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by
John Troesser
Sculptor:
Pompeo Coppini
Architect:
Carlton Adams
Base: Rodriquez Brothers Memorials
Funded 1936 -
Begun 1937 - Completed 1939
Location: South Alamo and East Crockett
Streets
Alamo Plaza in San Antonio, Texas |
The
Spirit of Sacrifice Cenotaph
Photo Courtesy Lori
Martin |
| From
the Greek words kenos, (empty) and taphos, (tomb) - cenotaphs are tombs or monuments
erected to honor a person or persons whose remains are elsewhere or their whereabouts
unknown. Quite frequently cenotaphs are erected for soldiers killed in distant
places or sailors lost at sea. Texas has many such
empty tombs, some of them modest tombstones in humble cemeteries. This one in
San Antonio's Alamo Plaza is sometimes referred
to as "The" Cenotaph. |
| The
west side of the base showing the figures of Travis and others that appear in
two photos below. Figure of woman facing north (far left with garland) symbolizes
the state of Texas. TE Photo April 2001 |
The
base of the sculpture is 12 feet by 40 feet and it rises to a height of 60 feet.
While Coppini had preferred
to show the men in battle - the cenotaph had been designed by Carlton Adams before
Coppini was chosen as sculptor.
Some believe that the monument is built where many of the Alamo
defenders were put to death after the fall. Others believe the corpses of the
dead defenders were piled here and unceremoniously burned.
In a newspaper
article, writer J. Frank Dobie compared the piece to a grain elevator - and even
Coppini agreed with Dobie
that the figures looked as though they were assembling for a portrait.
(Dobie on another occasion had stated that Coppini had "littered" the state
of Texas with his work, but here the two men agreed. To our knowledge, Coppini
never critiqued Dobie's writing.) |
| Another
Coppini work - a bas-relief
over main entrance of a building two blocks north of Alamo
square. TE Photo April 2001 |
The Cenotaph was one
of the largest works of famed Italian-born sculptor Pompeo
Coppini whose other works
include statues in Ballinger,
Galveston,
Gonzales, Victoria,
Austin and at least four more pieces
in San Antonio - including his own elaborate tombstone.
Three other Coppini works
can be found within walking distance of the Cenotaph - one over the doorway of
the old San Antonio News Office and two huge bronze doors on the Scottish Rite
building just a few blocks north of the Alamo.
The
Texas Collection of Baylor University has a large file on Coppini
and his "adopted" daughter - Waldine
Tauch. Within the file are photos of Coppini
at work on the cenotaph figures. As you can see in these photos - he went to extraordinary
lengths, even working on the musculature of the figures - even before adding the
clothing. |
The
figures on the far right of the west side. Pompeo
Coppini at work.
Photo Courtesy The Texas Collection, Baylor University
|
The
figures on the west side as they appeared in clay.
Photo Courtesy The Texas
Collection, Baylor University |
The
same figures after being "clothed."
Photo Courtesy The Texas Collection,
Baylor University |
The
south side of the main shaft has the 25-foot bas-relief figure - Spirit of
Sacrifice - and the north face has a female figure representing Texas. The
east and west faces have larger-than-life statues of various Alamo defenders.
Bowie and Bonham on the east face and Travis and Crockett on the west face.
The
marker reads:
Erected in Memory of the Heroes who sacrificed their
lives at the Alamo, March 6, 1836 in the defense
of Texas, "They chose never to surrender nor retreat,
these brave hearts with flag still proudly waving perished in the flames of immortality
that their high sacrifice might lead to the founding on this Texas."
Where
to Stay
San
Antonio Hotels
©
John Troesser | |
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