How Much does "a Statue" Cost?

Factual Questions
1

So let’s say some town wants to commission a statue to occupy a suddenly-open space in front of the city hall. Let’s say a standing human figure of a local hero or maybe Winged Victory or something. I duuno, about ten or fifteen feet tall.

How much would it cost if we hired a sculptor?
Are cheaper premade statues on the market?
Is stone cheaper than case metal? Would some modern resin work?
How much for a generic pedestal?
Can we reuse our existing generic pedestal?
Were statues cheaper or more expensive back in the 1910’s (adjusted for inflation)?

2

For your last question,Why those Confederate soldier statues look a lot like their Union counterparts. It cost $450 for a generic zinc statue in the late 19th century.

Sculpture.net looked at this question for bronze and threw out a $30-50,000 price. That’s 100x, which seems about right.

3

How about the cost involved in maintaining said hypothetical statuary in the future?:rolleyes:

4

To semi-realistically answer your question(s): $0-$15,000,000… Yes and no.

Insert the response that makes you happy into your query.

5

Yes, I understand a lot of the entry-level statues back in the day were mass-produced. Supposedly, the Romans had factories produce hundreds of busts of famous people for the hoi polli.

6

We aren’t talking about ancient Rome, are we?:confused:

7

It’s not the initial cost, it’s the upkeep!

In Richmond, for example, the city government has been criticized for spending a half-million dollars to “polish the controversial monument of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in time for the Sons of Confederate Veterans to celebrate his birthday.”
“Last year, the Department of General Services shelled out some $450,000 to clean up the statue,” adds the outspoken anti-Lee group the Richmond Defender, referring to the statue on Monument Avenue. “And last fall, the state’s Department of Historic Resources added the statue to the official Virginia Landmarks Register, also in preparation for Lee’s birthday.”

https://townhall.com/columnists/johnmccaslin/2007/12/03/preserving-lee-n1301287

8

Along with vandalism you have to put them in a place so people don’t steal them or cut off parts for souvenirs.

Here in Kansas city a popular statue of an indian is called “The Scout”. Now I posted a link but that’s not entirely accurate because souvenir hunter have cut off the feathers and the bow.

In Deadwood South Dakota twice they replaced the statue of Wild Bill Hickok at the cemetery because people kept stealing it so now its just in a museum.

Also if there are any copper or brass fixtures those also get stolen.

So you have to put them on a pretty high pedestal.

9

I wonder if 3d printing will lead to cheaper statuary - either by printing statues, or printing molds for metal casting.

10

Hey, another reason to remove those statues!

11

The eight-foot tall bronze statue of Chuck Berry which was erected in 2011 cost $100,000. I don’t know how that breaks down for the actual statue, the base and the site prep/landscaping.

The “Bronz Fonz” statue in Milwaukee cost $85,000 in 2008, but it’s only 65" tall.

12

Is that about a yearly cost or once in a decade/generation? How come it costs so much?

Have there been attempts to make statues with low-maintenance materials?

13

This statue of an orange picker in my town cost $40,000. It sits in the middle of a traffic circle in mid-town.

14

Thank you all.

15

Thank you. So basically, there was a big market for statues honoring the various participants of the war and a New Jersey company filled the niche in both north and south with copes of the same statue. How democratic.

I have relatives in Winsor NC, which the articles mentions. Can’t wait to tell them their statue was made in New Jersey.