Statue of Robert Fulton
1872
Caspar Buberl
American, born Bohemia, 1834-1899
American Art
The Conservator's Eye
This statue portrays the American engineer and inventor Robert Fulton (1765–1815) with a model of his boat the Nassau, the first steam-powered ferry to operate between Manhattan and Brooklyn.
This sculpture is cast from zinc, a gray metal, which can be seen in areas where the paint has worn away. Pieces made of zinc can be joined by soldering, because of the metal’s low melting point. Using zinc to cast a sculpture in sections was easier, faster, and less expensive than using other traditional materials, such as bronze, which required casting the sculpture in one piece.
This statue portrays the American engineer and inventor Robert Fulton (1765–1815) with a model of his boat the Nassau, the first steam-powered ferry to operate between Manhattan and Brooklyn.
This sculpture is cast from zinc, a gray metal, which can be seen in areas where the paint has worn away. Pieces made of zinc can be joined by soldering, because of the metal’s low melting point. Using zinc to cast a sculpture in sections was easier, faster, and less expensive than using other traditional materials, such as bronze, which required casting the sculpture in one piece.
- Maker/Artist
- Buberl, Caspar
- Classification
- Sculpture
- Formatted Medium
- Zinc, paint, lead-tin solder, plaster (repairs)
- Dimensions
- height: 126 in., 2500 lb. (320 cm, 1133.99kg)
- Departments
- American Art
- Accession Number
- 2010.21
- Credit Line
- Gift of the Museum of the City of New York
- Exhibitions
- American Identities: A New Look, American Art
- Rights Statement
- Creative Commons-BY
- Museum Location
- This item is not on view
Have a concern, a correction, or something to add?
