The Signing of the Treaty Tablet
By Karl Bitter
Category: Miscellaneous
About
The tablet represents Monroe, Livingston, and Marbois signing the Louisiana Purchase Treaty on April 30, 1803. Monroe is on the left, behind the chair; Livingston is seated; and Marbois is signing the treaty. The tablet was donated by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company and was unveiled in 1913.
Courtesy of Forest Park Forever.
Year completed: 1913
Material: Bronze
Owner: City of St. Louis
About the artist:
Karl Bitter
1867-1915
Karl Bitter was an Austrian-born American sculptor best known for his architectural sculpture, memorials, and residential work. As a young man, he trained extensively in Vienna before immigrating to the United States in 1889 in protest of Austrian military service during peacetime. In New York, he was discovered by famous architect Richard Morris Hunt, and continued on to establish a career as a successful sculptor in his own right. He was commissioned for works at multiple World’s Fair Expositions, and eventually rose to preside over the National Sculpture Society in 1906.
