The Torch Bearer Plaque
Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina
Marker Inscription
THE TORCH BEARER PRESENTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BY THE SCULPTRESS ANNA HYATT HUNTINGTON 1965
The Story
This plaque marks "The Torch Bearer," a bronze sculpture given to the University of South Carolina in 1965 by Anna Hyatt Huntington, one of the most celebrated American sculptors of her generation. Working well into her eighties, Huntington was renowned for her powerful equestrian and allegorical figures, and she and her husband placed her monumental works at campuses and public grounds across the country. A torch-bearing figure like this one was a classic emblem of learning and enlightenment passed from one hand to the next, a fitting gift to a university.
Why it matters
It represents both the enduring tradition of allegorical public art on American campuses and the achievement of a pioneering woman sculptor at a time when the art world was overwhelmingly dominated by men.
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Related people
- · Anna Hyatt Huntington
Themes & tags
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