Progress of the State

The quadriga arrangement is a style of statue reproducing ancient Greek and Roman four-horse chariots.{{Cite book |last=Gaietto |first=Pietro |title=Horse and Wheel |year=2018 |isbn=9780244657512 |pages=30 |publisher=Lulu.com |language=English}} In the Minnesota quadriga the male charioteer holds aloft a variation of a Roman Legion standard inscribed with the state name MINNESOTA.

File:Columbus Quadriga-World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago.jpgIn his design for the Capitol, architect Cass Gilbert left out the classical triangular pediment favored in the Neoclassical and Beaux-Arts government architecture of the time and instead in its place installed a quadriga monument at the base of the dome. The quadriga is unusual in that it sits atop a building's portico, rather than upon a triumphal arch like most others. The inspiration for the Minnesota quadriga was the Columbus Quadriga, a statue depicting Christopher Columbus standing in a four horse chariot guided by two maidens carrying staffs of victory that Daniel Chester French and Edward Clark Potter had modeled for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. Potter was a specialist in equestrian and other animal sculptures who teamed up with French to create the four horses in the monument.{{Cite web |title=Edward Clark Potter |url=https://www.nypl.org/help/about-nypl/library-lions/edward-clark-potter |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215081115/https://www.nypl.org/help/about-nypl/library-lions/edward-clark-potter |archive-date=February 15, 2022 |access-date=2022-02-15 |website=New York Public Library}} Gilbert saw this quadriga group at and made plans to have artists adapt it for Minnesota.{{Cite book |last=Thompson |first=Neil B. |title=Minnesota's State Capitol: The Art and Politics of a Public Building |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press |year=2005 |isbn=0-87351-085-2 |pages=75–76}}{{Cite book |last=Roethke |first=Leigh |title=Minnesota's Capitol: A Centennial Story |publisher=Afton Historical Society Press |year=2005 |isbn=1-890434-67-1 |pages=62–63}}

The Board had two options for how French could render the group. By French's estimates in 1896 he could cast it in bronze for $49,500 or make it from hammered copper for $36,000. The 1903 state appropriation set aside $35,000 for the group "to be executed in copper." French continued to hope to cast the Quadriga in bronze, as late as spring of 1906, but Gilbert communicated the Board's refusal: "However much they would like to use bronze they have not the money available for this purpose, as their appropriation is now all engaged in finishing up various minor items which are regarded as essential." The statuary was then executed in hammered copper surrounding a framework of steel supports.

While the statuary was generally well received, there was push back from veteran groups, politicians and the Minnesota Historical Society over the use of allegorical figures throughout the Capitol instead of representations of Minnesota heroes and historic events.{{Cite web |title=Minnesota State Capitol: Overview of the Fine Art 2015 |url=https://mn.gov/admin/assets/overview-of-fine-art-in-capitol-MNHS_tcm36-74302.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=2022-02-15 |website=Minnesota Department of Administration |archive-date=2021-08-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813011121/https://mn.gov/admin/assets/overview-of-fine-art-in-capitol-MNHS_tcm36-74302.pdf}} One critic encouraged Minnesotans to, "Take a sledge hammer and smash them Roman bronchos and that chariot! Clean 'em out and put a grand heroic statue of Alexander Ramsey in their stead!"{{Cite book |last=Roethke |first=Leigh |title=Minnesota's Capitol: A Centennial Story |publisher=Afton Historical Society Press |year=2005 |isbn=1-890434-67-1 |pages=58}}

The Progress of the State was devised as an allegorical statuary where a prosperous Minnesota proceeds onward by means of the power of nature (horses) and civilization (the women).{{Cite book |last=Thompson |first=Neil B. |title=Minnesota's State Capitol: The Art and Politics of a Public Building |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press |year=2005 |isbn=0-87351-085-2 |pages=75}} The four horses in the Minnesota quadriga represent the classical elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Independently, the women represent industry and agriculture. Collectively, they represent civilization. In addition to personifying the state of Minnesota, the male charioteer holding a cornucopia (horn of plenty), a symbol of abundance and nourishment, represents prosperity.{{Cite web |date=2016-03-15 |title=Why the Quadriga sculpture at the state Capitol has pineapple wheels, and other fun facts |url=https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2016/03/why-quadriga-sculpture-state-capitol-has-pineapple-wheels-and-other-fun-facts/ |access-date=2021-03-22 |website=MinnPost |language=en-US |archive-date=2020-11-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108161627/https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2016/03/why-quadriga-sculpture-state-capitol-has-pineapple-wheels-and-other-fun-facts/ |url-status=live }}

French's letter on adapting his earlier quadriga from the World's Columbian Exposition to Minnesota quadriga demonstrates the casualness with which allegorical meaning could be ascribed to a statue, and vice versa.

"You will be glad to know that I have begun a model for the central figure (in the chariot) of the Quadriga. The other figures are already designed, as are the horses, since we are to follow the Quadriga which presided over the Columbian Arch at Chicago... The central figure, representing Columbus would, of course, not be appropriate for the State Capitol of Minnesota, so that a new design for this figure is necessary.

