This May, Thomas Jefferson symbolically returned to the Virginia State Capitol in the form of a larger-than-life bronze sculpture, commissioned by the Virginia Capitol Foundation with the support of some friends. Weighing in at 800 pounds, the nearly eight-foot-tall statue represents Jefferson at 117.5 percent life-size.

After 16 months, Thomas Jefferson, Architect of Liberty, sculpted by Ivan Schwartz and StudioEIS, of Brooklyn, New York, has been completed and can now be found in the Capitol Extension. From the beginning of this initiative, the Foundation embraced the plan to give Thomas Jefferson a place of honor at the Virginia Capitol as a central component of comprehensive educational programs being developed by the Foundation.

With the most reliable images created during Jefferson’s lifetime as references, StudioEIS combined computer technology and artistry to portray Mr. Jefferson when he designed the Virginia Capitol. The original bronze statue represents Jefferson at approximately age 42 when he was architect of the Virginia State Capitol. The architectural drawing that the figure is holding is a side elevation of the Capitol, the original of which was drawn by Jefferson.

To bring Thomas Jefferson to Richmond, Virginia Capitol Foundation approached local donors to fund the proposed statue for the Virginia State Capitol. Ultimately, three individuals and their families stepped forward to return Jefferson to the Capitol he designed: The Thomas F. Farrell, II Family; the William H. Goodwin, Jr. Family; and the Brenton S. Halsey Family.

The donors shared an admiration for Jefferson and the critical role he played in establishing our new nation, which they wished to impart to Capitol visitors. As a result, the donors collaborated with the Foundation Sculpture Committee to guide this historic project through a number of critical decisions including the selection of the sculptor, the artist’s medium, the story to be conveyed through the sculpture, the size of the figure, the pedestal and inscription, and a seemingly endless list of other important determinations.

Today visitors are having the desired reaction to the sculpture as indicated by a letter received shortly after the dedication in May. A parent of a fifth-grade girl wrote, the children “were thrilled to be a part of this dedication. In our home, Jefferson’s ideals are regarded highly. Hopefully this will fuel her pursuit of knowledge and reinforce the great traditions of Jefferson in her own life goals.”