Talk:Statue of Nathan Hale (New York City)

When was it moved?

And which location is shown in the picture? 2A00:23C3:E284:900:91C4:1A02:368C:126D (talk) 09:13, 18 April 2020 (UTC)

Picture

This article needs a better picture. Richard75 (talk) 15:09, 30 August 2020 (UTC)

Requested move 6 January 2024

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: moved. Per consensus. – robertsky (talk) 02:16, 15 January 2024 (UTC)

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Nathan Hale (statue) → Statue of Nathan Hale (New York City) – Per WP:VAMOS, which says, "For portrait sculptures of individuals in public places the forms "Statue of Fred Foo", "Equestrian statue of Fred Foo" or "Bust of Fred Foo" are recommended, unless a form such as "Fred Foo Memorial" or "Monument to Fred Foo" is the WP:COMMONNAME. If further disambiguation is needed, because there is more than one sculpture of the same person with an article, then disambiguation by location rather than the sculptor is usually better. This may be done as either "Statue of Fred Foo (Chicago)" (typically preferred for North America) or "Statue of Fred Foo, Glasgow" (typically preferred elsewhere). If the sculpture has a distinct common name, like the Bronze Horseman, that should be used". --Another Believer _(Talk) 16:07, 6 January 2024 (UTC)

@APK: Putting this on your radar, since you're working on Captain Nathan Hale (statue). Thanks! ---Another Believer _(Talk) 16:08, 6 January 2024 (UTC)

Note: WikiProject New York City has been notified of this discussion. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 16:35, 6 January 2024 (UTC)

Note: WikiProject New York (state) has been notified of this discussion. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 16:35, 6 January 2024 (UTC)

Note: WikiProject Sculpture has been notified of this discussion. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 16:35, 6 January 2024 (UTC)

Note: WikiProject United States has been notified of this discussion. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 16:36, 6 January 2024 (UTC)

Note: WikiProject Visual arts has been notified of this discussion. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 16:36, 6 January 2024 (UTC)

• Another Believer, are you sure that the statue isn't named Nathan Hale? Thanks. Randy Kryn (talk) 00:45, 7 January 2024 (UTC)
  • Randy Kryn The name comes from the Smithsonian. APK hi :-) (talk) 04:22, 7 January 2024 (UTC) (never mind I just noticed this is the NYC version) APK hi :-) (talk) 04:29, 7 January 2024 (UTC)
• Support. That we have two articles on separate topics titled Captain Nathan Hale (statue) and Nathan Hale (statue) perfectly illustrates why the standardized naming convention at WP:VAMOS ("Statue of Nathan Hale" + disambiguation, now that there's more than one article) is necessary. Ham II (talk) 07:27, 7 January 2024 (UTC)

  No, if the two statues are named then they should have article titles with their actual names. Your logic would combine all statues of anyone who has more than one named statue into "Statues of..."" just because there are more than one. These are artworks, and artworks which have names should have those names as the title of their Wikipedia pages (the same as any other works, i.e. paintings, films, albums, poems, books, etc. etc.). Randy Kryn (talk) 13:01, 7 January 2024 (UTC)

  This statue is called the Nathan Hale Memorial on the Smithsonian's database, Nathan Hale on the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation's website, the Nathan Hale Statue on City Hall Park's website, and the statue of Nathan Hale on the American Revolution Institute's website. Which is the "actual name"? Ham II (talk) 13:48, 7 January 2024 (UTC)

  That should be the primary discussion, which is why I haven't supported or opposed as yet. The statue itself is well-inscribed on the front of its pedestal Nathan Hale, and signed by the sculptor, so that seems the name to go with unless the sculptor's naming it something different can be found. Randy Kryn (talk) 14:18, 7 January 2024 (UTC)

  That's giving precedence to primary sources over secondary sources; Wikipedia is supposed to do the opposite. And the statue in Washington, D.C. ("Captain Nathan Hale (statue)"), is another one that's inscribed NATHAN HALE on the pedestal. If that carries such weight, it rules out Nathan Hale (statue) as a title for this article. Ham II (talk) 15:56, 7 January 2024 (UTC)

• Why are named statues the only artform titles being changed away from their names? See the statues at the Statues of the National Statuary Hall Collection pages, they all seem to have been changed from their original titles to the "Statue of..." wording, even if they have proper names. Why? This does not, nor should occur, with paintings, films, books, plays, etc. Randy Kryn (talk) 14:54, 7 January 2024 (UTC)

  Usage in sources is typically mixed when it comes to public statues; I've shown above how the usage is mixed for this statue. Searching for a "real title" is a futile exercise in most cases. The situation with painting titles is a complicated one; they're more likely to have "real titles" in later periods, while earlier ones are often highly conventionalized inventions by someone other than the artist. Regardless, they're usually in italics, though there are some constructions that look acceptable unitalicized – "Foo Altarpiece", "portrait of so-and-so". Published media are different to visual artworks – they generally have title pages or title screens, and written coverage of them follows the titles written there. Art history doesn't treat inscriptions on artworks as the equivalent of title pages. Ham II (talk) 15:56, 7 January 2024 (UTC)

  Thanks for your long answer. I'm talking specifically about statues which are sourced as to a name given them by the sculptor, not about those which are harder to pin-down. As for this one, I would think that the large inscribed name on the base attested to by the signature of the sculptor would be enough to show its intended name, but as you point out, several different names have been put forward in sources. Randy Kryn (talk) 16:39, 7 January 2024 (UTC)

  Simple. WP:COMMONNAME. Nobody says "I saw Nathan Hale". They say "I saw the statue of Nathan Hale". However, they do say "I saw the Mona Lisa"! -- Necrothesp (talk) 11:22, 8 January 2024 (UTC)

• Support per nom. And Captain Nathan Hale (statue) should be moved to Statue of Nathan Hale (Washington, D.C.). -- Necrothesp (talk) 11:20, 8 January 2024 (UTC)

Totally agree. It was weird writing the article while other statues are in the page's gallery. APK hi :-) (talk) 11:28, 8 January 2024 (UTC)

• Oppose, the statue has 'Nathan Hale' prominently displayed on its front, and is signed by the sculptor. That's as indicative of a proper name as an author signing his novel. Randy Kryn (talk) 11:58, 10 January 2024 (UTC)
  • No, that's just labelling the statue so everyone knows who it is! -- Necrothesp (talk) 13:46, 10 January 2024 (UTC)

    Agree with Necrothesp. That's how statues work. 🌺 Cremastra (talk) 14:13, 14 January 2024 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.