Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi

Profession: Sculptor

Nationality:

Biography: Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi was a French sculptor, best known for designing the Statue of Liberty. His monumental neoclassical sculpture has become an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy worldwide. The towering figure holding a torch was conceived as a gift from France to the United States.

The Statue of Liberty was born from Bartholdi's creative vision, and inspired by Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. The statue was intended to commemorate the centennial of American independence, an embodiment of the values shared by the two nations. This artistic endeavor proved to be a major undertaking, demanding not only Bartholdi's sculpting prowess but a significant engineering effort as well.

Gustave Eiffel, who later built the Eiffel Tower, designed the statue's iron framework. The construction process involved assembling the statue in France, disassembling it into hundreds of individual pieces, and then shipping it to the United States for reassembly on Liberty Island in New York Harbor.

Born: August 2, 1834
Birthplace: Colmar, France
Star Sign: Leo

Died: October 4, 1904 (aged 70)
Cause of Death: Tuberculosis