Column I

{{Short description|Steel sculpture by James Rosati}}

{{Notability|date=January 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox artwork

| title = Column I

| other_language_1 =

| other_title_1 =

| other_language_2 =

| other_title_2 =

| wikidata =

| image = File:Column I by James Rosati.jpg

| image_upright =

| alt =

| caption = The sculpture in 2018

| artist = James Rosati

| year =

| completion_date =

| catalogue =

| medium = Stainless steel sculpture

| movement =

| subject =

| height_metric =

| width_metric =

| length_metric =

| diameter_metric =

| height_imperial = 30

| width_imperial =

| length_imperial =

| diameter_imperial =

| dimensions =

| dimensions_ref =

| metric_unit = m

| imperial_unit = ft

| weight =

| designation =

| condition =

| museum =

| city = Stanford, California, United States

| coordinates = {{Coord|37.424818|-122.167962|type:landmark_region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}

| mapframe = yes

| mapframe-zoom = 13

| owner =

| accession =

| preceded_by =

| followed_by =

| module =

| website =

}}

Column I is a 1983–1984 stainless steel sculpture by James Rosati, installed on the Stanford University campus in Stanford, California, United States.{{Cite web|url=https://stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford20090109-02.2.7&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------|title=The Stanford Daily Archives|access-date=2018-10-07|archive-date=2018-10-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008061306/https://stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford20090109-02.2.7&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------|url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Column I - Stanford University - Palo Alto, CA |url=http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMTGBW |website=Waymarking |accessdate=October 7, 2018 |archive-date=October 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007223300/http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMTGBW |url-status=live }} The {{Convert|30|ft|m|adj=on}} abstract artwork was installed to commemorate Albert Elsen, an art history professor at Stanford for more than 25 years, who died in 1995.{{Cite web|url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/cover/1998_Aug_28.ARTS28.html|title=A museum among the trees|website=www.paloaltoonline.com|access-date=2018-10-07|archive-date=2005-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050320214017/http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/cover/1998_Aug_28.ARTS28.html|url-status=live}} Elsen appreciated Column I and wanted the piece in Stanford's collection, but was unable to acquire the artwork before his death.{{Cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Farm-and-function-3085536.php|title=Farm and function|date=1998-06-05|work=SFGate|access-date=2018-10-07|archive-date=2018-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007223324/https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Farm-and-function-3085536.php|url-status=live}}

Stanford University Museum of Art's Lyn Cox said, "[The sculpture] has a good conversation with the palm trees around it. The palm trees say something about calmness and peacefulness in their own way, and 'Column I' responds in a similar but different way, resonating with them."