Fallen idol

The 6.4-metrehigh equestrian statue of Lee was made in France by sculptor MariusJean-Antonin Mercié. When it arrived in 1890, an estimated 10,000 Virginians used wagons to haul its pieces more than 1.6km to Monument Avenue. By contrast, the statue’s swift removal was livestreamed through the social media accounts of Virginia’s governor, Ralph Northam.