Leo Friedlander

American, 1888–1966

Leo Friedlander exhibited drawings at the Art Students League in New York when he was only twelve years old. In 1908, he traveled to Europe, where he studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Brussels and Paris. In 1913, he was awarded a three-year fellowship to the American Academy in Rome, where he honed his skills and explored classical works, while also teaching, before returning to New York.

Friedlander is best known for his large classical-style equestrian sculptures, entitled Valor and Sacrifice, that flank the entrance to the Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., to form the Arts of War monument. Together they are the largest equestrian sculptures in America, standing over 19 feet high and are gilded with 24k gold. The pair was given as a gift from the people of Italy to the people of the U.S. and formally dedicated by President Harry Truman.

In 1936, Friedlander was elected to the National Academy of Design as an Associate Member and became a full Academician in 1949. During WWII, he headed the sculpture department at New York University, within the then named New York University School of Architecture. He also served as Vice President of the Architectural League, President of the National Sculpture Society, and Honorary Member of the Catholic Art Society.

Valor