The artwork consists of three pieces: a bronze bust, a black granite shield and a limestone base. The bust is tall by wide and has a depth of. The entire sculpture has a height of with a width of and a depth of. The bust depicts the 23rd President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison. He is wearing his favorite overcoat and has a full beard. The only word present on the bust, Harrison, is on a bronze banner across the top of the granite shield. The shield is black Indian granite, the black polished edges showcasing the sandblasted gray interior. The six stars along the right and left flanks represent the six states that entered the Union while Harrison was in office, more states than any other president. The shield design was inspired by Harrison's 1888 campaign slogan "Protection and Reciprocity" and also recalls the shape of the Indiana state tree, the tulip tree. The sculpture was made in the artist's studio in Kirklin, Indiana, and cast in bronze at the SinCerus Bronze Art Center in Indianapolis.
Historical information
The bust was commissioned by the Indiana General Assembly in 2007 in House Bill 1818, which also commissions artwork based on the contributions of African Americans to be placed in the statehouse. The bill "requires the department to commission a bust of President Benjamin Harrison for display in the state capitol. Requires the department to consult with the historical bureau and the arts commission on the design of the bust. Requires the approval of the legislative council before the bust is placed in the state capitol." The sponsors of the bill were Representatives V. Smith, M. Murphy, C. Brown; and Senators J. Merritt, E. Rogers, S. Smith, B. Breaux, and G. Howard. The artist, Richard Peglow, is an Indiana native, having been born and raised in La Port, Indiana. He has studied at the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale, Herron School of Art, University of Notre Dame, and Northern Illinois University. The bust was placed in the Indiana statehouse on November 18, 2008, and the great-great-grandson of Benjamin Harrison, Kimball Morsman, was in attendance. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels gave a speech in which he expressed surprise that a bust of Benjamin Harrison has not been placed in the statehouse before. A more critical voice has raised the question as to why the Indiana General Assembly had to be involved in such a project at all. Matthew Tully of the Indianapolis Star mentioned the bust while examining other, "laws that will in no way reshape the way we all go about our daily lives". Tully had no problem with Benjamin Harrison or with putting a bust of the former President in the statehouse. Rather, he asked "Do we really need a law for this?"
