Alternate Liberty
Available sizes:
8.5" x 11" open edition print (only at shows)
11" x 14" open edition print
Want to purchase this artwork? Buy it directly from the artist at the following shows:
Chattacon
MidSouthCon
JordanCon
The Tennessee Renaissance Festival
LibertyCon
GenCon
Dragon*Con
Ohio Renaissance Festival
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About the Piece:
In a universe parallel to our own, a few key moments of history played out slightly differently. These subtle changes rippled through history and the world, changing the face of what many of us would expect.
On October 20th, 1805, the army led by general Karl Mack von Leiberich was not defeated by the French as it was in our universe. This was a turning point in the conflict between Napoleon's forces and the Austrian Empire. As Napoleon's forces suffered the defeat near Ulm, it allowed the Austrian Empire to regroup, and the force from Ulm was able to flank Napoleon in the Battle of Austerlitz on 10 December 1805**. Without the Treaty of Pressburg, the Austrian Empire did not abandon the Third Coalition, and it continued to grow and exert pressure across Europe. With Napoleon's execution under the order of Emperor Francis II, the First French Empire ended, and thus a major shift occurred in the history of the world.
This completely altered the relationship between the United States, France, and all of Europe, as well as the development of many of the technologies that started the Industrial Age. The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the Holy Austrian Empire, was to celebrate America's love and tribute to one of the Austrian Empire's greatest and most talented creators. The date on the Statue commemorates his birth. You can Google the date to get the answer easily, or try and solve the riddle.
** I specifically changed the date on the Battle of Austerlitz. I thought it would be fun to come up with a actual, somewhat historical reason for a Steampunk Statue of Liberty. I personally am not a writer, but if someone is willing to do a collaboration, and finish the story, it would be fun.
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About the Artist:
Paul and his brother Michael opened Aradani Studios in 2002, selling both their artwork and costuming as they travelled all across the US. Paul’s medium of choice is charcoal, a passion he discovered in college. He loves the fluidity of it, the ease of moving it across the page with a simple gesture, and on the flipside, the challenge of it, such a simple gesture can also erase hours of painstaking detail. Paul’s work has won numerous awards around the country, including the prestigious Chesley Award in 2006, for Best Monochrome Unpublished for his piece Nightmare. He currently resides in Nashville, TN, where he, his brother, and sister continue to expand and build their elf ear empire. You can see his artwork at http://paulbielaczyc.com/.
