John Karl Daniels (May 14, 1875 – March 8, 1978) was a Norwegian-American sculptor. He was born in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

in 1874, and immigrated with his family to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in 1884. He attended the Mechanics Arts High School in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he first received formal training for his craft as a sculptor. He became a pupil of Knut Okerberg in Norway, and of Andrew O'Connor in

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 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), ma ...

. He was based in Minnesota, where most of his work can be found. His studio was a former icehouse, located behind the George W. and Nancy B. Van Dusen House at 1900 LaSalle Avenue in Minneapolis. He created war memorials for

Grafton, North Dakota Grafton is a city in the State of North Dakota and is the county seat of Walsh County. As of the 2020 Census, the city of Grafton had a population of 4,170, making it the fifteenth largest city in North Dakota. Grafton was founded in 1881. Hi ...

and

Long Prairie, Minnesota Long Prairie is a town in Todd County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,458 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat. and the oldest town in the County. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a to ...

. His granite ''Pioneers'' sculpture was given to the

City of Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

by the family of

Charles Alfred Pillsbury Charles Alfred Pillsbury (December 3, 1842 – September 17, 1899) was an American businessman, flour industrialist, and politician. He was a co-founder of the Pillsbury Company. Education and early business career Pillsbury was born December ...

during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. It served as the centerpiece of a park called Pioneer Square, near the Minneapolis Central Post Office. His work includes the ''Soldiers Monument'' at Summit Park in St. Paul, the architectural ornament of the

Washburn Park Water Tower The Washburn Park Water Tower is a landmark in the Tangletown neighborhood of south Minneapolis, Minnesota, built in 1931. It is located on top of one of the highest points of south Minneapolis. The tower is considered an unofficial "beacon" f ...

in Minneapolis, and the statue of

Leif Erikson Leif Erikson, Leiv Eiriksson, or Leif Ericson, ; Modern Icelandic: ; Norwegian: ''Leiv Eiriksson'' also known as Leif the Lucky (), was a Norse explorer who is thought to have been the first European to have set foot on continental Nort ...

at Leif Erikson Park in

Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

. His sculptures at the Minnesota State Capitol include the ''

Knute Nelson Knute Nelson (born Knud Evanger; February 2, 1843 – April 28, 1923) was an American attorney and politician active in Wisconsin and Minnesota. A Republican, he served in state and national positions: he was elected to the Wisconsin and Minnesot ...

Monument'' and ''Leif Erikson'' on the capitol grounds, and ''General

John B. Sanborn John Benjamin Sanborn (December 5, 1826 – May 6, 1904) was a lawyer, politician, and soldier from the state of New Hampshire who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was also a key member of the postbellum C ...

'' and ''Colonel

Alexander Wilkin Alexander Wilkin (December 1, 1819 – July 14, 1864) was a soldier during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. Wilkin also played a role in the development of the Minnesota Territory, having been its second territorial secreta ...

'' in the rotunda. At the Veterans Service Building is ''Earthbound'', a 1956 work dedicated to the military veterans of Minnesota, and sculpted when Daniels was 80 years old. He died in Minneapolis in 1978.Harris, Moira F., ''Monumental Minnesota: A Guide to Outdoor Sculpture,'' Pogo Press, 1992 File:Walsh County Courthouse.jpg, ''Spanish–American War Monument'' (1900), Walsh County Courthouse, Grafton, North Dakota. File:Alexander Wilkin.JPG, ''Colonel Alexander Wilkin'' (1910),

Minnesota State Capitol The Minnesota State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Minnesota, in its capital city of Saint Paul. It houses the Minnesota Senate, Minnesota House of Representatives, the office of the Attorney General and the office ...

, St. Paul, Minnesota. File:John B Sanborn.JPG, ''General John P. Sanborn'' (ca. 1910),

, St. Paul, Minnesota. File:Todd County Courthouse Minnesota.jpg, ''World War I Memorial'' (ca. 1920), Todd County Courthouse, Long Prairie, Minnesota. File:Knute Nelson statue capitol.jpg, Knute Nelson Monument (1928),

, St. Paul, Minnesota. File:Washburn Water Tower -1-.JPG, ''

'' (1932), Minneapolis, Minnesota. File:Viking at MN Capitol.jpg, ''Leif Erikson'' (1948–49),

, St. Paul, Minnesota. File:MN State Capitol sculpted in butter by John K. Daniels.jpg, Minnesota's State Capitol sculpted in butter for the 1901

Pan-American Exposition The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Avenue to Elmwood A ...

. File:Earthbound Monument-front.jpg, Earthbound Monument: Made Captive but Deserving Freedom More,

, St. Paul, Minnesota.

References

External links

John Karl Daniels art
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniels, John Karl Norwegian emigrants to the United States 1870s births 1978 deaths American centenarians Place of birth missing 20th-century American sculptors American male sculptors Sculptors from Minnesota Men centenarians 20th-century American male artists