Restoration Efforts on Washington D.C.’s Iconic Statues Underway

President Donald Trump has highlighted restoration work on The Arts of War and The Arts of Peace statues in Washington D.C. He posted four images on Truth Social featuring a recently regilded statue with scaffolding and workers on site. He captioned it, ‘Taking down the scaffolding around the regilded Arts of War sculptures!’

Since resuming office in January 2025, Trump initiated several construction projects in the capital. These include extensive renovations on the White House, building a 250-foot-tall triumphal arch along the Potomac River, refurbishing a historic public golf course in Washington D.C., and creating a statue garden honoring notable figures in American history.

The National Park Service awarded a $5.1 million contract to a Maryland-based studio for the restoration of the four bronze horse statues. The project, which started in mid-April, is expected to finish by September. According to federal records, the statues, The Arts of War by Leo Friedlander and The Arts of Peace by James Earle Fraser, are significant landmarks.

The Arts of War features the Art Deco statues Valor and Sacrifice, which stand at the entrance of Arlington Memorial Bridge. The Arts of Peace includes Neoclassical statues, Music and Harvest and Aspiration and Literature, located at the entrance to the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway.