Lorado Zadoc Taft (April 29, 1860 – October 30, 1936) was an American sculptor, writer and educator. Taft was born in
Elmwood, IllinoisElmwood is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,945 at the 2000 census. Elmwood is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in 1860 and died in his home studio in Chicago in 1936.
After being homeschooled by his parents, Taft earned his bachelor’s degree (1879) and master’s degree (1880) from the
University of IllinoisThe University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public research university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the oldest and largest campus in the University of Illinois system....
where his father was a professor of
GeologyGeology is the science and study of the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth. The field of geology encompasses the study of the composition, structure, physical properties, dynamics, and history of Earth materials, and the processes by which they are formed, moved, and changed...
. The same year he left for
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to study sculpture, he continued to maintain his connections with the university in Urbana and his sculpture of
Alma Mater at Urbana has come to symbolize something significant.
In Paris, Taft attended the
Ecole des Beaux-ArtsÉcole des Beaux-Arts ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement...
where he studied with Augustin Dumont,
Jean-Marie BonnassieuxJean-Marie Bienaimé Bonnassieux was a French sculptor.The son of a cabinet maker from Lyon, Bonnassieux showed talent as a boy and was educated at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, under Augustin-Alexandre Dumont. In 1836 he was the co-winner of the Prix de Rome...
and Jules Thomas.
Lorado Zadoc Taft (April 29, 1860 – October 30, 1936) was an American sculptor, writer and educator. Taft was born in
Elmwood, IllinoisElmwood is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,945 at the 2000 census. Elmwood is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in 1860 and died in his home studio in Chicago in 1936.
Early years and education
After being homeschooled by his parents, Taft earned his bachelor’s degree (1879) and master’s degree (1880) from the
University of IllinoisThe University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public research university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the oldest and largest campus in the University of Illinois system....
where his father was a professor of
GeologyGeology is the science and study of the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth. The field of geology encompasses the study of the composition, structure, physical properties, dynamics, and history of Earth materials, and the processes by which they are formed, moved, and changed...
. The same year he left for
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to study sculpture, he continued to maintain his connections with the university in Urbana and his sculpture of
Alma Mater at Urbana has come to symbolize something significant.
In Paris, Taft attended the
Ecole des Beaux-ArtsÉcole des Beaux-Arts ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement...
where he studied with Augustin Dumont,
Jean-Marie BonnassieuxJean-Marie Bienaimé Bonnassieux was a French sculptor.The son of a cabinet maker from Lyon, Bonnassieux showed talent as a boy and was educated at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, under Augustin-Alexandre Dumont. In 1836 he was the co-winner of the Prix de Rome...
and Jules Thomas. Upon returning to the United States in 1886 he settled in Chicago; and he began teaching at the
Art Institute of ChicagoThe School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, The Art Institute of Chicago. Providing degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels, SAIC...
, a post he was to remain at until 1929.
In 1892, while the art community of Chicago was all in a twitter about preparing for the
World's Columbian ExpositionThe World's Columbian Exposition — also known as The Chicago World's Fair — was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World. Chicago bested New York City, Washington, D.C. and St. Louis, Missouri, for the honor of...
of 1893 head architect
Daniel BurnhamDaniel Hudson Burnham, FAIA was an American architect and urban planner. He was the Director of Works for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and designed several famous buildings, including the Flatiron Building in New York City and Union Station in Washington D.C.-Biography:Burnham was...
expressed concern to Taft that the sculptural adornments to the buildings might not be finished on time. Taft asked if he could employ some of his female students as assistants (women as sculptors were not an accepted reality at that time) for the Horticultural Building, Burnham responded with the classic reply, ‘Hire anyone, even white rabbits if they’ll do the work." From that arose a group of talented women sculptors who were to retain the name, "the White Rabbits." These included
Enid YandellEnid Yandell was an American sculptor who studied with Auguste Rodin and Frederick William MacMonnies. She was the daughter of Dr. Lunsford Pitts Yandell, Jr. and Louise Elliston Yandell of Louisville, Kentucky. Yandell was a prolific sculptor creating numerous portraits, garden pieces and small...
,
Carol Brooks MacNeilCarol Brooks MacNeil was an American sculptor, born in Chicago where she studied at the Art Institute under Taft. She also studied in Paris under MacMonnies and Injalbert. She modeled many charming and unique designs for vases, teapots, inkstands, and other decorative and useful objects, as well...
,
Bessie Potter VonnohBessie Potter Vonnoh American sculptor, born August 17, 1872 in St Louis, Missouri and died in New York City on March 8, 1955.Best known for her small bronzes, mostly of domestic scenes and for her garden fountains...
