Given as a gift to the United States of America from the people of France, The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons of the United States world-wide, and is also a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.

Dedicated on October 28, 1886, The Statue of Liberty commemorates the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and is a gesture of friendship from France to the United States.

Standing on Liberty Island in New York Harbour, the 305 feet tall, copper-clad statue is that of a robed woman holding a torch.  It is made from sheet copper (which gives it, its distinctive colour) over a framework of steel, with the exception of the torch flame which is coated in gold leaf.  It stands on top of a rectangular stonework pedestal with a foundation in the shape of an irregular eleven-pointed star.

The figure is derived from Libertas, ancient Rome's goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression, and tyranny. Her left foot, fitted in Roman sandals, tramples broken shackles, symbolizing freedom from oppression and tyranny, while her raised right foot symbolizes Liberty and Freedom refusing to stand still. Her torch signifies enlightenment. The tablet in her hand represents knowledge and shows the date of the Declaration of Independence--July 4, 1776. The seven spikes on the crown represent the seven seas and seven continents. Visually, 'Liberty' appears to draw inspiration from Greek Sun-god Helios, and I have drawn my inspiration from 'Liberty'.