[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 135 (Thursday, October 7, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S12253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 FREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS DEDICATION OF LEONARDO DA VINCI SCULPTURE, IL 
                                CAVALLO

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge and 
congratulate Frederik Meijer and the Frederik Meijer Gardens as they 
unveil and dedicate the Da Vinci sculpture Il Cavallo (the horse).
  Frederik Meijer's incredible generosity and foresight enabled Il 
Cavallo to be seen at its permanent home in the Frederik Meijer 
Gardens. In an effort to fulfill his dream of creating a world class 
sculpture garden Frederik Meijer and the City of Milan, Italy (where an 
identical sculpture is located) allowed for the work of Da Vinci to be 
recommissioned and created. Il Cavallo was originally sketched and 
commissioned by Da Vinci in 1482 and he continued to work on it for 
fourteen years. However, the bronze intended to cast the sculpture was 
used to make cannons to defend the city of Milan, therefore Da Vinci 
never completed the work.
  In 1977, after reading an article about the horse that Da Vinci never 
had the chance to create, amateur sculpture and pilot, Charles Dent 
created the first model of Il Cavallo. After his death in 1994 Nina 
Akamu sculpted the Il Cavallo that is on display today. The sculpture 
was cast using twenty thousand pounds of bronze, stands twenty-four 
feet tall and weighs fifteen tons.
  Frederik Meijer is to be thanked and commended for carrying out his 
vision and giving a world class gift to the city of Grand Rapids and 
the people of Michigan. Nearly five hundred years ago Da Vinci had the 
vision for this great horse. Due to the acts of Frederik Meijer, a 
great humanitarian, this rare and magnificent work of art will stand 
tall in the Frederik Meijer Gardens for all to see for many years to 
come.

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