As the two figures leading the horses are female figures, I think the figure in the chariot should be a male figure," he wrote. "I think it should represent "Minnesota', if you think that a male figure can personify a state."'' {{Cite book |last=O'Sullivan |first=Thomas |title=North Star Statehouse: An Armchair Guide to the Minnesota State Capitol |publisher=Pogo Press |year=1994 |isbn=1-880654-07-5 |pages=58–59}}

Re-gilding the sculpture in 23 karat gold leaf is necessary approximately every 20 years.{{Cite web |title=Minnesota Secretary Of State - 2017-2018 Legislative Manual (Blue Book) |url=https://www.sos.state.mn.us/about-minnesota/get-a-blue-book/2017-2018-legislative-manual-blue-book/ |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=www.sos.state.mn.us}} Every year, the condition of the statuary is reviewed with conservators making slight repairs and touching up the gold leaf as necessary. The sculpture group underwent re-gilding in 1949 and again in 1979.{{Cite web |last=Cameron |first=Linda A. |date=March 2016 |title=Why the Quadriga sculpture at the state Capitol has pineapple wheels, and other fun facts |url=https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2016/03/why-quadriga-sculpture-state-capitol-has-pineapple-wheels-and-other-fun-facts/ |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=MinnPost }} In 1994 the group was taken down from the capitol roof for a year-long restoration procedure. The quadriga was reinstalled in 1995 and the figures have had several minor in situ reapplications of gold leaf since. During a comprehensive restoration of the State Capitol building the figure of the charioteer was removed and lowered to the ground in 2014 to allow repairs to corrosion of the top surface of the chariot and was reinstalled in 2015.{{Cite web |last=Salisbury |first=Bill |date=September 23, 2014 |title=State Capitol temporarily loses charioteer of the golden Quadriga |url=https://www.twincities.com/2014/09/23/state-capitol-temporarily-loses-charioteer-of-the-golden-quadriga/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721092115/https://www.twincities.com/2014/09/23/state-capitol-temporarily-loses-charioteer-of-the-golden-quadriga/ |archive-date=2020-07-21 |access-date=2021-01-29 |website=Pioneer Press }}{{Cite web |last=Cameron |first=Linda |date=March 3, 2019 |title=Quadriga: "The Progress of the State" |url=https://www.mnopedia.org/thing/quadriga-progress-state |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204155242/https://www.mnopedia.org/thing/quadriga-progress-state |archive-date=2021-02-04 |access-date=2021-01-29 |website=MNOpedia }}{{Cite web |url=http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/minnesota-state-capitol-celebrates-grand-opening-after-restoration/article_608979f0-651d-572f-a64e-ca977c73216c.html |title=Minnesota state capitol celebrates grand opening after restoration |last=Fitzgerald |first=Kilat |date=August 14, 2017 |website=La Crosse Tribune |language=en-US |access-date=2017-09-08 |archive-date=2017-09-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908111031/http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/minnesota-state-capitol-celebrates-grand-opening-after-restoration/article_608979f0-651d-572f-a64e-ca977c73216c.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://dairylandpeach.com/2017/08/19/notes-from-a-visit-to-our-restored-state-capitol/ |title=Notes from a visit to our restored State Capitol |last=West |first=Tom |date=August 19, 2017 |website=dairylandpeach.com |language=en-US |access-date=2017-09-08 |archive-date=2017-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819181704/http://dairylandpeach.com/2017/08/19/notes-from-a-visit-to-our-restored-state-capitol/ |url-status=live }} On May 7, 2016, the Quadriga was again removed from the roof in order to allow for roofing repairs below. During that time the statuary was relocated to nearby warehouse where it was re-gilded. On November 12, 2016 the Quadriga was re-installed on the Minnesota State Capitol roof.{{Cite web |title=Minnesota Secretary Of State - 2017-2018 Legislative Manual (Blue Book) |url=https://www.sos.state.mn.us/about-minnesota/get-a-blue-book/2017-2018-legislative-manual-blue-book/ |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=www.sos.state.mn.us}}

Image:Removal of male charioteer from Quadriga for restoration-21 - 50861163941.jpg|Removal of charioteer

Image:Removal of male charioteer from Quadriga for restoration-13.jpg|Removal of charioteer

Image:Return of the Quadriga after restoration-08 - 50861249296.jpg|Statue being reinstalled

Image:Return of the Quadriga after restoration-02 - 50861344862.jpg|Being reinstalled

Image:Closeuphorses.jpg|A closeup of the horses

Image:KT capitol 97 (30956370938).jpg|Looking East

Image:Quadriga - The Progress of the State-looking west.jpg|Looking West

File:Minnesota State Capitol golden quadriga.JPG|

File:The Quadriga and the Six Virtues.jpg|The Quadriga and the Six Virtues

File:Columbian Arch and Columbus Quadriga-Front.jpg|World's Columbian Exposition - Columbian Arch, and Columbus Quadriga

{{clear}}

• Public sculptures by Daniel Chester French
• Minnesota State Capitol artwork
• List of artwork at the Minnesota State Capitol

{{commons category|Quadriga - The Progress of the State}}

• [http://www.mnhs.org/places/sites/msc/quadrelatedlinks.html Minnesota State Capitol: Quadriga.] Minnesota Historical Society.

{{Daniel Chester French}}

{{coord|44|57|18|N|93|06|08|W|type:landmark_region:US-MN|display=title}}

Category:Minnesota State Capitol

Category:Outdoor sculptures in Minnesota

Category:1906 sculptures

Category:Horses in art

Category:Copper sculptures in the United States

Category:Gold sculptures in the United States

Category:1906 establishments in Minnesota

Category:Steel sculptures in Minnesota

Category:Sculptures by Daniel Chester French

Category:Architectural sculpture

Category:Sculptures by Edward Clark Potter