Nathan Hale

Frederick William MacMonnies American
 Cast by E. Gruet French

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 766

In 1890 MacMonnies won a competition for a statue of Nathan Hale (1755–1776), the Revolutionary War hero who was captured infiltrating British lines and hanged as a spy. The bronze was erected in Manhattan’s City Hall Park in 1893. MacMonnies had no images of Hale to consult, so he portrayed him as a quintessential American patriot. Hale appears moments before his execution on September 22, 1776, having just uttered his famous words, “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” He is clothed as a schoolmaster, which was his actual profession; his bound arms and feet are somber reminders of his impending fate.

Nathan Hale, Frederick William MacMonnies (American, New York 1863–1937 New York), Bronze, American

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Nathan Hale, Frederick William MacMonnies (American, New York 1863–1937 New York), Bronze, American
Nathan Hale, Frederick William MacMonnies (American, New York 1863–1937 New York), Bronze, American

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.