Lorado Taft
Encyclopedia
Lorado Zadoc Taft was an American
sculptor
, writer
and educator. Taft was born in Elmwood, Illinois
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 Illinois
where his father was a professor of geology
. The same year he left for Paris
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-Arts
where he studied with Augustin Dumont, Jean-Marie Bonnassieux
and Jules Thomas. Upon returning to the United States in 1886 he settled in Chicago. He taught at the Art Institute of Chicago
, a post he was to remain at until 1929.
In 1892, while the art community of Chicago was in a-twitter preparing for the World's Columbian Exposition
of 1893, chief architect
Daniel Burnham
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 (it was not socially accepted for women to work as sculptors 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 Yandell
, Carol Brooks MacNeil
, Bessie Potter Vonnoh
, Janet Scudder
, and Julia Bracken
. Later another former successful student who emigrated to Canada, Frances 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 Colony
.
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 Ruckstull
, 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 Chautauqua
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 at that time.
Among other honors, Taft's accomplishments were recognized by his election to 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 celebrating the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
and exhibited at both their 1923 and 1929 shows. Today Taft is best remembered for his various fountain
s.
After more than a dozen years of work Taft's Fountain of Time
was unveiled at the west end of Chicago's Midway Plaisance
in 1922. Based on poet Austin Dobson
's 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.
Building, dedicated in 1932.
-designated Lorado Taft Midway Studios
.
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sculptor
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...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and educator. Taft was born in Elmwood, Illinois
Elmwood, Illinois
Elmwood 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
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1936.
Early years and education
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
(1879) and master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
(1880) from the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
where his father was a professor of geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
. The same year he left for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, 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-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École 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. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
where he studied with Augustin Dumont, Jean-Marie Bonnassieux
Jean-Marie Bonnassieux
Jean-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...
and Jules Thomas. Upon returning to the United States in 1886 he settled in Chicago. He taught at the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
, a post he was to remain at until 1929.
In 1892, while the art community of Chicago was in a-twitter preparing for the World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
of 1893, chief architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Daniel Burnham
Daniel Burnham
Daniel Hudson Burnham, FAIA was an American architect and urban planner. He was the Director of Works for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He took a leading role in the creation of master plans for the development of a number of cities, including Chicago and downtown Washington DC...
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 (it was not socially accepted for women to work as sculptors 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 Yandell
Enid Yandell
Enid 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 MacNeil
Carol Brooks MacNeil
Carol 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 Vonnoh
Bessie Potter Vonnoh
Bessie Potter Vonnoh was an American sculptor best known for her small bronzes, mostly of domestic scenes, and for her garden fountains.- Early years :...
, Janet Scudder
Janet Scudder
Janet 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, Indiana confectioner who was active in community affairs. Her mother died, aged 38, on September 6, 1874...
, and Julia Bracken
Julia Bracken Wendt
Julia Bracken Wendt, a notable American sculptor, was born in Apple River, Illinois, the twelfth of thirteen children in an Irish Catholic family. Unsupported at home following the death of her mother when she was nine years old, she ran away from home at thirteen...
. Later another former successful student who emigrated to Canada, Frances 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 Colony
Eagle's Nest Art Colony
The Eagle's Nest Art Colony, the site 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
As Taft grew older, his eloquent speaking skills and compelling writing led Taft, along with Frederick Ruckstull
Frederick Ruckstull
Frederick Wellington Ruckstull was a French-born American sculptor and art critic.-Life and career: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....
, 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 Chautauqua
Chautauqua
Chautauqua was 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. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with...
also gave him a broad, popular celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
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 at that time.
Among other honors, Taft's accomplishments were recognized by his election to 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
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
dedication ceremonies for his sculpture celebrating the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
Sculptor's body of work
Lorado Taft was a member of the National Sculpture SocietyNational Sculpture Society
Founded 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 fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
s.
Fountain of Time
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, Illinois, in the United States. This location is in the Washington Park community area on Chicago's South Side...
was unveiled at the west end of Chicago's Midway Plaisance
Midway Plaisance
The Midway Plaisance, also known locally as the Midway, is a park on the South Side of the city of Chicago, Illinois. It is one mile long by 220 yards wide and extends along 59th and 60th streets, joining Washington Park at its east end and Jackson Park at its west end. It divides the Hyde Park...
in 1922. Based on poet Austin Dobson
Henry Austin Dobson
Henry 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...
