President Trump has had four 19‑foot bronze statues near the Lincoln Memorial coated in 23‑karat gold leaf as part of a wider effort to refresh D.C. landmarks. The Department of the Interior awarded a no‑bid contract in April to Maryland‑based The Gilders' Studio, which has worked on Faneuil Hall and Arlington National Cemetery. The first pair, Valor and Sacrifice (The Arts of War), were revealed on July 27; The Arts of Peace remain covered. The National Park Service says the site will be closed until September 30, and the project is estimated at $5.1 million.
Trump Unveils Four 19‑Foot Bronze Statues Regilded With 23‑Karat Gold in Washington, D.C.
Trump Unveils 23K Gold Statues in D.C.Kent Nishimura - Getty Images
President Donald Trump has continued his campaign to gild prominent Washington, D.C. landmarks by having four existing bronze sculptures near the Lincoln Memorial coated in 23‑karat gold leaf.
Work on the regilding began in April, when the Department of the Interior awarded a no‑bid contract to Maryland‑based The Gilders' Studio. According to the company's website, The Gilders' Studio specializes in architectural finishes and previously completed gilding projects at Boston's Faneuil Hall, Arlington National Cemetery and the Wyoming State Capitol.
Kent Nishimura - Getty Images
About the Sculptures
The four bronze statues—each about 19 feet tall—stand just west of the Lincoln Memorial and flank the entrance to the Arlington Memorial Bridge. Installed in 1951 as gifts from Italy after World War II, the works are arranged in two pairs. The pair by Leo Friedlander is known as The Arts of War, while the pair by James Earle Fraser is called The Arts of Peace. Both Friedlander and Fraser were American‑born sculptors.
The Arts of War pair, Valor and Sacrifice, depict horses and human figures and were the first to be revealed after regilding. Images of the refreshed bronzes were posted by Mr. Trump on Truth Social on July 27. The Arts of Peace pair—featuring winged horses (pegasi) and human figures—remains covered in temporary staging while work continues.
The National Park Service says the area around the sculptures will remain closed through September 30 while the project is completed. The overall cost is estimated at about $5.1 million.
Why it matters: The project is part of a broader effort to refresh and rebrand public monuments and federal landmarks in the capital. The use of a no‑bid contract and the high cost have drawn public attention while the regilded works alter the long‑familiar appearance of these postwar memorials.
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