Robert Merrell Gage
Encyclopedia
Robert Merrell Gage was an American
sculptor, frequently credited or referred to as Merrell Gage.
Gage was born in Topeka, Kansas
and studied in the Topeka public schools and at Washburn University
. He worked on ranches in the Midwest before settling on an art career. He studied art in New York and France and worked in the studio of Gutzon Borglum
as an assistant. In 1916, he set up a sculpture studio in a barn behind his house in Topeka. His first public commission was for a statue of Abraham Lincoln
that is now on the grounds of the Kansas State Capitol
.
He married Marian Gage, a painter, shortly after World War I
when he was in the medical corps and lived in Kansas City. He began teaching sculpture at Washburn and at the Kansas City Art Institute
. They moved to Los Angeles from New York in 1924 and built a studio in their home in the Santa Monica
Canyon. He was appointed professor of sculpture at the University of Southern California
and rose to the head of the department. Gage's mother and sister lived in La Jolla, San Diego, California
.
, in which he modeled Lincoln's features while narrating the story of his life. The film, produced by Wilber T. Blume, won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short FIlm. Gage executed numerous commissions in the Los Angeles area and served on the sculpture commission for the 1936 Olympics.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sculptor, frequently credited or referred to as Merrell Gage.
Gage was born in Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
and studied in the Topeka public schools and at Washburn University
Washburn University
Washburn University is a co-educational, public institution of higher learning in Topeka, Kansas, USA. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,400 undergraduate students and...
. He worked on ranches in the Midwest before settling on an art career. He studied art in New York and France and worked in the studio of Gutzon Borglum
Gutzon Borglum
Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum was an American artist and sculptor famous for creating the monumental presidents' heads at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, the famous carving on Stone Mountain near Atlanta, as well as other public works of art.- Background :The son of Mormon Danish immigrants, Gutzon...
as an assistant. In 1916, he set up a sculpture studio in a barn behind his house in Topeka. His first public commission was for a statue of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
that is now on the grounds of the Kansas State Capitol
Kansas State Capitol
The Kansas State Capitol, known also as the Kansas Statehouse, is the building housing the executive and legislative branches of government for the U.S. state of Kansas. It is located in the city of Topeka which has served as the capital of Kansas since it became a state in 1861...
.
He married Marian Gage, a painter, shortly after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when he was in the medical corps and lived in Kansas City. He began teaching sculpture at Washburn and at the Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute
The Kansas City Art Institute is a private, independent, four-year college of fine arts and design founded in 1885 in Kansas City, Missouri....
. They moved to Los Angeles from New York in 1924 and built a studio in their home in the Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
Canyon. He was appointed professor of sculpture at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and rose to the head of the department. Gage's mother and sister lived in La Jolla, San Diego, California
La Jolla, San Diego, California
La Jolla is an affluent, hilly seaside resort community, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean in Southern California within the northern city limits of San Diego. La Jolla had the highest home prices in the nation in 2008 and 2009; the average price of a standardized...
.
Academy Award Winning Short Film
Gage executed likenesses of Lincoln in many stages of the president's life. In 1955 Gage starred in a short film The Face of LincolnThe Face of Lincoln
The Face of Lincoln is a 1955 short documentary film in which sculptor Robert Merrell Gage models the features of Abraham Lincoln while narrating the story of Lincoln's life. It won an Academy Award in 1956 for Best Short Subject and was also nominated for Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject...
, in which he modeled Lincoln's features while narrating the story of his life. The film, produced by Wilber T. Blume, won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short FIlm. Gage executed numerous commissions in the Los Angeles area and served on the sculpture commission for the 1936 Olympics.
Works
- Facade of the Los Angeles Times BuildingLos Angeles Times BuildingThe Los Angeles Times Building is an art moderne building located at 1st and Spring Streets in Los Angeles, California. It is the headquarter of the Los Angeles Times. It was designed by Gordon B...
, (1935) - the Edison Building, Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, (1931) - the Allan J. Hancock Foundation
- Electric FountainElectric FountainThe Electric Fountain is a water fountain located in Beverly Hills, California on the corner of Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards. The fountain is illuminated by a changing pattern of colored lights. Made by WET, The sculpture and tiles that make up the design of the fountain and its base pay...
in Beverly Hills (1931) - Police memorial in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
- seated LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
on the Kansas State CapitolKansas State CapitolThe Kansas State Capitol, known also as the Kansas Statehouse, is the building housing the executive and legislative branches of government for the U.S. state of Kansas. It is located in the city of Topeka which has served as the capital of Kansas since it became a state in 1861...
grounds in Topeka - head of Abraham Lincoln 110 Grand Avenue, Los Angeles
- Pioneer Mother Memorial on the Kansas State Capitol grounds
- Bust of Sherman Minton at the Indiana Statehouse in IndianapolisIndianapolisIndianapolis 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...
- many schools and churches
External links
- Merrell Gage papers, 1911-1982 at the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art, retrieved on 2008-07-05.
- Biography Kansas State Historical Society "Robert Merrell Gage page" undated, retrieved on 2008-07-05.
- California Arts Club "13th CAC President" page, retrieved on 2008-07-05.
- Wilber T. Blume,