“Preparedness”
Paul Wayland Bartlett - Cast by Griffoul, Newark, New Jersey, 1915–1916 (cast 1916) 
Bronze - 12½ x 4¼ x 4½ inches
 
A finely modeled bronze statuette of an American eagle conceived by the sculptor Paul Wayland Bartlett in response to the sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915. The work emerged from the growing Preparedness Movement, which advocated increased military readiness in the years immediately preceding American entry into the First World War.
 
The composition presents a vigilant eagle perched above a shield, accompanied by a banner inscribed “Preparedness,” combining clear patriotic symbolism with Bartlett’s restrained sculptural treatment. Casts of the model were produced both in the United States and in Paris, reflecting the international context in which Bartlett worked and the broader transatlantic response to the escalating conflict in Europe.
 
Condition: Excellent, featuring a uniform dark patina.