John Sevier Statue

Tennessee gave this statue to the National Statuary Hall Collection in 1931. Belle Kinney and Leopold F. Scholz are the only married artists to collaborate on statues in the collection.

Though born near present-day New Market, Virginia, Sevier is most associated with Tennessee. He acquired land in the Tennessee Valley in the early 1770s, joining the first European settlements in the area, and was an economic, political and military leader for decades.

The statue depicts Sevier in the prime of life, feet planted firmly in a wide stance, his weight evenly distributed, gripping a spyglass in his left hand. The artists show Sevier gazing into the distance to his right, as if searching the horizon from a mountain vantage point. His heroic bearing and crossed arms suggest determination and steadfastness and reflect the esteem with which Tennesseans regarded him when they commissioned this statue.

Light playing over the polished bronze animates the figure's athletic build. Details such as the coat's tails blowing in the wind and a small piece of rock to the figure's left indicate both an outdoor setting and Sevier's ongoing activity and exploration. At different times, Sevier's occupations included farmer, plantation owner, trader, merchant and land speculator; he employed his economic connections to further his military and political appointments. Little is known about his earliest years, but over his lifetime, Sevier's holdings included thousands of acres of land, enslaved people working in his household and on his farms, and several homes. Sevier inspired both great loyalty and intense enmity.

The statue's attire emphasizes Sevier's military background. The sculptors depict him in a Revolutionary War era uniform, complete with knee-high boots with spurs, a waistcoat, epaulets, and a tricorn hat with a rosette.

The inscription on the pedestal lists Sevier's highest political offices and references his position in the militia with his title:

GENERAL JOHN SEVIER
of
TENNESSEE
First Governor, 1796-1801; 1803-1809,
Governor of the State of Franklin, 1785-1788,
Representative in Congress, 1790-1791; 1811-1815.
⭑
A Hero of King's Mountain.

Kunst Art Foundries cast the statue in New York. Together, the marble pedestal and statue are just over 11 feet tall. Tennessee's contract with the artists required the use of marble from Tennessee for the pedestal. Though records do not record the source of the marble, it is appropriate for Sevier's statue; Sevier had enough "pink marble" on some of his land that he named the plantation Marble Springs.

The statue was unveiled in National Statuary Hall on April 19, 1931.

Artists

Married sculptors Belle Kinney Scholz (1890-1959) and Leopold F. Scholz (1874-1946) completed several prominent commissions together after their marriage, including both of Tennessee's contributions to the National Statuary Hall Collection, Andrew Jackson and John Sevier, and a reconstruction of the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee.

Belle Kinney Scholz was born in Nashville and earned Tennessee-related commissions throughout her career. She received a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago at about age 15 and studied with Lorado Taft; she went on to teach there briefly but worked from a studio north of New York City for much of her career. Other key commissions included Confederate and World War I memorials.

Information about Leopold Scholz's early life is scant. According to the biography published in the proceedings from the Sevier statue dedication, he was born in Vienna, Austria, and studied art at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts there. He also studied in Rome before coming to the United States and becoming a citizen. He completed two sculptures for U.S. post offices in addition to the larger works executed with his wife.

Tennessee had first selected the subjects for its statues during the 1910s. The contract between the artists and the State Monument Commission stated that the Commission would decide on Sevier's apparel in the statue as well as the pedestal inscription and design. The few extant portraits of Sevier all show him in military dress, so it is likely that the artists consulted those depictions as they worked on this statue. They also considered the proposed placement of the statue and the look of the existing collection as they designed the statue of Sevier.

In a 1930 letter to Commission member Flora Myers Gillentine, historian general of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Belle Kinney Scholz wrote, "We think that our conception and pose of the Sevier will be very much liked as it is handsome and vigorous."¹

1. Belle Kinney Scholz to Flora Myers Gillentine, January 6, 1930. Art & Reference Files, Architect of the Capitol.