressing this oversight. Public art in the park has from the beginning been representational in character; the abstract idiom has rarely, if ever, been employed. In recent years, park administrators have provided a forum for temporary exhibitions of artwork at the Doris Freedman Plaza, a concrete and cobblestone area located just outside the southeast entrance to the park, behind the Sherman Monument.

List of public art in Central Park

A - D

E - K

L - R

S - Z

Public art in Central Park now removed

Temporary installations of public art

Notes

References

External links

O Ryan's Roughnecks – History of the 7th Regiment, National Guard New York

The Central Park Conservancy

NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation – Eagles and Prey statue

Essays on the Sherman Monument, Simón Bolívar, José Martí, Maine Monument, Columbus Monument, Columbus by Sunol, Shakespeare, Richard Morris Hunt Memorial, King Jagiello, Alexander Hamilton
ALICE IN CENTRAL PARK — STATUES IN WONDERLAND
by G.A. Mudge, visual reference of the statues in central park, with historical comments. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sculptures In Central Park

Manhattan-related lists