Cyrus Edwin Dallin
Encyclopedia
Cyrus Edwin Dallin was an American sculptor
and Olympic archer
.
He created more than 260 works, including well-known statues of Paul Revere
and Native Americans
. He also sculpted the statue of the Angel Moroni atop the Salt Lake City Temple, which has become a symbol for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is generally the pattern for further Angel Moroni statues on the spires of subsequent LDS Temples
.
, to a family then belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At age 19, he moved to Boston to study sculpture with Truman Howe Bartlett
. He studied in Paris, with Henri Chapu
and at the Académie Julian
.
In 1883, he entered a competition for an equestrian statue of Paul Revere. He received a contract, but his work was not accepted until 1899. Dallin made five versions of Paul Revere; the statue was not unveiled until 1940.
Dallin was not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and turned down the initial offer to sculpt the angel Moroni for the top of the LDS Salt Lake City Temple. Dallin later accepted the job and after finishing the statue said, "My angel Moroni brought me nearer to God than anything I ever did."
In Boston, he became a colleague of Augustus St. Gaudens and a close friend of John Singer Sargent
. He married Vittoria Colonna Murray in 1891,
In 1897, he returned to Paris, and studied with Jean Dampt
. He entered a Don Quixote in the Salon of 1897, and Medicine Man in the Salon of 1899, and Exposition Universelle (1900)
.
They moved to Arlington, Massachusetts
in 1900, where he lived for the rest of his life, and there raised three children. He was a member of the faculty of Massachusetts Normal Art School, since re-named Massachusetts College of Art and Design, from 1899 to 1941.
At the 1904 Summer Olympics
in St. Louis, Missouri
, Dallin competed in archery
, winning the bronze medal in the team competition. He finished ninth in the Double American round and 12th in the Double York round.
More than 30 examples of his work are on display at the Springville Museum of Art
, in Springville, Utah
.
His papers are held at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.
Appeal to the Great Spirit is the last of a four-piece series called The Epic of the Indian, including The Signal of Peace, or “the welcome” (1890); Medicine Man, or “the warning” (1899); The Protest, or “the defiance” (1904). In 1909, the sculpture was cast in Paris and won a gold medal for its exhibition in the Paris Salon. There are three full-size casts of the sculpture: the Boston one is outside the main entrance to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The Muncie example is located at the intersection of Walnut and Granville streets, and considered by many Muncie residents to be symbolic of their city. The most recent full-size installation is in Tulsa's Woodward Park, at the intersection of 21st Street and Peoria. It was dedicated in November 1985. Examples, of the miniature edition of nine casts, have sold for up to $10,000.
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
and Olympic archer
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
.
He created more than 260 works, including well-known statues of Paul Revere
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
and Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. He also sculpted the statue of the Angel Moroni atop the Salt Lake City Temple, which has become a symbol for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is generally the pattern for further Angel Moroni statues on the spires of subsequent LDS Temples
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
.
Biography
Dallin, the son of Thomas and Jane (Hamer) Dallin, was born in Springville, UtahSpringville, Utah
Springville is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 20,424 at the 2000 census, while the 2008 estimates placed it at 28,520. Just minutes south of Provo, Springville is a bedroom community for...
, to a family then belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At age 19, he moved to Boston to study sculpture with Truman Howe Bartlett
Truman Howe Bartlett
Truman Howe Bartlett , also known as T. H. Bartlett, was an American sculptor, and father to sculptor Paul Wayland Bartlett....
. He studied in Paris, with Henri Chapu
Henri Chapu
Henri-Michel-Antoine Chapu was a French sculptor in a modified Neoclassical tradition who was known for his use of allegory in his works.-Life and career:...
and at the Académie Julian
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. The Académie Julian not only prepared students to the exams at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, but offered...
.
In 1883, he entered a competition for an equestrian statue of Paul Revere. He received a contract, but his work was not accepted until 1899. Dallin made five versions of Paul Revere; the statue was not unveiled until 1940.
Dallin was not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and turned down the initial offer to sculpt the angel Moroni for the top of the LDS Salt Lake City Temple. Dallin later accepted the job and after finishing the statue said, "My angel Moroni brought me nearer to God than anything I ever did."
In Boston, he became a colleague of Augustus St. Gaudens and a close friend of John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent was an American artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era luxury. During his career, he created roughly 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolors, as well as countless sketches and charcoal drawings...
. He married Vittoria Colonna Murray in 1891,
In 1897, he returned to Paris, and studied with Jean Dampt
Jean Dampt
Jean Baptiste Auguste Dampt was a French sculptor, medalist, and jeweler.Born in Venarey-les-Laumes as the son of a cabinetmaker, Dampt studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Dijon, then in 1874 under the leadership of François Jouffroy and Paul Dubois at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris...
