Monuments/Statues with Backhanded Messages

#1

The topic title is not very good, but its the best I could come up with.

I was driving down the Nepean Highway in Brighton (Melbourne Suburb) the other day and passed the stature of Sir Thomas Bent.

It looks for all the world like typical statues to great men produced in the late 19th/early 20th century (see pics at links), about half again lifesize and weighing upwards of 4 tons and made from beaten bronze, it was the first statue in Australian to be welded using oxy/acetylene instead of riveting.

It is actually an attractive monument, but one detail is rife with snark.

The sculpture commemorates Sir Thomas Bent, former Brighton Mayor and Premier of Victoria. The sculpture has significance as the first large public commission given to a woman sculptor in Victoria. This work helped the sculptor, Margaret Baskerville, preserve her name as Victoria`s first professional woman sculptor.

Sir Thomas Bent KCMG (7 December 1838 – 17 September 1909) was an Australian politician and the 22nd Premier of Victoria. He was one of the most colourful and corrupt politicians in Victorian history.

Sir Thomas Bent was responsible for many important speculative ventures both within his electorate and in the wider context of Victoria. Although not without thought for personal gain, Bent was a committed advocate of public utilities, railways, roads, tramways and gasworks.

The statue shows Bent standing imperiously over the viewers, with a scroll in is right hand signifying his long and productive Parliamentary career.

But his left hand is lowered, palm upwards fingers slightly curled ready to receive the bribes that so typified his career.

Bent's Biography, published in the 1980's is titled appropriately: 'Bent By Name, Bent By Nature'.

Monuments Australia: Sir Thomas Bent

Tommy Bent Statue

#2

Tommy's statue is great, but my favourite snarky monument are those honouring Benedict Arnold in Saratoga.

"What?", you say, "there aren't any monuments to Benedict Arnold the traitor in the USA! The only traitors honoured with monuments in the USA are for the Civil War Traitors!"

Yeah, well, yes and no.

There are two monuments in Saratoga, New York that 'mention' Benedict Arnold in a very snarky way.

The first is the Saratoga Battle Monument

(Wikipedia)
The Saratoga Battle Monument contains four niches intended for life size bronze statues of the American commanders associated with the Battle of Saratoga.

Facing north is General Horatio Gates, who had overall command of the American army in the battles. He gazes northward, anticipating the imminent arrival of the southward-invading British army.

Facing east, above the golden text, is American General Philip Schuyler. His country estate is downhill and east of here. It was burned by the British as they were retreating north from the battlefield.

The empty niche, facing south toward the battlefield, was originally for a statue of American General Benedict Arnold.

Facing west is the bronze statue of American Colonel Daniel Morgan, whose riflemen and light infantry troops were positioned west of here to prevent the British from escaping in that direction.

Edit: I don't think it is correct that the empty niche was 'originally' meant for a stature of Arnold - I think it was meant to be empty from the start.

The second is The Boot Monument

(Wikipedia)
The Boot Monument is an American Revolutionary War memorial located in Saratoga National Historical Park, New York. Erected in 1887 by John Watts de Peyster, it commemorates Major General Benedict Arnold's service at the Battles of Saratoga in the Continental Army, but does not mention him on the monument because of Arnold's betrayal to the British army. Instead, it commemorates Arnold as the "most brilliant soldier of the Continental Army". The monument was sculpted by George Edwin Bissell.
...
The monument never mentions Arnold by name because De Peyster was worried that the monument would be defaced if it mentioned Arnold directly[30][22] and because of Arnold's defection to the British army. It features a howitzer barrel, with a left-footed horseman's riding boot[31][4][32] and a two-star epaulette for a major general on top of the barrel.[33][34][page needed] A Laurel leaf wreath sits atop the howitzer.[35] As a sign of dishonor, the howitzer barrel is pointed downwards.[36] One error in the inscription was that Arnold did not earn the rank of Major General prior to, and because of, Saratoga, but he did regain his seniority.[1] The monument faces the battlefield.

Finally,

(Wikipedia)
In an old cadet chapel at West Point, Revolutionary War generals are honored there with a plaque on the wall, but Arnold's plaque only mentions his date of birth and death date, but not his name.

I quite enjoy how Arnolds contributions are honoured, but his betrayal is shouted out through silence.