The Spirit of Detroit
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| Artist | Marshall Fredericks |
|---|---|
| Year | 1958 |
| Type | Bronze |
| Dimensions | 790 cm (312 in) |
| Location | Detroit |
| Coordinates: 42°19′45.47″N 83°2′40.66″W / 42.3292972°N 83.0446278°W | |
| Owner | Coleman A. Young Municipal Center |
The Spirit of Detroit is a city monument with a large bronze statue created by Marshall Fredericks and located at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
It was commissioned in 1955 for a cost of $58,000 (equivalent to $518,542 today), and dedicated in 1958. In its left hand, the large seated figure holds a gilt bronze sphere emanating rays to symbolize God. The people in the figure's right hand are a family group. The 26-foot (7.9 m) sculpture was the largest cast bronze statue since the Renaissance when it was first installed. It was cast in Oslo, Norway.
The statue underwent a restoration in 2006[update], funded by foundations and other private donations.
In 2013, art dealer and art historian Eric Ian Hornak Spoutz was quoted in the Detroit News stating that the value of the statue is in excess of $1,000,000.
The name emerged from an inscription from 2 Corinthians (3:17) on the wall behind it:
NOW THE LORD IS THAT SPIRIT
AND WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE
LORD IS, THERE IS LIBERTY."
II CORINTHIANS 3:17
It includes the seals of the city and the county. A plaque in front of the sculpture bears the inscription, "The artist expresses the concept that God, through the spirit of man is manifested in the family, the noblest human relationship."
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Wikipedia