The sculpture was several years in the making, inspired by an enslaved African man and woman who arrived here in 1619 and gave birth to the first documented child of African descent baptized in the Virginia colony.
The piece of art now graces the African Landing Memorial at Fort Monroe, which honors the lives, families and legacies of the first men and women forcibly transported here from west-central Africa.
The sculpture, the work of Florida-based artist Brian R. Owens, was formally unveiled on Aug. 29. The sculptor, Gov. Abigail Spanberger, state and community leaders, and descendants of that first couple were among those attending the National Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal.
Owens began work on the project in 2019 with a series of sketches and small models. As the design evolved, he kept in constant contact with the Fort Monroe Authority and others. He called it “a mind-bending challenge from start to finish.”
Throughout his artistic journey, the focal point was always Antoney and Isabella, a young couple stolen from their homeland in Angola and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to arrive at what is now Fort Monroe.
The area was known as Point Comfort in 1619, and its commander was William Tucker. Around 1624, Antoney and Isabella gave birth to a son, who was named after the commander.
Descendants of the Tucker family provided input to Owens as he worked on details. He also worked closely with Francoise Bonnell, director of museums, education and interpretation at the Fort Monroe Authority.
At a forum before the unveiling, Bonnell described Owens’ approach as meticulous and precise. She often fielded his questions and found the answers.
Owens said he was careful about historical details, but he also flexed his creative muscles.
“There was no man and woman standing in front of me to model,” he said. “It was all coming out of my noggin, from start to finish.”
He wanted to create a piece that was open to interpretation. People could certainly see the 6-foot bronze statues as Antoney and Isabella. They could view the piece in a larger context, as the precursor to a new ethnic group in America.
“Or you can simply enjoy the figures as a man and a woman who just had a child,” he said. “That in itself would be sufficient. No one wants to be preached to, so here is something that gives people a positive, forward-looking sculpture that isn’t trying to tell them what to think.”
“It’s just a snapshot of a moment in time based on the artist’s concept of who they might have been, what their features might have been, how they may have comported themselves, how they may have been dressed,” he added, “and letting people roll with that.”
He compared it to seeing a movie with friends, where each person comes away with different viewpoint.
“You’re walking out with your own conclusions and you have fun talking about it afterwards at the club,” he said. “The sculpture is kind of like that. And if the movie is good enough, you’re probably going to want to see it again at some point.”
The sculpture is the first of three major elements that will make up the African Landing Memorial. It will eventually include additional sculptural and interpretive elements that depict the larger story of the Africans’ lives in their homeland, their capture, their forced landing at Point Comfort, and their early years in Virginia.
If you go
Where: African Landing Memorial, 51 Fenwick Road, Fort Monroe waterfront
When: Sunrise to sunset
Details: 1619landing.org