Lorado Zadok Taft (April 29, 1860, in

Elmwood, Illinois Elmwood is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,097 at the 2010 census. Elmwood is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The settlement is named after the mansion of William J. Ph ...

– October 30, 1936, in Chicago) was an American sculptor, writer and educator. His 1903 book, ''The History of American Sculpture,'' was the first survey of the subject and stood for decades as the standard reference. He has been credited with helping to advance the status of women as sculptors. Taft was the father of

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

Emily Taft Douglas, father-in-law to her husband,

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Paul Douglas Paul Howard Douglas (March 26, 1892 – September 24, 1976) was an American politician and Georgist economist. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Illinois for eighteen years, from 1949 to 1967. During his Senat ...

, and a distant relative of

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

Early years and education

Taft was born in Elmwood, Illinois. His parents were Don Carlos Taft and Mary Lucy Foster. His father was a professor of geology at the Illinois Industrial University (later renamed the

University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Universit ...

). He lived much of his childhood at 601 E. John Street,

Champaign, Illinois Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metropo ...

, near the center of the UIUC campus. The house, now known as the Taft House was built by his father in 1873. It was purchased by the university in 1949 and moved about one mile southeast. After being

homeschooled Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...

by his parents, Taft earned his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

(1879) and master's degree (1880) at Illinois Industrial University. After his master's degree, he left for Paris to study sculpture, attending the

École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts The Beaux-Arts de Paris is a French ''grande école'' whose primary mission is to provide high-level arts education and training. This is classical and historical School of Fine Arts in France. The art school, which is part of the Paris Science ...

from 1880 to 1883, where he studied with

Augustin Dumont Augustin-Alexandre Dumont, known as Auguste Dumont (4 August 1801, in Paris – 28 January 1884, in Paris) was a French sculptor. Biography He was one of a long line of famous sculptors, the great-grandson of Pierre Dumont, son of Jacques-Edme ...

Jean-Marie Bonnassieux Jean-Marie Bienaimé Bonnassieux (; 1810, Panissières, Loire – 1892) was a French sculptor. Biography The son of a cabinet maker from Lyon, Bonnassieux showed talent as a boy and was educated at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Ar ...

, and

Gabriel Thomas Gabriel-Jules Thomas (10 September 1824 – 8 March 1905) was a French sculptor, born in Paris. Thomas attended the École des Beaux-Arts and in 1848 he won the Prix de Rome in the sculpture category with his ''Philoctète partant pour le siè ...

. His record there was outstanding; he was cited as "top man" in his studio and twice exhibited at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

Career

Sculptor and educator

Upon returning to the United States in 1886, Taft settled in Chicago. He taught at

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a Private university, private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which grew ...

until 1929. In addition to work in clay and plaster, Taft taught his students marble carving, and had them work on group projects. He also lectured at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

and the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univer ...

In 1892, while the art community of Chicago was preparing 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 ...

of 1893, chief architect

Daniel Burnham Daniel Hudson Burnham (September 4, 1846 – June 1, 1912) was an American architect and urban designer. A proponent of the '' Beaux-Arts'' movement, he may have been, "the most successful power broker the American architectural profession has ...

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, "Hire anyone, even white rabbits, if they'll do the work." From that arose a group of talented women sculptors known as "the White Rabbits", which included

Enid Yandell Enid Yandell (October 6, 1869 – June 12, 1934) was an American sculptor from Louisville, Kentucky who studied with Auguste Rodin in Paris, Philip Martiny in New York City, and Frederick William MacMonnies. Yandell specialized in portrait bus ...

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 ...

Bessie Potter Vonnoh Bessie Potter Vonnoh (August 17, 1872 – March 8, 1955) was an American sculptor best known for her small bronzes, mostly of domestic scenes, and for her garden fountains. Her stated artistic objective, as she told an interviewer in 1925, was to ...

Janet Scudder Janet Scudder (October 27, 1869 – June 9, 1940), born Netta Deweze Frazee Scudder, was an American sculptor and painter from Terre Haute, Indiana, who is best known for her memorial sculptures, bas-relief portraiture, and portrait medallions, ...

, Julia Bracken, and Ellen Rankin Copp. Later, another former student,

Frances Loring Frances Norma Loring LL.D. (October 14, 1887– February 5, 1968) was a Canadian sculptor. Career Loring studied in Europe before enrolling at the Art Institute of Chicago, where she studied with Lorado Taft. She was a member of both the Royal C ...

, noted that Taft used his students' talents to further his own career, a not-uncommon situation. In general, history has given Taft credit for helping to advance the status of women as sculptors. At a meeting in St. Paul, Minnesota to decide which artist submission to select for a monument of Col.

