Alice in Central Park
The Central Park statue of Alice in Wonderland was commissioned in by a publisher and philanthropist by the name of George Delacorte as a tribute to his late wife. It was created in 1959 by a French-trained sculpture by the name of Jose De Creeft.
The Alice who is sitting on the mushroom was not sculpted from any particular version of Alice in Wonderland, instead she was created in the image of the sculptors daughter. The characters surrounding Alice are based upon the images created by Tenniel. The mushroom symbolises the mushroom from which Alice consumes pieces of either side in order to change height. This sculpture shows that the original version can be altered and still hold the same warmth and meaning as the original and can be used to compare the appearance of the characters over time.
This artwork is in an easily accessible place that welcomes visitors. Children are allowed to climb upon the statue and are often encouraged in order to share the magic of Wonderland. Children can pretend to be a part of the story and make up their own tale about Wonderland in a physical sense rather than just a mental one.
The Alice who is sitting on the mushroom was not sculpted from any particular version of Alice in Wonderland, instead she was created in the image of the sculptors daughter. The characters surrounding Alice are based upon the images created by Tenniel. The mushroom symbolises the mushroom from which Alice consumes pieces of either side in order to change height. This sculpture shows that the original version can be altered and still hold the same warmth and meaning as the original and can be used to compare the appearance of the characters over time.
This artwork is in an easily accessible place that welcomes visitors. Children are allowed to climb upon the statue and are often encouraged in order to share the magic of Wonderland. Children can pretend to be a part of the story and make up their own tale about Wonderland in a physical sense rather than just a mental one.