I have chosen to use The Washington Monument designed by Robert Mills as my first critique in the Art Appreciation 1010 class. I found this architecture during my visit to the Million Man March located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architecture of this monument is an obelisk. I chose this architecture due to the fact that it makes me feel nostalgic of my childhood.
The Washington Monument, an obelisk which is approximately 555 feet 7 11⁄32 inches tall, was created in Egyptian Revival style. This monument was built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the first American president. This monument is made of 36,491 blocks that weight 81,120 tons as a whole. The thickness of the blocks ranges from 15 feet starting (the bottom) to 18 inches (the top). The materials of this structure are stone masonry, white marble, blue gneiss, granite, and sandstone. Most of the other materials are imported from Maryland whereas the marble is from Texas. Encircle around the base of this structure are 50 flags (one for each) on wooden poles.
I truly feel for the nostalgia and feeling being welcomed by the Washington Monument due to the fact I was born in Washington, D.C. and taken to the National Mall often as a child. Even though I attend school in Nashville, TN flying back home, and seeing the Washington Monument makes me feel welcomed home along with a feeling of nostalgia to times of being carefree. I can feel what Robert Mills wanted to convey in making this structure in memory for George Washington because, style of the monument is amazing and grand therefore it is not something you can just forget. The image of this structure and how it makes you feel sticks with you throughout your entire life. Robert Mill has permanently captured the significance of George Washington to the people of his time into this largely unforgettable obelisk that towers over the Nation Mall for years to come. I feel he was successful in upholding George Washington’s image into marble.