William Colvill William Colvill, sometimes spelt William Colville (c.1612–1675) was a 17th-century Scottish minister of the Church of Scotland and scholar and was the Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1662 to 1675. Life Colvill was educated ...

to go in the

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 o ...

rotunda, the state art commission asked the opinion of Taft who was in the city at the time. While he did not recommend any of the models, he thought the model by Catherine Backus had points in its favor. Originally the commission favored the model by John K. Daniels but it was voted down. They then selected Backus' model to execute in a nine foot full-size bronze.

Lectures and writings

As Taft grew older, his eloquence and compelling writing led him, along with

Frederick Ruckstull Frederick Wellington Ruckstull, German: ''Friedrich Ruckstuhl'' (May 22, 1853 – May 26, 1942) was a French-born American sculptor and art critic. Life and career Born ''Ruckstuhl'' in Breitenbach, Alsace, France, his family moved to St. L ...

, to the forefront of sculpture's conservative ranks, where he often served as a spokesperson against the modern and abstract trends that developed during his lifetime. Taft's frequent lecture tours for the

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social 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 br ...

gave him a broad, popular celebrity status. UIUC 20071006 img 2247

In some settings, Taft is better known for his writings than for his sculpture. In 1903, Taft published ''The History of American Sculpture'', the first survey of the subject. The revised 1925 version was to remain the standard reference on the subject until the art historian E. Wayne Craven published ''Sculpture in America'' in 1968. In 1921, Taft published ''Modern Tendencies in Sculpture'', a compilation of his lectures given at the Art Institute of Chicago. At the time, it offered a distinct perspective on the development of European sculpture; today, the book continues to be regarded as an excellent survey of American sculpture in the early years of the 20th century.

Associations

In 1898, Taft was a founding member of the

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. The colon ...

, which is currently a field and research campus for Northern Illinois University in

Oregon, Illinois Oregon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ogle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,721 in 2010.U.S. Census BureaPopulation, Age, Sex, Race, Households/ref> History The land Oregon, Illinois was founded on was previously he ...

. Taft designed the Columbus Fountain at Union Station in Washington, D.C., in collaboration with Daniel Burnham. Taft was a member of the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the fin ...

, the

National Institute of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

, and the

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

; he headed the

National Sculpture Society Founded in 1893, the National Sculpture Society (NSS) 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 ...

in the 1920s, exhibiting at both their 1923 and 1929 shows, and he served on the Board of Art Advisors of Illinois. He served on the

U.S. Commission of Fine Arts The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States, and was established in 1910. The CFA has review (but not approval) authority over the "design and aesthetics" of all construction with ...

from 1925 to 1929, and was an honorary member of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

. His papers reside in collections at the Smithsonian

Archives of American Art The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washingt ...

, the University of Illinois, and the Art Institute of Chicago. He maintained his connections with his alma mater throughout his life. (His association with the University is commemorated by a street named in his honor.) In 1929, he dedicated his sculpture ''Alma Mater'' on the University of Illinois campus. Taft envisioned his ''Alma Mater'' as a benign and magnificent woman, about high and dressed in classical draperies, rising from a throne and advancing a step forward with outstretched arms in a gesture of generous greeting to her children. Two figures behind her on either side represent the university's motto, Learning and Labor.

Final years

He received numerous awards, prizes, and honorary degrees. Taft was active until the end of his life. The week before he died, he attended the

Quincy, Illinois Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...

, dedication ceremonies for his sculpture celebrating the Lincoln–Douglas debates. He died in his home studio in Chicago on October 30, 1936.

Sculptor's body of work

Taft may be best remembered for his various

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or Spring (hydrology), spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. ...

s. The University of Illinois Archives has a series of photographs of most of Taft's important works, including many of their construction and preliminary models. Panorama of the Fountain of Time

Following more than a dozen years of work, Taft's ''

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. The sculpture is inspired ...

'' was unveiled at the west end of Chicago's

Midway Plaisance The Midway Plaisance, known locally as the Midway, is a public park on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is one mile long by 220 yards wide and extends along 59th and 60th streets, joining Washington Park at its west end and Jackson Park ...

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. Louisiana State Capitol scuptured figures

Louisiana State Capitol scuptured figures

The last major commission that Taft completed was two groups for the front entrance to the

Louisiana State Capitol The Louisiana State Capitol (french: Capitole de l'État de Louisiane) is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Louisiana and is located in downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The capitol houses the chambers for the Louisiana Sta ...

