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| Carl von Linné (1707-1778) |
In
my last blog I wrote about the Ellsworth Kelly sculpture, Curve XXII, that stands on the
northeast corner of Fullerton and Cannon Drive in Lincoln Park. Kelly’s work sort of makes up for the
movement of another statue that sat on the south side of Fullerton for close to
80 years – the monument to the great Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist,
Carl von Linné.
Of
Linné, who lived from 1707 to 1778, the German writer Johann Wofgang von Goethe
wrote, “With the exception of Shakespeare and Spinoza, I know no one among the
no longer living who has influenced me more strongly.”
The
statue was erected in time for the celebration surrounding the World’s
Columbian Exposition of 1893. The
New York Times
made the announcement of the plan on May 17, 1891 in an article that stated, “A
monument to Carolus Linnaeus, the eminent Swedish man of science, will be
unveiled here on the one hundred and eighty-fourth anniversary of his birth,
May 23 next. It is placed in Lincoln
Park at the foot of Fullerton Avenue.
It has been erected, by voluntary subscription, by his fellow-countrymen
now living in Chicago. It stands
upon a heavy granite base.
The
Swedish Linnaeus Monument Association was the catalyst that brought the statue
to Chicago, and it seems reasonable to assume that the community saw the site
just north of the Lincoln Park Zoo as a logical place for Linné’s
likeness. After all, Linné’s Systema
Naturae
and Species Plantarum began the modern system of naming and classifying living
things.
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| Linné Monument, Stockholm |
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| Fullerton Avenue Linné |
The
bronze sculpture was created by C. J. Dufverman in Stockholm, where the Otto
Meyer Co. cast the monumental work, which was a copy of the Linné monument that
stood in Stockholm. The statue
stood – still stands -- 39 feet high.
The complete installation, including the base of Maine granite, soared
111 feet at the foot of Fullerton Avenue.
The
statue was originally surrounded with four figures that represented botany,
medicine, chemistry and zoology, the diverse fields in which Linné had
worked. The completed work cost approximately
$122,000. [Simon, Andreas. The Garden City. Franze Gindele Publsihing Company,
1893]
The
statue had a conspicuous enough presence that Frank Norris included it in The Pit, his
1903 epic tale of Laura Dearborn’s experiences in Chicago . . . She made a
circle around North Lake (now the North Pond), and came back by way of the Linné
monument and the Palm House (now the Lincoln Park Conservatory), Crusader ambling
quietly by now, the groom trotting stolidly in the rear.
As a
result of the expansion of Lake Shore Drive in the 1930’s, Fullerton Parkway
was extended to meet the new highway.
That put Linné in a bit of a bind, and the wide open space over which he
had reigned for nearly a half-century was now tight against the new road.
But
it was another 40 years before something was done about it. In 1976 the statue was moved to the
University of Chicago, where it sits alongside the Midway Plaisance, minus its
four allegorical gee-gaws.
The relocation, which involved the City, the university and the Central
Swedish Committee of the Chicago area, coincided with the visit of Carl XVI
Gustav, King of Sweden, to Chicago.
The King was feted at a luncheon, and the rededication of the monument
was part of the festivities on April 19, 1976.
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| Carl von Linné on the Midway Plaisance (JWB, 2010) |
The
great man looks pretty darned good there today, his best foot forward, and all
that great Collegiate Gothic architecture over his shoulder. Stop by on a sunny day and let him know
you’re a representative of that group taxonomically known as Homo sapiens, the
only living species in the Homogenus of bipedal primates in Hominidae, the
great ape family. He'd probably like that.
Posts
3 comments:
why were the Ladies of Science not reinstalled?
The author described them as showy triffles which may explain the lack of interest in their history, where are they now ?
I wish I knew the history about the women. I have a photo (must be durung construction) of a relative. She is standing with her Partner/wife. In there any connection w/LGBT community? At the time it only has 2 women and Carl has not even been placed. The relatives name is Minnie and somehow involved w/project. Would have been. Part of the dutch,Swedish, bohemian community
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