Public statuary as we think of it, according to the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission's 1999 publication, Outdoor Sculpture of Rhode Island, first appeared in this state in the mid-1800s inspired by a European idiom. Greco-Roman in origin, these masterpieces flourished and the resulting statues, monuments and memorials that are now scattered throughout the City of Providence stand as a testament to the people, places and events that have had a profound impact on the shaping of the history of Rhode Island's capital city.