Damaged during 2020 protests, will the King Louis XVI statue return to Louisville?

The statue of King Louis XVI that stood for decades in downtown Louisville before it was damaged during racial justice demonstrations in 2020 may get restored and reappear in the city.

But where and when the statue of the French king from whom Louisville gets it name will stand again — if at all — is pas encore connue, or unknown.

A public art official told a Metro Council committee on Wednesday that it could cost the city over $200,000 to restore and relocate King Louis XVI.

Consultants also have advised Louisville Metro that the statue could be a safety hazard if placed outside, and that also would not be "in the interest of preserving the statue," according to the presentation.

Here's a rundown of the latest updates on the statue:

What is the history of the King Louis XVI statue in Louisville?

First installed on the west lawn of Metro Hall in 1967, the King Louis XVI statue was moved in 1973 to the northeast corner of West Jefferson and South Sixth streets, a gift from Montpellier, Louisville’s sister city in southern France.

The 9-ton marble statue of the former king, who helped colonists win the Revolutionary War before his public beheading during the French Revolution, was constructed in 1829 and initially placed in Montpellier's public square, commissioned by the king’s daughter, Maria-Therese. It was removed from the square less than a year later. Louisville Metro's website noted that with "a new branch of the royal Bourbon family on the throne, the statue represented the prior ruling branch that had fallen out of favor."

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In 1899, it was "rediscovered in storage during an inventory of a military facility, in damaged condition including a broken arm," per the Louisville Metro website. "The statue passed from the French military to the city’s Mayor and to a university museum. The statue was moved to the basement of a municipal archives building."

In 1966, Montpellier offered the statue to Louisville. It was transported aboard the USS Aldebaran, arriving first in Norfolk, Virginia, before arriving in the Derby City via train.

Then-Mayor Kenneth A. Schmied worked with a committee to pick a location for the statue, and the Jefferson Fiscal Court passed a resolution in 1967 approving the location outside Metro Hall.

Over the years, the statue has received other restoration work, such as to repair a lost foot in 1974.

How much could it cost to restore Louisville's King Louis XVI statue?

Jessica Kincaide, Louisville Metro's public art administrator, told members of the Community Affairs, Housing, Health and Education Committee that the city spent about $15,000 to get assessments and proposals outlining "technical and ethical challenges" from three conservation labs.

The city's expenses related to the statue and figuring out what to do with it have totaled $49,985, and "high-end estimated costs" for remaining work could bump the total to $211,985, according to Kincaide's presentation.

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Some of those costs would include paint removal and repairs ($44,500), rigging and relocation ($27,500) and new interpretive signage ($10,000).

Where could the King Louis XVI statue get relocated?

Likely not outside again, if the city listens to the consultants.

“The combination of the previous outdoor location and continued cycle of graffiti, damage and subsequent cleaning and repair will reduce the longevity of the piece, which will continue to succumb to the resultant surface erosion and structural damage … the sculpture is very vulnerable to irreparable damage if returned to the same site," the presentation said.

Kincaide also shared a note stating there are "few indoor, publicly accessible locations capable of accommodating the size and weight of the statue," but she added mandates from the city's Commission on Public Art mean it should stay viewable to the public and not go in a museum that charges admission.

Some Metro Council members expressed support for putting the statue back outside. Metro Councilman Stuart Benson, R-20th District, said during Wednesday's hearing that "somewhere along the line, you can't be afraid if somebody doesn't like something, that we're going to take everything in because they get upset."

"I don't know who's upset at King Louis XVI. I didn't know him very well, but it seems like to me, if he was such a bad person, maybe we ought to change the name of our city to something else and not Louisville," Benson, who represents part of Jeffersontown, Fern Creek, Eastwood and Fisherville, also said.

"I think he ought to be outside," Benson added. "...Statues are supposed to be seen, I think. Reminds us of who we are and where we got our names in history. Whether we like him or not, it's still history. We shouldn't be running away from history."

What happened to the King Louis XVI statue during 2020 protests?

The statue was removed in September 2020 and placed in storage after its right hand was broken off during the first night of mass protests in May 2020 over the police killing of Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans. The city also said the statue was the target of "multiple incidents of vandalism involving spray paint" later that summer.

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"After being vandalized, the statue was overcleaned, which damaged the surface of the marble and contributed to possible structural instability throughout the sculpture," Louisville Metro says on its website.

Kincaide's presentation to the Metro Council committee said the hand can be repaired "but will remain very fragile."

Can residents fill out a survey on the King Louis XVI statue?

Louisville residents are encouraged to visit louisvilleky.gov/government/arts-culture/louis-xvi-statue-survey to offer input on the statue.

Its connection to the 2020 protests has not gone unnoticed by the city and outside consultants.

Conservators consider this statue a contested monument “due to its depiction of a monarch, its presence in a community space, community calls for its removal, in addition to it bearing witness to the Breonna Taylor and Black Lives Matter protests of 2020," according to the presentation.

It also mentioned guidelines from the American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. The guidelines say damage done in the name of social justice also become "part of the meaning of the work."

What are the next steps?

The city, according to Kincaide, will continue to collect community feedback, with an opportunity to incorporate additional resident engagement into the planning process.

Officials will eventually determine whether the statue will be reinstalled, where and in what context, using the survey responses and conservator conversations for input.

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Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville King Louis XVI statue may return after damage, vandalism