Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima

An iconic tribute to valor, shattered by a sledgehammer's blow

A sledgehammer brought down an icon this week. The bronze statue based on Joe Rosenthal's *Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima* was beheaded, leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage behind. It's a violent dismantling of a moment meant to stand forever. We explore the aftermath and what it means when public art becomes a target. For another lens on how images shape our world, see our piece on *The curated art of the smile: unposed or empty*.