Hermon Atkins MacNeil (February 27, 1866 – October 2, 1947) was an American

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

born in Everett, Massachusetts. He is known for designing the ''Standing Liberty'' quarter, struck by the Mint from 1916-1930; and for sculpting ''Justice, the Guardian of Liberty'' on the east pediment of the

United States Supreme Court building The Supreme Court Building houses the Supreme Court of the United States. Also referred to as "The Marble Palace," the building serves as the official workplace of the chief justice of the United States and the eight associate justices of th ...

Career

MacNeil graduated from Massachusetts Normal Art School, now

Massachusetts College of Art and Design Massachusetts College of Art and Design, branded as MassArt, is a public college of visual and applied art in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1873, it is one of the nation’s oldest art schools, the only publicly funded independent art school ...

, in 1886, became an instructor in industrial art at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

from 1886 to 1889, and was then a pupil of Henri M. Chapu and

Alexandre Falguière Jean Alexandre Joseph Falguière (also given as Jean-Joseph-Alexandre Falguière, or in short Alexandre Falguière) (7 September 183120 April 1900) was a French sculptor and painter. Biography Falguière was born in Toulouse. A pupil of the � ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. Returning to America, he aided

Philip Martiny Philip H. Martiny (May 19, 1858 – June 26, 1927) was a French-American sculptor who worked in the Paris atelier of Eugene Dock, where he became foreman before emigrating to New York in 1878—to avoid conscription in the French army, he later ...

(1858–1927) in the preparation of sketch models for the

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordi ...

, and in 1896 he won the Rinehart scholarship, passing four years (1896–1900) in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. In 1906 he became a National Academician. His first important work was ''The Moqui Runner'', which was followed by ''A Primitive Chant'', and '' The Sun Vow'', all figures of the North American Indian. Several of his earlier American Indian sculptures served as the inspiration for his later contribution to the long running

Society of Medalists The Society of Medalists was established in 1930 in the United States to encourage the medallic work of superior sculptors, and to make their creations available to the public. The Society of Medalists was the longest running art medal collector's ...

, ''Hopi Prayer for Rain''. ''Fountain of Liberty'', for the

Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...

, and other Indian themes came later; his ''Agnese'' and his ''Beatrice'', which are two fine busts of women, and his nude statuettes, which echo his time spent in Rome and Paris, also deserve mention. One of his principal works is the ''

William McKinley Monument The ''William McKinley Monument'', or ''McKinley Memorial'', is a statue and quotation array honoring the assassinated United States President William McKinley which stands in front of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. Created by Hermon Atk ...

'' sculpture in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, in honor of President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

. In 1909 he won in competition a commission for a large soldiers' and sailors' monument in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...

. Perhaps his best known work is as the designer of the

Standing Liberty quarter The Standing Liberty quarter is a 25-cent coin that was struck by the United States Mint from 1916 to 1930. It succeeded the Barber quarter, which had been minted since 1892. Featuring the goddess of Liberty on one side and an eagle in flight o ...

, which was minted from 1916 to 1930, and carries his initial to the right of the date. He also made ''Justice, the Guardian of Liberty'' on the east pediment of the

. MacNeil was one of a dozen sculptors invited to compete in the ''

Pioneer Woman The ''Pioneer Woman'' monument is a bronze sculpture in Ponca City, Oklahoma, designed by Bryant Baker and dedicated on April 22, 1930. The statue is of a sunbonneted woman leading a child by the hand. It was donated to the State of Oklahoma by ...

'' statue competition in 1927, which he failed to win. His work was also part of the art competitions at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

and the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

. One of his last works was the

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pik ...

statue dedicated in 1940 in

St. Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Small parts of St. Joseph extend into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includ ...

Family

His wife,

Carol Brooks MacNeil Carol Brooks MacNeil (January 15, 1871 – June 22, 1944) was an American sculptor, born in Chicago where she studied at the Art Institute of Chicago under Lorado Taft. MacNeil modeled many charming and unique designs for vases, teapots, inkstan ...

