THE MENTOR, No. 36,
Famous American Sculptors
The Mentor
“A Wise and Faithful Guide and Friend”
Vol. 1No. 36
FAMOUS AMERICAN SCULPTORS
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS WARD
FREDERICK WILLIAM MACMONNIES
GEORGE GREY BARNARD
DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH
AUGUSTUS SAINT GAUDENS
PAUL WAYLAND BARTLETT
By LORADO TAFT
Sculptor, and Author of “History of American Sculpture”
The story of American sculpture is a brief one compared with thechronicles of other lands. Our first professional sculptors, HoratioGreenough and Hiram Powers, were both born in 1805. In Europeancountries the records of the last hundred years are but fragments, briefsequels to the story of ages of endeavor. It is difficult to realize that ouractual achievement, from the very kindergarten stage of an unknown artto the proud eminence held by American sculpture in the Paris Expositionof 1900, was the work of but three score years and ten—was seen inits entirety by many living men.
BEGINNINGS OF AMERICAN SCULPTURE
BIRTHPLACE OF J. Q. A. WARD
Ward was born in 1830, on a farm in the neighborhoodof Urbana, Ohio.
The beginnings of all arts in this country have been timid andimitative. Literature, music, and painting had something to found themselvesupon in the national tradition; but sculpture was never abundantin England, and this art, usually one of the earliest, was the last to appearin America. Its first inspirations were Italian, and for half a centuryAmerican sculpture was a crude parody on the art of Canova and Thorvaldsen.Many of our sculptors, like Powers, Greenough, Crawford,Story, Randolph Rogers, Rinehart, Ball, Mead, and Harriet Hosmer,made their homes in Florence and Rome, and welcomed the ever swellingtide of American travel with wistful greetings. Perhaps their influencewas greater there upon the receptive travelers than it could have been athome; but one cannot help feeling a high regard for men like Palmer,John Rogers, and Ward, who “held the fort,” developing the native materialof their own land.
About the time of the Centennial, France was suddenly discoveredby our young sculptors. Her opportunities were appreciated, and soonthe entire stream of students was diverted thither from Italy and Germany.Saint Gaudens was the first important product of the American-Frenchschool of sculpture, and his talent and training together offeredan irresistible argument for the new methods.
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS WARD
PAUL WAYLAND BARTLETT AND JOHN QUINCYADAMS WARD