,
Janet ScudderJanet Scudder was an American sculptor.-Biography:Born as Netta Deweze Frazee, Scudder's childhood was marred by tragedy. Her father was a hardworking Terre Haute confectioner who was active in community affairs. Her mother died, aged 38, on September 6 1874...
, and Julia Bracken. Later another former student, Francis Loring, noted that Taft used his students’ talents to further his own career, a not uncommon observation by students regarding their teachers. In general, history has given Taft credit for helping to advance the status of women as sculptors.
His was not an entirely urban-centered life. In 1898, he was a founding member of the
Eagle's Nest Art ColonyThe Eagle's Nest Art Colony, known in more modern times as the Lorado Taft Field Campus, was founded in 1898 by American sculptor Lorado Taft on the bluffs flanking the east bank of the Rock River, overlooking Oregon, Illinois...
.
Later years
In 1903 Taft published
The History of American Sculpture, the first survey of the subject. In some settings, Taft is perhaps better known for his published writings than for his sculpture. The revised 1925 version of this text was to remain the standard reference on this subject until Wayne Craven published "Sculpture in America" in 1968.
As Taft grew older, his eloquent speaking skills and compelling writing led Taft, along with
Frederick RuckstullFrederick Wellington Ruckstull French-born American sculptor and art critic.Born Ruckstuhl in Breitenbach, Alsace, France, his family moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1855. He worked at a variety of unsatisfying jobs until his early twenties when an art exhibition in St. Louis inspired him to...
to the forefront of sculpture’s conservative ranks, where he often served as a spokesperson against the modern and abstract trends which developed in sculpture during his lifetime. Taft's frequent lecture tours for the
ChautauquaChautauqua is an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s...
also gave him a broad, popular celebrity status in this period.
In 1921, Taft published
Modern Tendencies in Sculpture, a compilation of his lectures given at the Art Institute of Chicago. The book continues to be regarded as an excellent survey of American sculpture in the early years of the 20th century; and it offered a distinct perspective on the development of European sculpture scene at that time.
Amongst other honors, Taft's accomplishments were recognized by his election to membership in the National Institute of Arts and Letters (now known as the American Academy of Arts and Letters). He was active until the end of his life. The week before he died, he attended the Quincy, Illinois dedication ceremonies for his sculpture which celebrated the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
Sculptor's body of work
Lorado Taft was a member of the
National Sculpture SocietyFounded in 1893, the National Sculpture Society was the first organization of professional sculptors formed in the United States. The purpose of the organization was to promote the welfare of American sculptors, although its founding members included several renowned architects. The founding...
and exhibited at both their 1923 and 1929 shows. Today Taft is best remembered for his various fountains.
Fountain of Time
After more than a dozen years of work Taft's
Fountain of TimeFountain of Time, or simply Time, is a sculpture by Lorado Taft, measuring in length, situated at the western edge of the Midway Plaisance within Washington Park in Chicago. This location is in the Washington Park community area on Chicago's South Side...
was unveiled at the west end of Chicago's
Midway PlaisanceThe Midway Plaisance, also known locally as the Midway, is a mile-long linear park on the South Side of the city of Chicago, Illinois between 59th and 60th Streets, joining Washington Park at its west end and Jackson Park at its east end. It divides the Hyde Park community area to the north from...
in 1922. Based on poet
Austin Dobson'sHenry Austin Dobson , commonly Austin Dobson, was an English poet and essayist.-Life:He was born at Plymouth, the eldest son of George Clarisse Dobson, a civil engineer, of French descent. When he was about eight, the family moved to Holyhead, and his first school was at Beaumaris in Anglesey...
lines:
"Time goes, you say? Ah no,
Alas, time stays, we go."
the fountain shows a cloaked figure of time observing the stream of humanity flowing past.
Pioneer & Patriot Groups for the Louisiana State Capitol Building
The last major commission that Taft was to complete in his life was two groups for the front entrance to the
Louisiana State CapitolThe Louisiana State Capitol building is the capitol building of the state of Louisiana, located in Baton Rouge. The capitol houses the Louisiana State Legislature, the governor's office, and parts of the executive branch...
Building, dedicated in 1932.
Selected commissions
- General Ulysses S. Grant Monument Ft. Leavenworth, Ks 1889
- Black Hawk Statue
The Black Hawk Statue, or The Eternal Indian, is a sculpture by Lorado Taft located in Lowden State Park which is near the city of Oregon, Illinois. The statue is perched over the Rock River on a 77 foot bluff overlooking the city.-History:...
