Serenity

This Statue of Serenity by José Clará (Josep Clarà) stands in Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC. It is said to be the most abused statue in Washington. 

Serenity

In Remembrance of William Henry Scheutze

Lieutenant Commander United States Navy

MDCCCLIII-MCMII

James Goode wrote in 1974 that:

This allegorical statue, installed in the northwest quarter of Meridian Hill Park in 1925, is one of an identical pair by Spanish sculptor José Clara; the other is in Luxembourg, and is called by its Spanish title Serenidad. Carved out of a single block of white marble, Serenity is depicted as a woman in classical garb, seated in a casual position. Many have complained that  Serenity’s expression is not altogether serene. Fifty years of vandalism and accumulated grime cannot have improved her countenance. Her lips have been rouged, her cheeks painted, her knees chalked, and the nose knocked off at least twice. Serenity stands 5 1/2 feet high and is one of the few statues in Washington never to have had a dedication ceremony, and to have been erected by a private individual to honor a relatively unknown and insignificant American figure. To add to her troubles, various citizens’ groups have petitioned for her removal.

See  “Serenity” Goes Modern and Rouging of Serenity  from 1932 and 1933 respectively, and Still Serene from 1957.

The photo below of Serenity with her sculptor on July 13, 1925 shows what Serenity's face originally looked like. (LOC)

The photo below showing Serenity still in good condition, appeared on a historical marker at Meridian Hill. The caption identifies William Henry Schuetze, the man this memorial memorializes:

Jose Clara's marble figure, Serenity, was dedicated in the Grotto on March 12, 1925. Charles Deering, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, donated the sculpture to honor the career of his friend and classmate, Lieutenant Commander William Henry Schuetze. Shuetze is remembered for his part in the 1882 expedition to Russia to retrieve the bodies from the ill-fated USS Jeannette, and later for his service aboard the USS Iowa in the Spanish American War

Read a time-line of Schuetze's naval career, here. The picture of him below appeared as the frontispiece of a memorial volume oddly named “William Henry Schuetze by William Henry Schuetze” which is the source for the photo-biography that follows.

William Henry Schuetze

Here he is in 1869 when he was appointed Cadet Midshipman.

1869

Schuetze graduated first in his class at Annapolis in May of 1873.

1873

And here he is, as he appeared between 1882 and 1886 on an expedition in search of the survivors of the Arctic expedition steamer Jeannette. 

1882-6      

William Henry Schuetze from an 1896 portrait.

Here's the Battleship Iowa at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba in the Spanish American War.

Battleship Iowa at the Victory of Admiral Sampson's Squadron over the Spanish

off Santiago de Cuba, July 3, 1898

Captain Robley D. Evans, Commanding, Lieutenant William H. Schuetze, Navigator.

And here's the medal Schuetze won as navigator of the Iowa at the battle of Santiago de Cuba. That's Admiral William Sampson on the obverse of the medal.

Commander Schuetze died at the Old Naval Hospital, at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, on April 4, 1902. See his obituary in the Washington Evening Star.

The Serenity monument provided a launching pad for two young girls, in 2015.