. He entered a Don Quixote in the Salon of 1897, and Medicine Man in the Salon of 1899, and Exposition Universelle (1900)
Exposition Universelle (1900)
The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from April 15 to November 12, 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next...
.
They moved to Arlington, Massachusetts
Arlington, Massachusetts
Arlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, six miles northwest of Boston. The population was 42,844 at the 2010 census.-History:...
in 1900, where he lived for the rest of his life, and there raised three children. He was a member of the faculty of Massachusetts Normal Art School, since re-named Massachusetts College of Art and Design, from 1899 to 1941.
At the 1904 Summer Olympics
1904 Summer Olympics
The 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States from 1 July 1904, to November 23, 1904, at what is now known as Francis Field on the campus of Washington University...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Dallin competed in archery
Archery at the 1904 Summer Olympics
At the 1904 Summer Olympics in Saint Louis, six archery events were contested, of which three were men's and three were women's competitions. Only American archers competed. 23 men and 6 women constituted the entire field....
, winning the bronze medal in the team competition. He finished ninth in the Double American round and 12th in the Double York round.
Legacy
He is remembered in Arlington, Massachusetts, with an art museum, and an elementary school named in his honor.More than 30 examples of his work are on display at the Springville Museum of Art
Springville Museum of Art
The Springville Museum of Art in Springville, Utah is the oldest museum in Utah for the visual fine arts. Completed in 1937, this building was designed in the style of the Spanish Colonial Revival style by Claud S. Ashworth. It was dedicated by LDS Apostle David O...
, in Springville, Utah
Springville, Utah
Springville is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 20,424 at the 2000 census, while the 2008 estimates placed it at 28,520. Just minutes south of Provo, Springville is a bedroom community for...
.
His papers are held at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.
Works
Dallin's works include:- On the Warpath #28, (ca 1920), Utah Museum of Fine Arts
- The Scout, (1910), Utah Museum of Fine Arts
- View of Hobble Creek, (ca 1900), Utah Museum of Fine Arts
- Signal of PeaceSignal of PeaceA Signal of Peace is a bronze equestrian sculpture by Cyrus Edwin Dallin, a part of a four-piece series called The Epic of the Indian.It is located in Lincoln Park, Chicago.-History:...
, (1890), Lincoln Park, Chicago - Moroni, (1893) atop the Salt Lake City Temple
- The Medicine ManThe Medicine Man (Dallin)The Medicine Man is a bronze equestrian statue by Cyrus E. Dallin.It is located in Fairmount Park, Dauphin Street, west of 33rd Street, Philadelphia.It was cast in 1899...
, (1899), Fairmount ParkFairmount ParkFairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It consists of 63 parks, with , all overseen by the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, successor to the Fairmount Park Commission in 2010.-Fairmount Park proper:...
, Philadelphia - Paul Revere , (1899) BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
- Eli WhitneyEli WhitneyEli Whitney was an American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the economy of the Antebellum South...
Tablet, (1902), Augusta, GeorgiaAugusta, GeorgiaAugusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
. - The Protest, (1904)
- The Pickett, (1905), Hanover, PennsylvaniaHanover, PennsylvaniaHanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland.The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 15,289 at the 2010 census. The borough is served by a 717 area code and the Zip Codes of 17331-34...
- Appeal to the Great SpiritAppeal to the Great SpiritAppeal to the Great Spirit is a bronze equestrian sculpture by Cyrus Dallin, the last of a four-piece series called The Epic of the Indian.-History:...
, (1909), Boston Museum of Fine Arts; in Muncie, IndianaMuncie, IndianaMuncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
; Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Menotomy Indian Hunter, (1911), Town Hall, Arlington, Mass
- Scout, (1914), Penn Valley Park, Kansas City, Missouri
- Massasoit, (1920) Plymouth, Mass.
- Passing of the Buffalo, (1929)
- Spirit of Life, (l929)
- Pioneer Women of Utah, (1931), Springville, UtahSpringville, UtahSpringville is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 20,424 at the 2000 census, while the 2008 estimates placed it at 28,520. Just minutes south of Provo, Springville is a bedroom community for...
Appeal to the Great Spirit is the last of a four-piece series called The Epic of the Indian, including The Signal of Peace, or “the welcome” (1890); Medicine Man, or “the warning” (1899); The Protest, or “the defiance” (1904). In 1909, the sculpture was cast in Paris and won a gold medal for its exhibition in the Paris Salon. There are three full-size casts of the sculpture: the Boston one is outside the main entrance to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The Muncie example is located at the intersection of Walnut and Granville streets, and considered by many Muncie residents to be symbolic of their city. The most recent full-size installation is in Tulsa's Woodward Park, at the intersection of 21st Street and Peoria. It was dedicated in November 1985. Examples, of the miniature edition of nine casts, have sold for up to $10,000.