Building, dedicated in 1932. He left unfinished a vast work to be called the ''Fountain of Creation'' which he planned to place at the opposite end of the Chicago Midway to the ''Fountain of Time''. Parts of this work were donated to the

and are now at the library and

Foellinger Auditorium The Foellinger Auditorium, located at 709 S. Mathews Avenue in Urbana, Illinois on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is a concert hall and the university's largest lecture hall. It is the southernmost building on the main ...

. The University named a dormitory and a street in Taft's honor. In 1965, his Chicago workplace at 6016 Ingleside Avenue (he moved there in 1906, when the building consisted merely of a brick barn) was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

Lorado Taft Midway Studios The Lorado Taft Midway Studios are a historic artist studio complex at South Ingleside Avenue and East 60th Street, on the campus of the University of Chicago on the South Side of Chicago. The architecturally haphazard structure, originating as ...

Selected commissions

* LaFayette Fountain,

Lafayette, Indiana Lafayette ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, located northwest of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, whi ...

, 1887 * ''

Schuyler Colfax Schuyler Colfax Jr. (; March 23, 1823 – January 13, 1885) was an American journalist, businessman, and politician who served as the 17th vice president of the United States from 1869 to 1873, and prior to that as the 25th speaker of the Hous ...

'', University Park, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1887 * Statue of George Washington,

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

, Seattle, Washington, 1905–1909. Created for the 1909

Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition The Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, acronym AYP or AYPE, was a world's fair held in Seattle in 1909 publicizing the development of the Pacific Northwest. It was originally planned for 1907 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Klondike Gold R ...

. * '' Eternal Silence'', Graves Memorial,

Graceland Cemetery Graceland Cemetery is a large historic garden cemetery located in the north side community area of Uptown, in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Established in 1860, its main entrance is at the intersection of Clark Street and Ir ...

, Chicago, Illinois, 1909 * ''Chief Paduke'' Statue, Jefferson Street,

Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky. The largest city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located at the confluence of the Tennessee and the Ohio rivers, halfway between St. Louis, Missour ...

, 1909 *

Black Hawk Statue ''The Eternal Indian'', sometimes called the Black Hawk Statue, is a 48-foot (14.6 m) sculpture by Lorado Taft located in Lowden State Park, near the city of Oregon, Illinois. Dedicated in 1911, the statue is perched over the Rock River on a 77- ...

Monument, aka ''Eternal Indian'',

, 1911 * '' The Solitude of the Soul'',

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

, Chicago, Illinois, 1911–1914 *

Columbus Fountain ''Columbus Fountain'' also known as the Columbus Memorial is a public artwork by American sculptor Lorado Taft, located at Union Station in Washington, D.C., United States. A centerpiece of Columbus Circle, ''Columbus Fountain'' serves as a trib ...

, in front of

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

, Washington, D.C., 1912. * ''

Fountain of the Great Lakes ''Fountain of the Great Lakes'', or ''Spirit of the Great Lakes Fountain'', is an allegorical sculpture and fountain by Lorado Taft. The bronze artwork, created between 1907 and 1913, depicts five women arranged so that the fountains waterfall r ...

'',

, Chicago, Illinois, 1913 * ''Seated Woman With Children'' aka ''Music'', Chicago, Illinois, 1915 * '' Thatcher Memorial Fountain'',

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 1918 * Two Boys with Dolphins Fountain, Oregon, Illinois, ca. 1920 * ''

'', Chicago, Illinois, 1922 * William A. Foote Memorial, Woodland Cemetery, Jackson, Michigan, 1923 * '' Lincoln the Lawyer'',

Urbana, Illinois Urbana ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. As of the 2010 United States Census, Urbana is the List of municipalities in Illinois, 38th-most pop ...

, 1927 * ''Annie Louise Keller Memorial,

White Hall, Illinois White Hall is a city in Greene County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,520 at the 2010 census. History A post office called White Hall has been in operation since 1827. In 1830 a David Barrow was the first person to built and in lo ...

, 1929 * '' Alma Mater'',

, 1929 *

Frances Elizabeth Willard (plaque) ''Frances Elizabeth Willard'' is a public artwork designed by United States, American artist Lorado Taft, located in the Rotunda (architecture), rotunda of the Indiana State House, in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is a bronze plaque, gi ...

Indiana Statehouse The Indiana Statehouse is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of Indiana. It houses the Indiana General Assembly, the office of the Governor of Indiana, the Indiana Supreme Court, and other state officials. The Statehouse is located in ...

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

, 1929 * '' The Crusader'', Lawson Monument,

, Chicago, Illinois, 1931 * Two Groups: ''The Pioneers'' and ''The Patriots'',

, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1932 * ''Ontario Sends Greetings to the Sea'', eleventh issue of the

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 ...

