What you see here is a seven foot tall sculpture by Albin Polasek. It is called The Sower and it’s been stored in a crate for the last 89 years.

In 1916, in all its nude glory, the statue was was placed on the front steps of the Art Institute of Chicago—located on Michican Avenue (the Champs d’Elysees of the Windy City). There was an immediate uproar by those who were offended, and some citizens anguished over its effect on innocent girls (he is sowing seed, after all)!

Arriving on the scene was the champion of ignorance and prudery: Deputy Police Superintendant, Major Metellus Lucullus Cicero Funkhouser. He was in charge of the Chicago Board of Censors, and, dammit, when a seven foot black man arrives in town wearing no pants, something must be done! Funkhouser ordered the statue to either be removed, or to add trousers to the sculpture. The Art Institute declined to swath the figure in bronze britches, and so Polasek’s creation was packed in a crate where it was nearly forgotten.

It wasn’t until a year and a half ago when the curator of the Art Institute was lunching with the Chicago Botanic Garden’s curator, and offered the sculpture. The Gardens jumped at the chance, and come summertime, will be prominently displaying The Sower in the soon-to-be-completed Esplanade—just off the entrance. I’ll be sure to tell you when it’s on display.

In the meantime, start planting your own seeds now that the weather is warming up, and enjoy the greening spring weather!