Federal Trade Commission building

Photo 39, Nov 2011

Federal Trade Commission building

Photo 40, Nov 2011

Federal Trade Commission building

Photo 41, Nov 2011

Sculpture Man Controlling Trade

Man Controlling Trade is the name given to two monumental equestrian statues created by Michael Lantz for the Federal Trade Commission Building in Washington, D.C. under the United States Department of the Treasury Section of Painting and Sculpture. The works were dedicated in 1942. Each of the two limestone groups is approximately 12 feet tall and 16 feet long.

In July 1937 the Section of Painting and Sculpture announced an open competition to design and execute two large sculptures for the Federal Trade Commission Building. The competition attracted over 500 models from 234 sculptors.

The two statues, although similar, are not identical. In "the Pennsylvania Avenue version, the horse has a sinister look. It appears to be biting the man, and the man’s weak positioning suggests that he will fail to bridle the menace. In the other, on Constitution Avenue, the man appears sinister, and he has a more powerful hold upon a more elegant and sympathetic animal. Perhaps Lantz’s statuary captures our ambivalence about the regulation of trade."

Nov 2016, Photo 87

Federal Trade Commission Building, detail of sculpture
View from top of Newseum

Nov 2016, Photo 119