The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 19, 2025
The City Fettering Nature
1927
sculptor
(American, born Russian Empire [now Lithuania], 1894–1963)
without base: 235.6 x 177.8 x 104.2 cm (92 3/4 x 70 x 41 in.)
Location: WL West Lawn
Did You Know?
This monumental bronze sculpture weighs 1,500 pounds and requires a crane to install.Description
Alexander Blazys, a Lithuanian immigrant, became a leading sculptor in Cleveland during the 1920s, when he created The City Fettering Nature for the Cleveland Museum of Art’s grounds. In this composition, Utility and Beauty, two characteristics of the city, are shown as intertwined figures attempting to subdue Nature’s power. The brawny figure of Nature, still standing despite this attack, struggles to free himself from the restraints.- the cast was sent to the foundry of Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, where it was cast in bronze by Giovanni Polizzoti, a teacher at the College, with the aid of two students; the bronze was returned and installed on the lawn north of the Museum, 12/14/1927.
- Alexander Blazys Entry Card to 1927 May Show. Cleveland Museum of Art May Show Records, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
- The May Show: 9th Annual Exhibition of Works by Cleveland Artists and Craftsmen. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 27-June 5, 1927).
- {{cite web|title=The City Fettering Nature|url=false|author=Alexander Blazys|year=1927|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1927.211