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The Progress of Railroading is group of public artworks by American artist Louis St. Gaudens. This series of six sculptures were cut by Andrew E. Bernasconi, a high-grade Italian stone workman, between 1909 and 1911. These statues are located at Union Station in Washington, D.C., United States. The sculptures represent deities related to rail transport in the United States.〔Goode, John ''Washington Sculpture''. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008, p. 15.〕 ==Description== Six figures which stand at 18 feet high are on the main facade of the Union Station building. These granite sculptures are placed above three connected triumphal arches that make up the main entrance of the building. The six figures represent and mean: *Archimedes - Mechanics *Ceres - Agriculture *Apollo - Imagination or Inspiration *Themis - Freedom or Justice *Thales - Electricity *Prometheus - Fire The east and west figures are meant to deal with the operational system behind railroads and the center figures represent creativity.〔 The west section is inscribed: :FIRE - GREATEST OF DISCOVERIES :ENABLING MAN TO LIVE IN VARIOUS CLIMATES :USE MANY FOODS - AND COMPEL THE :FORCES OF NATURE TO DO HIS WORK :ELECTRICITY - CARRIER OF LIGHT AND POWER :DEVOURER OF TIME AND SPACE - BEARER :OF HUMAN SPEECH OVER LAND AND SEA :GREATEST SERVANT OF MAN - ITSELF UNKNOWN :THOU HAST PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET The center is inscribed: :SWEETENER OF HUT AND OF HALL :BRINGER OF LIFE OUT OF NAUGHT :FREEDOM O FAIREST OF ALL :THE DAUGHTERS OF TIME AND THOUGHT :MAN'S IMAGINATION HAS CONCEIVED ALL :NUMBERS AND LETTERS ALL TOOLS VESSELS :AND SHELTERS - EVERY ART AND TRADE ALL :PHILOSOPHY AND POETRY - AND ALL POLITIES :THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE The east side is inscribed: :THE FARM - BEST HOME OF THE FAMILY - MAIN :SOURCE OF NATIONAL WEALTH - FOUNDATION OF :CIVILIZED SOCIETY - THE NATURAL PROVIDENCE :THE OLD MECHANIC ARTS CONTROLLING NEW :FORCES BUILD NEW HIGHWAYS FOR GOODS :AND MEN OVERRIDE THE OCEAN AND MAKE :THE VERY ETHER CARRY HUMAN THOUGHT :THE DESERT SHALL REJOICE AND BLOSSOM :AS THE ROSE Two eagles also flank the left and right side of the arches.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Progress of Railroading」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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