, also a sculptor of distinction, was a pupil of

Frederick William MacMonnies Frederick William MacMonnies (September 28, 1863 – March 22, 1937) was the best known expatriate American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts school, as successful and lauded in France as he was in the United States. He was also a highly accomplishe ...

and a member of the White Rabbits.

Gallery

File:Marquette Building exterior entry detail - Chicago Illinois.jpg, Jacques Marquette bas-reliefs (1894), Marquette Building, Chicago, Illinois. File:The Sun Vow 01.jpg, '' The Sun Vow'' (1899), bronze,

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

, New York City. File:McKinley Memorial Ohio Statehouse.JPG, ''

'' (1903-1906),

Ohio Statehouse The Ohio Statehouse is the state capitol building and seat of government for the U.S. state of Ohio. The Greek Revival building is located on Capitol Square in Downtown Columbus. The capitol houses the Ohio General Assembly, consisting of the H ...

, Columbus, Ohio. File:Coming of the White Man sculpture.jpg, ''

Coming of the White Man ''Coming of the White Man'' is a bronze sculpture by American artist Hermon Atkins MacNeil, installed in Washington Park, Portland, Oregon in the United States. The statue was gifted to the City of Portland in 1904 by former mayor David P. Thomp ...

'' (1904), Washington Park, Portland, Oregon. Chief Multnomah observing the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what ...

. File:VeteransmonumentAlbany.jpg, Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (1909–1912), Washington Park, Albany, New York. File:Washington in War MacNeil.jpg, ''Washington as Commander-in-Chief, Accompanied by Fame and Valor'' (1914–1916),

Washington Square Arch The Washington Square Arch, officially the Washington Arch, is a marble memorial arch in Washington Square Park, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. Designed by architect Stanford White in 1891, it commemor ...

, Washington Square Park, New York City. File:"Intellectual Development" statue by Hermon Atkins MacNeil.jpg, ''Intellectual Development'' (1916),

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

, Evanston, Illinois. File:Statue of Ezra Cornell, founder of Cornell University.jpg, Statue of Ezra Cornell (1919), campus of

File:Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Monument (Philadelphia) - DSC06751.JPG, Civil War Soldiers' Monument (1921),

Benjamin Franklin Parkway Benjamin Franklin Parkway, commonly abbreviated to Ben Franklin Parkway and colloquially called the Parkway, is a boulevard that runs through the cultural heart of Philadelphia. Named for founding father Benjamin Franklin, the mile-long Parkway c ...

, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Carved by the Piccirilli Brothers. File:White Point Garden, Confederate Defenders of Charleston 2.jpg, ''

Confederate Defenders of Charleston ''Confederate Defenders of Charleston'' is a monument in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. The monument honors Confederate soldiers from Charleston, most notably those who served at Fort Sumter during the American Civil War. Built w ...

'' (1932), Charleston, South Carolina File:HMcNeil-GRClark.jpg, ''George Rogers Clark'' (1934),

George Rogers Clark Memorial George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, located in Vincennes, Indiana, on the banks of the Wabash River at what is believed to be the site of Fort Sackville, is a United States National Historical Park. President Calvin Coolidge authorized ...

, Vincennes, Indiana. File:Supreme court east facade.jpg, ''Justice, the Guardian of Liberty'' (1935), East Pediment,

, Washington, D.C. File:Pony-express-statue.jpg, ''Pony Express Monument'' (1940), Civic Center Triangle, St. Joseph, Missouri.

References

* *

External links

''The Sun Vow''

''The Moqui Runner''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Macneil, Hermon Atkins 1866 births 1947 deaths American architectural sculptors 19th-century American sculptors 19th-century American male artists American male sculptors 20th-century American sculptors 20th-century American male artists People from Everett, Massachusetts Sculptors from Massachusetts Massachusetts College of Art and Design alumni Cornell University faculty National Sculpture Society members Coin designers American currency designers Olympic competitors in art competitions