Two bronze relief sculptures by celebrated American sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney have been installed at The Breakers, her family’s former Gilded Age mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. The sculptures, which had been held at Whitney’s Long Island studio for decades, are now part of a public display at the historic estate, thanks to a recent acquisition by the Preservation Society of Newport County.
Whitney, an artist and philanthropist best known for founding the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, created the original versions of these reliefs for a temporary World War I monument in New York City. The 1919 Victory Arch, which once towered over Madison Square, was constructed to honor the soldiers returning from the Great War. Made of plaster and wood, the arch was dismantled after its use in the city’s military parades.
The two bronze pieces now at The Breakers—smaller casts of Whitney’s Victory Arch panels—offer poignant depictions of the human toll of war. The larger relief, titled “America at War,” spans five feet and weighs over 300 pounds. It portrays soldiers locked in the chaotic violence of battle. The smaller relief, “Blinded,” depicts a soldier, incapacitated by poison gas, being led by a fellow serviceman. This group formed the centerpiece of one of the original Victory Arch panels.
The Preservation Society, which maintains The Breakers and 10 other Newport properties, purchased the sculptures from Whitney’s estate last year. On Thursday, September 5, the reliefs were installed in a circular service area at The Breakers, where visitors will encounter them as they exit the mansion after tours.
The new installation at The Breakers coincides with another prominent World War I commemoration: the unveiling of a monumental sculpture at the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. On Friday, September 13, the United States World War One Centennial Commission will present Sabin Howard’s 58-foot-long bronze relief, “A Soldier’s Journey,” at Pershing Park, a major addition to the nation’s capital.
Whitney, who lived from 1875 to 1942, was one of the few American sculptors with direct experience of World War I. She traveled to France in 1914, where she founded a hospital for wounded soldiers in the town of Juilly. Her time there not only deepened her humanitarian commitment but also informed her artistic work. Sketches she made while in France later inspired the designs for her public war memorials.
Among Whitney’s notable commissions is a towering 20-foot-high sculpture at the American Expeditionary Forces Memorial in Saint-Nazaire, France. The statue depicts a “doughboy” standing triumphantly with arms outstretched over a giant eagle, a striking tribute to American soldiers. A maquette, or study, of the Saint-Nazaire memorial can still be seen in Whitney’s bedroom at The Breakers, offering visitors a glimpse into her creative process.
With the addition of these bronze reliefs, The Breakers further highlights the artistic and historical legacy of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, whose work continues to resonate both locally and nationally.
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