Two bronze horse sculptures in Washington D.C. have been covered in 23-carat gold leaf, a renovation project costing approximately $5 million. The Arts of War statues, named 'Sacrifice' and 'Valor,' are situated at the entrance of Arlington Memorial Bridge.
President Donald Trump shared images of the completed work on social media, noting the removal of scaffolding around the regilded sculptures. A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior described the gilding as "longgggg overdue" on social media.
The 'Sacrifice' and 'Valor' statues were originally installed in 1951. They have undergone previous renovations, with significant work done in the 1970s and smaller efforts in 1984 and 2005. The recent application of gold leaf follows a pattern of gilded enhancements associated with the Trump administration, including a 22-foot golden statue of himself at a Miami golf club and gold trimmings in the Oval Office.