''Religious Liberty'' is a sculpture commissioned by

B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith International ( ; from ) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit Jewish service organization and was formerly a cultural association for German Jewish immigrants to the United States. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the se ...

and dedicated "to the people of the United States" as an expression of support for the Constitutional guarantee of religious freedom. It was created by

Moses Jacob Ezekiel Moses Jacob Ezekiel, also known as Moses "Ritter von" Ezekiel (October 28, 1844 – March 27, 1917), was an American sculptor who lived and worked in Rome, Italy, Rome for the majority of his career. Ezekiel was "the first American-born Jewis ...

, a B'nai B'rith member and the first American Jewish sculptor to gain international prominence. The statue stands high, of marble, and the

plinth A pedestal or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In civil engineering, it is also called ''basement''. The minimum height o ...

(base) added another . It weighs , and was said to be the largest sculpture created in the 19th century. It was carved in Italy and shipped to

Fairmount Park Fairmount Park is the largest municipal park in Philadelphia and the historic name for a group of parks located throughout the city. Fairmount Park consists of two park sections named East Park and West Park, divided by the Schuylkill River, w ...

in Philadelphia for the nation's 1876

Centennial Exposition The Centennial International Exhibition, officially the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876. It was the first official wo ...

. It was later moved to Independence Mall and currently stands in front of the

National Museum of American Jewish History The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (The Weitzman) is a Smithsonian-affiliated museum at 101 South Independence Mall East (S. 5th Street) at Market Street in Center City Philadelphia. It was founded in 1976. History With ...

The meaning of the sculpture

It comprises four figures, the principal one representing the Goddess of Liberty, dressed in coat of mail and a mantle, with a shield, having the American flag in relief on her breast. The
Phrygian cap The Phrygian cap ( ), also known as Thracian cap and liberty cap, is a soft Pointed hat, conical Hat, cap with the apex bent over, associated in Classical antiquity, antiquity with several peoples in Eastern Europe, Anatolia, and Asia. The Phry ...
on he head is bordered in front with thirteen stars of solid gold. Her right hand rests upon the
fasces A fasces ( ; ; a , from the Latin word , meaning 'bundle'; ) is a bound bundle of wooden rods, often but not always including an axe (occasionally two axes) with its blade emerging. The fasces is an Italian symbol that had its origin in the Etrus ...
, the scroll of the constitution and wreath of laurel; her left is extended in gesture, waving off all interference. Under her protecting right arm stands Faith, symbolized by a nude boy, whose head and right hand are raised appealingly to heaven, and whose left hand holds close to Liberty's breast a vessel in which is burning the undying flame of Religion. At the feet of the Goddess, on her left, is Intolerance, represented by a monstrous serpent, part of the body of which is coiled around the fasces, while its head protrudes with gaping jaws from under the garment of Liberty. With outstretched wings, fierce bearing and its talons buried in the neck of the serpent, is the American eagle.

Creation of the sculpture

In his ''Memoirs'', Ezekiel described how the block of marble occupied two freight cars, and took twenty men "several days" to move it from the railway station to his studio, the iron chain of a

derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its Guy-wire, guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower ...

having snapped. "A great deal of street paving" was necessary afterwards, to repair the damage. He had to knock down part of a wall to get it in his studio, and break it down again to get it out. When it was completed, which took two teams of stonecutters, one working during the day and one at night, for one day he invited the Roman public to see it. He wrote that it made him famous overnight; one newspaper said that it "was perhaps the most important work of art that had been produced in centuries." It led to Ezekiel's introduction to

Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as (). In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as () or (). 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, revolutionary and republican. H ...

Financial problems

The commission was for $20,000 (). According to Ezekiel, before obtaining the marble a letter from B'nai Brith informed him that they were unable to raise the money to pay him, and he should abandon the project. Nevertheless, having created the clay model, and this being the first ever Jewish commission for a sculpture, with a guaranteed place at the

, he decided to continue work. He had to borrow money to pay for its transportation to Philadelphia himself. He did not receive payment until three years afterward, and when the loans and interest had been paid there was nothing left for him. Documents concerning the commission are held in the B'nai B'rith archives. A program from the ceremonial unveiling is held by the National Museum of American Jewish History.

References

{{reflist 1876 establishments in Pennsylvania 1876 sculptures Allegorical sculptures in Pennsylvania B'nai B'rith Centennial Exposition Freedom of religion in the United States Marble sculptures in Pennsylvania Nude sculptures in the United States Outdoor sculptures in Philadelphia Relocated buildings and structures in Pennsylvania Sculptures of birds in the United States Sculptures of children in Pennsylvania Sculptures of goddesses Sculptures by Moses Jacob Ezekiel Statues in Pennsylvania World's fair architecture in the United States Sculptures of snakes