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Secondary sourceSculpture1844

Simón Bolívar Monument, Berlin

Pietro Tenerani · 1844

A bronze statue of Bolívar by Pietro Tenerani, originally designed in 1844 for Bogotá's Plaza de Bolívar and based on likenesses made during his lifetime.

This early monument to Bolívar, based on lifetime likenesses, shows how he was commemorated after his death.

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Bronze statue of a man in a military uniform with epaulettes, a laurel-leaf embroidered collar, a medal, and a draped cloak, holding a rolled document and a sword hilt. It stands on a grey granite pedestal inscribed SIMON BOLIVAR 1783-1830 with German text below. A wooden fence and a building are behind it.
Pietro Tenerani, Simón Bolívar monument, 1844 (cast), Berlin.

About this source

What it is

This bronze statue of Simón Bolívar was created by the Italian sculptor Pietro Tenerani, with the original design dating from 1844 for the Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá. This cast stands in Berlin, part of the Ibero-American Institute's collection. It shows Bolívar in military uniform with a cloak, medal, sword and a rolled document.

Why it matters

As the first major monument to Bolívar, based on images made while he was alive, it set the pattern for how he would be portrayed in public statues across Latin America and beyond: as a dignified military and political leader. Its presence in Berlin shows how his fame spread internationally.

Look closer

  • What choices did the sculptor make about pose, clothing and objects to show Bolívar's importance?
  • Why might a statue of Bolívar have been placed in Berlin rather than only in Latin America?
  • How might a statue based on lifetime likenesses differ from one made purely from imagination?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Simón Bolívar on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Photograph of an aged, handwritten manuscript page on yellowed paper, lying open in a white book or folder. Dense cursive script fills the page, with a faded blue stamp from the Banco Central del Ecuador in the upper right corner and a stamp in the upper left. The photo carries an Andes news agency watermark.Letter

Primary source

Carta de Jamaica

Simón Bolívar · 1815

Black and white engraved portrait of a man in a military uniform with epaulettes and braided buttons, with short hair and a mustache, looking to his left. The caption below reads BOLIVAR. Printed on a cream sheet with the number 3 in the upper right corner.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Bolívar (Leipzig engraving)

Speech

Primary source

Speech of Angostura

Simón Bolívar · 15 February 1819

Black-and-white steel engraved portrait of a man with dark wavy hair and a mustache, wearing a high-collared military uniform with epaulettes and buttoned coat. Below the image are the printed title 'Bolivar' and credit lines.Painting

Secondary source

Steel Engraved Portrait of Bolívar by W. Holl after M.N. Bate

William Holl II · 1853

A painting of a man in a white shirt holding a quill and pointing at a document on a table, while a uniformed officer in a dark cape stands opposite, with soldiers and a seated scribe behind. A dog sits at left.Document

Primary source

Decree of War to the Death

Simón Bolívar · 15 June 1813

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