, 1935 * Bas-relief of ''Lincoln – Douglas Debate, Quincy, October 13, 1858'',

, 1936 *

Heald Square Monument The ''Heald Square Monument'' is a bronze sculpture group by Lorado Taft in Heald Square, Chicago, Illinois. It depicts General George Washington, and the two principal financiers of the American Revolution, Robert Morris and Haym Salomon. Fol ...

( Robert Morris –

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

–

Haym Salomon Haym Salomon (also Solomon; anglicized from Chaim Salomon; April 7, 1740 – January 6, 1785) was a Polish-born Jewish businessman and political financial broker who assisted the Superintendent of Finance, English-born Robert Morris, as the prim ...

), Chicago, Illinois, 1936–1941. Completed by

Leonard Crunelle Leonard Crunelle (July 8, 1872 in Lens, Pas-de-Calais – 1944) was a French-born American sculptor especially known for his sculptures of children. Crunelle immigrated with his family to the United States and worked as a coal miner in Decatur ...

, Nellie Walker and Fred Torrey following Taft's 1936 death. * Trotter Fountain,

Bloomington, Illinois Bloomington is a city and the county seat of McLean County, Illinois, United States. It is adjacent to the town of Normal, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area. Bloomington ...

, 1911

War memorials

* 4th Michigan Infantry Monument,

Gettysburg Battlefield The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the site of the first shot ...

, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 1889 * General

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

Monument,

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perma ...

, 1889 * Student Veteran Memorial, Hillsdale College,

Hillsdale, Michigan Hillsdale is the largest city and county seat of Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,036 at the 2020 census. The city is the home of Hillsdale College, a private liberal arts college noted for its academics ...

, 1895 * ''Defense of the Flag'', Withington Park,

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is the only city and county seat of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534, down from 36,316 at the 2000 census. Located along Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127, it is approxi ...

, 1904 * The Soldiers' Monument, Oregon, Illinois, 1916 File:Lafayette Fountain 29.jpg, LaFayette Fountain (1887), Tippecanoe County Courthouse, Lafayette, Indiana File:Schuyler Colfax by Lorado Zadoc Taft (1887) Control IAS 76008067.jpg, ''Schuyler Colfax'' (1887), University Park, Indianapolis, Indiana File:Monument to the 4th Michigan Infantry at Gettysburg.jpg, 4th Michigan Infantry Monument (1889),

, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania File:Defense_of_the_Flag.jpg, ''Defense of the Flag'' (1904),

File:Installing the George Washington statue for the A-Y-P - 1909.jpg, Statue of George Washington (1905–1909),

, Seattle File:Fountain Of The Great Lakes.jpg, ''

'' (1907–1913),

File:Black_Hawk_by_Lorado_Taft.jpg, ''

'' (1908–1911),

Lowden State Park Lowden State Park is an Illinois state park on in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. The park was named after Governor Frank Orren Lowden. Governor Lowden had served Illinois during World War I. Lowden State Park is home to the Black Hawk ...

, Oregon, Illinois File:Solitude of the Soul (Lorado Taft).jpg, '' The Solitude of the Soul'' (1911–1914),

File:Columbus Fountain by Lorado Zadoc Taft (1912).jpg,

(1912),

, Washington, D.C. File:Seated_Woman_With_Children_by_Lorado_Taft.jpg, ''Seated Woman With Children'', (1915), Chicago Illinois File:Oregon Il The Soldiers' Monument5.jpg, The Soldiers' Monument (1916), Oregon, Illinois File:MonumentTaft.jpg, '' Thatcher Memorial Fountain'' (1918), Denver, Colorado File:Two_Boys_with_Dolphins_Fountain.jpg, ''Two Boys with Dolphins'' (ca. 1920), Oregon, Illinois File:LTFountainOfTime2.jpg, Taft's self-portrait on the ''

'' (1922), Chicago, Illinois File:Foote_Memorial.jpg, Foote Memorial (1923),

File:Alma-front.jpg, '' Alma Mater'' (1929),

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univ ...

File:Chicago, Illinois The Crusader1.jpg, '' The Crusader'' (1931),

, Chicago, Illinois File:Quincy Lincoln Douglas Taft.JPG, ''Lincoln - Douglas Debate, Quincy, October 13, 1858.'' (1936),

File:Heald Monument (2).JPG,

(1936–1941), Chicago, Illinois. Completed by

, Nellie Walker and Fred Torrey.