's 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 CapitolLouisiana State Capitol
The 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
- LaFayette FountainLaFayette FountainLafayette Fountain A fountain by sculptor Lorado Taft located on the grounds of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse in Lafayette, Indiana.The fountain is composed of a number of tiered bowls with a marble statue of the Marquis de LaFayette on top....
, Lafayette, IndianaLafayette, IndianaLafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
, 1887 - General Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
Monument Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 1889 - Student Veteran Memorial, Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale CollegeHillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States, is a co-educational liberal arts college known for being the first American college to prohibit in its charter all discrimination based on race, religion, or sex; its refusal of government funding; and its monthly publication, Imprimis...
, Hillsdale, MichiganHillsdale, MichiganHillsdale is a city in the state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,305. It is the county seat of Hillsdale County, and is run as a council-manager government....
1895 - Defense of the Flag, Jackson, MichiganJackson, MichiganJackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
1904 - Graves MemorialEternal Silence (sculpture)Eternal Silence, alternatively known as the Dexter Graves Monument or the Statue of Death, is a monument in Chicago's Graceland Cemetery. It is a bronze sculpture set on and backdropped by black granite...
aka Eternal Silence, Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois 1909 - Chief Paduke Statue, Jefferson Street, Paducah, KentuckyPaducah, KentuckyPaducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
1909 - Black Hawk StatueBlack Hawk StatueThe 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, aka Eternal Indian, Oregon, IllinoisOregon, IllinoisOregon is a city located in Ogle County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 3,721, down from 4,060 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ogle County.- History :...
, 1911 - Columbus FountainColumbus FountainColumbus Fountain is a public artwork by American sculptor Lorado Taft, located at Union Station in Washington, D.C., United States. This sculpture was surveyed in 1994 as part of the Smithsonian's Save Outdoor Sculpture! program...
, Washington D.C. 1912 - Fountain of the Great LakesFountain of the Great LakesFountain 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, Illinois 1913 - The Soldiers' MonumentThe Soldiers' Monument (Oregon, Illinois)The Soldiers' Monument is a memorial consisting of three statues, one in bronze and two in marble by sculptor Lorado Taft, grouped around an exedra designed by the architectural firm of Pond and Pond. It is located in Oregon, Illinois, the county seat of Ogle County, Illinois. It was dedicated in...
, Oregon, Illinois 1916 - Thatcher Memorial Fountain, Denver, ColoradoDenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
1918 - Fountain of TimeFountain 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, Illinois, in the United States. This location is in the Washington Park community area on Chicago's South Side...
, Chicago, Illinois 1922 - William A. Foote Memorial, Jackson, Michigan 1923
- Lincoln the LawyerLincoln the LawyerLincoln the Lawyer, also known as The Young Circuit Lawyer, Young Lincoln or simply Abraham Lincoln is a Lorado Taft sculpture now located on the 1000 block of Race Street, Urbana, Illinois across from Urbana High School in Carle Park. The statue was dedicated by Taft on July 3, 1927...
, Urbana, IllinoisUrbana, IllinoisUrbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area....
1927 - Alma MaterAlma Mater (Illinois sculpture)The Alma Mater is a bronze statue located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The long flowerbed stretching from the front of the Alma Mater to the corner of Green Street and Wright Street is known as the Alma Mater Plaza...
, University of IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignThe University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
1929 - Frances Elizabeth Willard (plaque), Indiana Statehouse, Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, 1929 - Lawson Monument, the Crusader, Graceland CemeteryGraceland CemeteryGraceland Cemetery is a large Victorian era cemetery located in the north side community area of Uptown, in the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Established in 1860, its main entrance is at the intersection of Clark Street and Irving Park Road...
, Chicago, Illinois 1931 - Two Groups, The Pioneers and The Patriots, Louisiana State Capitol, Baton Rouge, LouisianaBaton Rouge, LouisianaBaton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
1932 - Heald Square MonumentHeald Square MonumentHeald 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, Illinois 1941 - The Solitude of the SoulThe Solitude of the SoulThe 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, Illinois
Midway studios
There is a biography and other material about Lorado Taft available in this reference describing the 1965 National Historic LandmarkNational Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
-designated Lorado Taft Midway Studios
Lorado Taft Midway Studios
The 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
- Scherrer, Anton. "Our Town." Indianapolis Times. 18 April 1939.
- 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
- Lorado Taft Papers, 1857-1953 University of Illinois Archives
- The Ryerson & Burnham Libraries: Archives Collection: Lorado Taft Collection, 1908-1938
- Descriptions and photographs of two works Defense of the Flag memorial and William A Foote memorial
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