Modern · Smithsonian American Art Museum · saam_1958.11.18
Eagle of Preparedness
Paul Wayland Bartlett, 1916
Smithsonian American Art Museum · Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Armistead Peter III · CC0 · Public domain
- Artist
- Paul Wayland Bartlett
- Date
- 1916
- Medium
- bronze
- Dimensions
- 12 1/4 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (31.2 x 11.3 x 11.3 cm)
- Era
- Modern
Why it matters
Paul Wayland Bartlett created Eagle of Preparedness in 1916, soon after the British ship Lusitania was sunk by the Germans. This event sparked a crusade for military “preparedness” in America, as many people realized that entry into World War I was inevitable. With his Eagle, Bartlett showed his support for the Allied cause and the movement to rearm.