Students and assistants

During his long career, Taft acted as a mentor and teacher for many sculptors, including: *

Enrique Alférez Enrique Alférez (1901–1999) was a Mexican artist who specialized in sculpting architectural reliefs and the human form. Early life and education Born in a rural village in northern Mexico, Alférez was introduced to sculpture by his fath ...

* Jean Pond Miner Coburn *

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

* Ulric Ellerhusen *

Paul Fjelde Paul Fjelde (August 12, 1892 – May 3, 1984) was a noted American sculptor and educator. Background Paul Fjelde was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was the son of Jacob Fjelde, who was a well-known sculptor in Norway when he emigrated ...

Sherry Edmundson Fry Sherry Edmundson Fry (September 29, 1879 – June 9, 1966) was an American sculptor, who also played a prominent role in U.S. Army camouflage during World War I. Early years Fry was born in Creston, Iowa. After completing high school, he enrolle ...

* Waylande Gregory *

Carl Augustus Heber Carl Augustus Heber (April 15, 1874 or 1875 –1956) was an American sculptor noted for his public monuments. Heber was born in Stuttgart, Germany and at a young age moved to Dundee, Illinois. He moved to Chicago where he studied at the Art In ...

Frederick Hibbard Frederick Cleveland Hibbard (June 15, 1881 – December 12, 1950) was an American sculptor based in Chicago. Hibbard is best remembered for his Civil War memorials, produced to commemorate both the Union and Confederate causes. Born and raised i ...

* Mary Lawrence *

Evelyn Beatrice Longman Evelyn Beatrice Longman (November 21, 1874 – March 10, 1954) was a sculptor in the U.S. Her allegorical figure works were commissioned as monuments and memorials, adornment for public buildings, and attractions at art expositions in early 20th ...

Helen Farnsworth Mears Helen Farnsworth Mears (; December 21, 1872 – February 17, 1916) was an American sculptor. Early years Mears was born December 21, 1872, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, daughter of John Hall Mears and Elizabeth Farnsworth Mears (pen names "Nellie Wild ...

Charles Mulligan Charles J. Mulligan (September 28, 1866 – March 25, 1916) was an American sculptor. Born in Riverdale, Ireland, Riverdale, County Tyrone, Ireland, Mulligan immigrated to America at the age of 17 and found work as a stone cutter in Pullma ...

* William Clark Noble *

C. Adrian Pillars Charles Adrian Pillars (1870–1937) was an American sculptor. He chiefly worked in Florida from his studio in St. Augustine. Pillars was born in Rantoul, Illinois. He studied with Daniel Chester French, Edward Potter and Lorado Taft at the A ...

Trygve Rovelstad Trygve A. Rovelstad (September 27, 1903 – June 8, 1990) was an American sculptor and medal designer. Trygve A. Rovelstad was born in Elgin, Illinois, to Norwegian immigrant parents. Rovelstad first studied at Fabyan Villa art studio on ...

Belle Kinney Scholz Belle Marshall Kinney Scholz (1890–1959) was an American sculptor, born in Tennessee who worked and died in New York state. Early life Belle Kinney was one of four children born to Captain D.C. Kenny and Elizabeth Morrison Kenny. She was bor ...

* Clara Sorensen * John Storrs *

Charles Umlauf Charles Umlauf (July 17, 1911 – November 19, 1994) was an American sculptor and teacher who was born in South Haven, Michigan. His sculptures can be found in churches, numerous public institutions, outdoor locations, and museums, including the ...

* Nellie Walker * Julia Bracken Wendt *

Florence Wyle Florence Wyle (November 14, 1881 – January 14, 1968) was an American-Canadian sculptor, designer and poet; a pioneer of the Canadian art scene. She practiced chiefly in Toronto, living and working with her partner Frances Loring, with whom she ...

Notes

Additional sources

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External links

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Lorado Taft Papers, 1857-1953 University of Illinois Archives
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20080518050108/http://www.ellasharp.org/our-outdoor-sculpture.html Descriptions and photographs of two worksDefense of the Flag memorial and William A Foote memorial
American Art American City: Lorado Taft
Artbeat Chicago segment on WTTW's ''

Chicago Tonight ''Chicago Tonight'' is a television news program broadcast weeknights on WTTW in Chicago. It reports primarily on local politics, education, business, culture, science and health, with a mix of in-studio panel discussions, one-on-one interview ...

'', May 15, 2008 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Taft, Lorado 19th-century American sculptors 19th-century male artists American male sculptors 20th-century American sculptors 20th-century male artists 1860 births 1936 deaths Taft family Burials at Graceland Cemetery (Chicago) People from Elmwood, Illinois Illinois Industrial University alumni American alumni of the École des Beaux-Arts National Sculpture Society members People from Oregon, Illinois Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters