Two 19-foot statues, now freshly gilded with 23.75-karat gold leaf, stand near the Lincoln Memorial, a $5.1 million expenditure of public funds. These statues, once easily overlooked, now serve as a prominent symbol of President Trump’s redecoration of Washington. Their ostentatious gleam sharply contrasts with the nearby classical and austere Lincoln Memorial.
The statues, named Valor and Sacrifice, were sculpted by Leo Friedlander and cast in Italy. They were dedicated 75 years ago as a gift from the Italians following World War II. Each statue depicts a nude man and a seminude woman. Two additional statues, collectively known as The Arts of Peace, are also undergoing similar golden transformations nearby. Each statue rests on a granite pedestal encircled by 36 stars, symbolizing the states in the Union at the close of the Civil War. The bronze statues had not been regilded for 55 years, having faded significantly since 1971.
Public Funds, Private Gain
Federal officials awarded the $5.1 million contract in April without seeking competitive bids. Internal documents cited by The New York Times reveal the National Park Service treated the project as a high priority, describing it as “a visible, high-impact example of how the N.P.S. is responding to presidential directives.” Documents obtained by NOTUS indicated that extensive market research was not conducted to assess the fairness of the $5 million price tag. The agency determined that only one company, the Gilders’ Studio in Maryland, could meet the project’s specific requirements and timeline. This company, which did not respond to inquiries, has completed regilding projects nationwide, including the Georgia State House dome and Faneuil Hall cupola. The project description mandated a competition date of July 1.
President Trump has previously adorned the White House with gold, and these statues represent a highly visible manifestation of Washington’s new gilded age. As scaffolding was removed this week, marking one of the few completed Trump-ordered renovations, the President shared photos on social media. Tourists, commuters, cyclists, and runners paused to capture images of the newly gilded monuments.
The Aesthetics of Power
Trump has consistently displayed his affinity for gold, evident in Mar-a-Lago’s Versailles-inspired ballroom, golden bathrooms, and gold-infused penthouse suite. The Oval Office now features thick gold frames, gold vases, gold stars on the ceiling, and gold appliqués. Trump insists these are genuine gold, not painted imitations. Last year, he exempted gold bullion from his reciprocal tariffs and named his special visa program for wealthy foreigners the Trump Gold Card. He also affixed his personally designed golden presidential challenge coin to the center of the Oval Office door. Gold coasters and curtains further contribute to the opulent decor, with guests reportedly bringing gifts of gold.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented Trump with a golden orb trophy for the first FIFA Peace Prize. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook gave him a 24-karat-gold base for a glass sculpture. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu provided a golden pager last year to commemorate an operation involving Hezbollah members. “See, I’m a gold person,” Trump stated during a Cabinet meeting 5 months ago. Trump’s first wife, Ivana Trump, the Trump Organization’s vice president of interior design, encouraged his gold obsession, according to Regime Change by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. She was buried in a gold casket. In the 1980s, Trump invested $7 million in gold leaf for Mar-a-Lago’s walls and installed gold-plated sinks. He hired designer Henry Conversano, known for golden flourishes in Golden Nugget casinos, to remodel his Trump Tower penthouse and work on his Atlantic City casino. 38 years ago, he acquired a yacht from the sultan of Brunei, bathed in gold and named the Trump Princess.
Jack O’Donnell, a former casino executive who hosted parties on the yacht, described it as “shockingly gaudy,” noting Trump’s affection for it. O’Donnell speculated the yacht might have inspired Trump’s almost entirely gold and marble Lincoln Bathroom. 18 years ago, Trump constructed a Las Vegas hotel with a 406,000-square-foot facade coated in gold-infused glass. More recently, supporters erected a 22-foot statue of him with a gold finish at his Doral, Florida, golf course. Barbara Res, who oversaw construction for the Trump Organization, stated, “To him gold was the essence of richness and class.” She added, “To him it meant, This is gold. This is mine. It’s the best you can get, and I’m the best. That’s how his mind works.” Res also noted his enjoyment of trompe l’oeil, “tricking the eye of the consumer,” and that his taste reflected “his ability to spend endless money on something beautiful.” Trump has asserted, “I love the gold, but if you don’t use 24 karat gold, it doesn’t look good,” and “It’s all real stuff.” Peter York wrote in Politico Magazine 9 years ago that Trump’s design style is “aspirational, meant to project the wealth so many citizens can only dream of,” describing it as “dictator style.” Gold has historically symbolized imperial power in 18th-century France and 19th-century Russia. On his first foreign trip of his second term, Trump admired the gold and marble in Middle Eastern palaces. “Versailles is not a gold leaf. Versailles is the real deal,” he remarked 2 months ago.
State Sanctions Ostentation
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle issued a statement claiming, “No other president has done more to beautify our Nation’s interior than President Trump.” Ingle asserted that Trump’s “bold vision” would ensure the nation’s 250th birthday was filled with “glory and pride.” The Department of Interior stated that “Residents and visitors are excited to see the city revitalized to the grand destination it was meant to be.” Trump added the statues to a list of “eyesores” he demanded be fixed before the nation’s 250th birthday 1 month ago, prompting federal officials to expedite the work. The National Park Service treated the project as a high priority. An ARTNews review characterized the gilded statues as “Fit for an oligarch’s ballroom.”