| Atlanta from the Ashes (The Phoenix) | |
|---|---|
![]() Interactive map ofAtlanta from the Ashes (The Phoenix) | |
| General information | |
| Type | Monument |
| Location | Atlanta,United States |
| Coordinates | 33°45′16.72″N84°23′21.37″W / 33.7546444°N 84.3892694°W /33.7546444; -84.3892694 |
| Construction started | 1967 |
| Completed | 1969 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | James Siegler |
Atlanta from the Ashes, more commonly known asThe Phoenix, is a bronze monument located inAtlanta,Georgia,United States, symbolizing Atlanta's rise from the ashes of the Civil War to become aworld city. The sculpture, dedicated in 1969, depicts a woman being lifted from flames by aphoenix, in reference to the phoenix of Greco-Roman mythology that was consumed by fire and rose from the ashes, just as Atlanta rose from the ashes after the city's infrastructure was burned byWilliam T. Sherman's Union Army during theCivil War.[1][2] The female figure has long hair and is seen nude above the waist, looking upward. In her raised arms she holds the legs of a gilded phoenix. The sculpture is mounted on a rectangular base.[2] The monument is located inWoodruff Park, located inDowntown Atlanta.
The monument was a gift of the Rich Foundation in commemoration of the 100th anniversary ofRich's Department store.[2] The sculpture was designed by James Siegler, of Houston, Texas, but it was both sculpted and fabricated in Italy, by Gamba Quirino, and Feruccia Vezzoni, respectively.[2] The monument was originally located on a viaduct adjacent to the first Rich's Department store on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at Spring Street from 1969 to 1995.[2] In 1995, the sculpture was restored and moved to its current location in Woodruff Park.[2]
Since its creation, the sculpture has become an iconic symbol of Atlanta's rise from out of the ashes and destruction of the Civil War to become one of the most important international cities.[3][4]