Monument, Oregon IL
- The Soldiers' Monument
The Soldiers' Monument is an installation of three sculptures and an architecturally designed exedra in Oregon, Illinois, the county seat of Ogle County, Illinois. It was designed, constructed and sculpted by the architects at Pond and Pond and famed sculptor Lorado Taft. Upon its completion it was...
, Oregon, IL
- Fountain of Time
Fountain of Time, or simply Time, is a sculpture by Lorado Taft, measuring in length, situated at the western edge of the Midway Plaisance within Washington Park in Chicago. This location is in the Washington Park community area on Chicago's South Side...
, Chicago. IL
- Heald Square Monument
Heald Square Monument is a sculpture depicting Robert Morris and Haym Salomon, the two principal financers of the American Revolution, along with George Washington. The sculpture was designated a Chicago Landmark on September 15, 1971. It is located in the Michigan–Wacker Historic District and in...
, Chicago, IL
- Fountain of the Great Lakes
Fountain of the Great Lakes or Spirit of the Great Lakes Fountain is an allegorical sculpture by Lorado Taft in the Art Institute of Chicago South Stanley McCormick Memorial Court south of the Art Institute of Chicago Building in the Loop community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United...
, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago IL
- The Solitude of the Soul
The Solitude of the Soul refers to one of three known works of sculpture of that name by the American sculptor Lorado Taft, a Midwesterner born in 1860, who was active in the Chicago area from 1885 until his death in 1936...
, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago IL
- Two Groups, Louisiana State Capitol, Baton Rouge, LA
- Columbus Fountain, Washington D.C.
- Graves Memorial, Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, IL 1909
- Lawson Monument, the Crusader, Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, IL 1931
- Thatcher Memorial Fountain, Denver CO
- Defense of the Flag, Jackson MI
- William A. Foote Memorial, Jackson, MI
- Lincoln the Orator, Urbana, Illinois
Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2007 population estimates, the population was 39,484. The city was named after Urbana, Ohio.-Geography:Urbana is located at ....
- Alma Mater, University of Illinois
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public research university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the oldest and largest campus in the University of Illinois system....
- Chief Paduke Statue, Jefferson Street, Paducah, KY
Midway studios
There's a biography and other material about Lorado Taft available in this reference describing the 1965
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
-designated
Lorado Taft Midway StudiosThe Lorado Taft Midway Studios consist of a converted and relocated barn that became the art studio of one of the early 20th century's most important sculptors, Lorado Taft. It is located in the Woodlawn community area of Chicago, Illinois and is now owned by the University of Chicago. It was...
.
Sources
- Bach, Ira and Mary Lackritz Gray, Chicago’s Public Sculpture, University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1983
- Barnard, Harry, This Great Triumvirate of Patriots – The inspiring Story behind Lorado Taft’s Chicago Monument to George Washington, Robert Morris and Haym Solomon, Follett Publishing, Chicago Illinois 1971
- Contemporary American Sculpture, The California Palace of the Legion of Honor, Lincoln Park, San Francisco, The National Sculpture Society 1929
- Craven, Wayne, Sculpture in America, Thomas Y. Crowell Co, NY, NY 1968
- Exhibition of American Sculpture Catalogue, 156th Street of Broadway New York, The National Sculpture Society 1923
- Garvey, Timothy J., Public Sculptor – Lorado Taft and the Beautification of Chicago, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois 1988
- Goode, James M. The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington D.C., Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. 1974
- Kubly, Vincent, The Louisiana Capitol-Its Art and Architecture, Pelican Publishing Company, Gretna 1977
- Kvaran,, Einar Einarsson, Architectural Sculpture of America, unpublished manuscript
- Lanctot, Barbara, A Walk Through Graceland Cemetery, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Chicago, IL 1988
- Opitz, Glenn B, Editor, Mantle Fielding’s Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors & Engravers, Apollo Book, Poughkeepsie NY, 1986
- Rubenstein, Charlotte Streifer, American Women Sculptors, G.K. Hall & Co., Boston 1990
- Scheinman, Muriel, A Guide to the Art of the University of Illinois, University of Illinois Press, Urbana 1995
- Taft, Lorado, History of American Sculpture, The MacMillan Company, NY, NY 1925
- Taft, Lorado, Modern Tendencies in Sculpture, University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1921
- Weller, Allen Stuart, Lorado in Paris – the Letters of Lorado Taft 1880 – 1885, University of Illinois Press, Urbana Illinois 1985
External links