Which sculptor created the 1886 Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor?

The sculptor who created the 1886 Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor was Frédéric Bartholdi.

Frédéric Bartholdi, a French sculptor, designed the colossal copper statue formally titled Liberty Enlightening the World. France gave it to the United States to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence and the friendship between the two nations. The statue was dedicated on 28 October 1886.

Bartholdi created the external sculpture, while Gustave Eiffel and his structural team designed the iron framework that supports the copper skin. This division of work is why the statue is associated with both artists, but Eiffel was not its sculptor. The copper sheets were formed using repoussé, a method that shapes metal by hammering it from the reverse side.

The figure represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. She holds a torch in her raised right hand and a tablet inscribed “JULY IV MDCCLXXVI” in her left. The seven rays of her crown are commonly interpreted as representing the seven seas or seven continents, though the National Park Service describes them as symbolizing the sun’s rays.