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Pompeo Luigi Coppini (19 May 1870 – 26 September 1957) was an Italian born sculptor who emigrated 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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. Although his works can be found in
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
and a number of U.S. states, the majority of his work can be found in Texas. He is particularly famous for the Alamo Plaza work, ''Spirit of Sacrifice'', a.k.a. ''The Alamo Cenotaph'', as well as numerous statues honoring Texan figures.


Early years

Coppini was born in
Moglia Moglia ( Lower Mantovano: ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Mantua in the Italian region Lombardy, located about southeast of Milan and about southeast of Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a ci ...
,
Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the Eur ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, the son of musician Giovanni Coppini and his wife, Leandra (Raffa) Coppini. The family moved to
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
where at the age of ten, Pompeo was hired to make ceramic horses shaped like whistles. From there, he worked for a sculptor who made tourist
knock-off Counterfeit consumer goods (or counterfeit and fraudulent, suspect items - CFSI) are goods, often of inferior quality, made or sold under another's brand name without the brand owner's authorization. Sellers of such goods may infringe on eith ...
s of great works of art. At age sixteen, he studied at
Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno The Accademia delle Arti del Disegno ("Academy of the Arts of Drawing") is an academy of artists in Florence, Italy. Founded as Accademia e Compagnia delle Arti del Disegno ("Academy and Company of the Arts of Drawing") on 13 January 1563 by ...
under
Augusto Rivalta Augusto Rivalta (1835 or 1838 – April 14, 1925) was an Italian sculptor. Biography Rivalta was born in Alessandria, Italy, to Genoese parents. In 1859, he moved to Florence, but soon swept up in the patriotic events, he volunteered for the ...
. Upon earning a degree, Coppini opened a short-lived studio making gratis busts of local celebrities. While working for a cemetery monument sculptor, Coppini tried to become co-owner of the business by courting the owner's daughter. The girl's mother balked, and the resulting situation got Coppini denounced from a local priest's pulpit.


The United States

Coppini emigrated 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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
in March, 1896 with nothing but a trunk of clothes and $40 to his name. He got a job in New York sculpting figures for a wax museum. Elizabeth di Barbieri of
New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...
arrived, accompanied by a chaperone, to model for Coppini's memorial to
Francis Scott Key Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779January 11, 1843) was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet from Frederick, Maryland, who wrote the lyrics for the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner". Key observed the British bombardment ...
. He fell in love Texas State Historical Association and married his model. Coppini became a
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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
citizen in 1902. While he managed to find work in New York, Coppini was frustrated the fame and greatness escaped him. He moved to Texas in 1901, to join with German-born sculptor
Frank Teich Frank Teich (September 22, 1856 – January 27, 1939) was a German-born American sculptor, stone carver, and businessman, often referred to as the father of the Texas granite industry. Early life and education Teich was born on September 22 ...
. Texas State Historical Association. He was then commissioned to do the figures for the Confederate monument for the state capitol grounds. For the next fifteen years, he lived and worked in
San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...
. After spending a short time in
Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, he then spent three years in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
overseeing the Littlefield commission for the
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
. He collaborated with architect Paul Cret on the Littlefield Memorial Fountain, and sculpted six statues for the campus. By 1910, Coppini was assisted by sculptor Waldine Tauch, Texas State Historical Association who had been born in Schulenburg, Texas. Tauch became more-or-less his adopted daughter, student and protégée, and he, after extracting a promise from her that she would never marry, molded her into a devotee of classical sculpture. She collaborated with Coppini until his death. The William P. Rogers chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy raised $5,000 in 1911 and commissioned Coppini to design and erect the 1912 Confederate soldier memorial statue named ''Last Stand'', a.k.a. ''Firing Line'', in De Leon Plaza, Hiring Otto Zirkel of near the San Antonio studio to build the stone portion of the monument. He sculpted three distinct statues of George Washington. The first, commissioned by Americans living in Mexico to commemorate the 1910 centennial of Mexican Independence, was installed in 1912 in the Plaza Dinamarca (renamed Plaza Washington) of the Colonia Juárez section of
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
. The Mexican Civil War was just beginning. Two years later, in reaction to the April 1914 United States invasion of
Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
, the statue was toppled from its pedestal and dragged through the streets. The second statue was created to commemorate the 1926 sesquicentennial of the
Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...
. It was installed in 1927 in Portland, Oregon. The third statue was commissioned by the Texas Society, Daughters of the American Revolution to commemorate the 1932 bicentennial of Washington's birth. Fund-raising problems delayed the project for years, and it was installed in February 1955 on the campus of the
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
. In 1931, Italy decorated Coppini with the Commendatore of the
Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...
for his contribution to art in America. The Texas Centennial Committee awarded Coppini the 1934 commission to design the
Texas Centennial half dollar The Texas Centennial half dollar commemorative coin was minted to honor the Centennial of Texas's independence from Mexico. Early in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, on June 15, 1933, Congress passed an act to authorize ...
. In 1937, Coppini opened his San Antonio studio on Melrose Place, in order to work on what would become the ''Spirit of Sacrifice'' (a.k.a. The Cenotaph) at Alamo Plaza.
Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of th ...
awarded Coppini an honorary doctor of fine arts degree in 1941. From 1943 to 1945 he was head of the art department of Trinity University in San Antonio. In 1945 he and Tauch cofounded the Classic Arts Fraternity in San Antonio (renamed Coppini Academy of Fine Arts in 1950). Many of his works are in Austin, Texas, displayed on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol and on the campus of The University of Texas. Coppini's statue of
Lawrence Sullivan Ross Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross (September 27, 1838January 3, 1898) was the 19th governor of Texas, a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and the seventh president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now ...
, Texas Governor and third president of
Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M Unive ...
is considered one of the most revered works on the A&M campus in College Station and students often place coins at the statue's feet for good luck on exams. Coppini's marble statue of
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
James Paul Clarke James Paul Clarke (August 18, 1854 – October 1, 1916) was a United States Senator and the 18th Governor of Arkansas as well as a white supremacist. Biography Clarke was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi. His father died when Clarke was seven y ...
stands in the
U.S. Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill at ...
. Coppini also designed two bronze sculptures at
Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of th ...
in Waco, Texas—those of former Baylor University President Rufus C. Burleson, located on the Burleson Quadrangle on the Baylor campus (1905), and Baylor University namesake and founder Judge R.E.B. Baylor (1939). One of Coppini's best works, as stated by the artist, is the bronze sculpture of John Reagan, former U.S. Senator from Palestine, Texas, located in that city's Reagan Park (1911), featuring the personification of the "Lost Cause of the Confederacy" seated at the base of the monument. Coppini died in San Antonio on September 26, 1957. He designed his own crypt or his final resting place in Sunset Memorial Park.


Selected works

*''Jefferson Davis'' (1901–1903), Confederate Monument, Texas State Capitol, Austin, Texas. *Confederate Monument (1903), Paris, Texas: **''Bust of Jefferson Davis''. **''Bust of Robert E. Lee''. **''Bust of Stonewall Jackson''. **''Bust of Albert Sidney Johnston''. *''Rufus C. Burleson'' (1903), Burleson Quadrangle,
Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of th ...
, Waco, Texas. *''The Victims of the Galveston Flood'' (1903–04),
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
. *'' Terry's Texas Rangers Monument'' (1905–1907), Texas State Capitol, Austin, Texas. *'' Hood's Texas Brigade Monument'' (1910), Texas State Capitol, Austin. *Come and Take It Monument (1910),
Gonzales, Texas Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat. The population was 7,165 at the 2020 census. The "Come and Take It" flag in the War for Texas Independence from Mexico originated in Gonzales. Its economy is en ...
. *Sam Houston Grave Monument (1910–11), Huntsville, Texas. * John Hunt Morgan Memorial (1911), (former) Fayette County Courthouse, Lexington, Kentucky. *John H. Reagan Memorial (1911), Palestine, Texas. *Bust of
Thomas Mitchell Campbell Thomas Mitchell Campbell (April 22, 1856April 1, 1923) was the 24th Governor of Texas, serving two terms from 1907 to 1911. He was an attorney and businessman, working as a manager for the International-Great Northern Railroad before entering ...
, Governor of Texas 1907-1911, (1911), Private Collection, Palestine, Texas *Statue of George Washington (1911–12),
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, Mexico. *Confederate Monument (1911–12), De Leon Plaza, Victoria, Texas. *Queen of the Sea monument (1914), Corpus Christi, Texas *Bust of William Rufus Shafter, (1919), Galesburg, Michigan,Hendry, Fay, photos by Balthazar Korab, ‘’Outdoor Sculpture of Kalamazoo’’, iota press, Okemos, MI, 1980, pp. 64–65 *''
Lawrence Sullivan Ross Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross (September 27, 1838January 3, 1898) was the 19th governor of Texas, a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and the seventh president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now ...
'' (1917–1919),
Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M Unive ...
, College Station, Texas. *''The Spirit of the Texas Cowboy'' (1918–19), Charles H. Noyes Memorial, Ballinger, Texas. *George W. Littlefield Commission (1920–1928),
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
: ** Littlefield WWII Memorial Fountain, Paul Cret, architect. **''
John H. Reagan John Henninger Reagan (October 8, 1818March 6, 1905) was an American politician from Texas. A Democrat, Reagan resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives when Texas seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. H ...
''. **''
Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nor ...
''. **''
Albert Sidney Johnston Albert Sidney Johnston (February 2, 1803 – April 6, 1862) served as a general in three different armies: the Texian Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army. He saw extensive combat during his 34-year military career, figh ...
''. **'' James Stephen Hogg''. **''
Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as ...
''. **''
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
''. *''Senator James Paul Clark of Arkansas'' (1921),
National Statuary Hall Collection The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol is composed of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. Limited to two statues per state, the collection was originally set up in the old ...
,
United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...
, Washington, D.C. *Bronze doors (1926), Scottish Rite Cathedral (Masonic), San Antonio, Texas. * Statue of George Washington (1926–27), Friendship Masonic Lodge 160, Portland, Oregon. * Texas State Fair Hall of State (1935–36),
Fair Park Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex in Dallas, Texas, United States, located immediately east of downtown. The area is registered as a Dallas Landmark and National Historic Landmark; many of the buildings were constructed for t ...
, Dallas, Texas: **''Stephen F. Austin''. **''Thomas J. Rusk''. **''William B. Travis''. **''James W. Fannin''. **''Mirabeau B. Lamar''. **''Sam Houston''. * Cenotaph to the Heroes of the Alamo (1937–38), Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas. *Coppini Tomb (1953), Sunset Memorial Park, San Antonio, Texas. * Statue of George Washington (1955),
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
.


Gallery

File:Burleson.jpg, ''Rufus Burleson'' (1903),
Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of th ...
, Waco, Texas. File:Texas Ranger monument in front of Texas State Capitol.JPG, Terry's Texas Rangers Monument (1905–1907), Texas State Capitol. File:Hood's Texas Brigade monument in front of Texas State Capitol.JPG, '' Hood's Texas Brigade Monument'' (1910), Texas State Capitol. File:Sam Houston Grave.jpg, Sam Houston Grave Monument (1910–11), Huntsville, Texas. File:Morgan Lexington statue.jpg, John Hunt Morgan Memorial (1911), Lexington, Kentucky. File:Palestine August 2017 46 (John H. Reagan Monument).jpg, John H. Reagan Monument (1911), Palestine, Texas. File:Confederate Momument, Victoria, TX IMG 1006.JPG, Confederate Monument (1911–12), Victoria, Texas. File:TAMU Sul Ross statue.jpg, ''
Lawrence Sullivan Ross Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross (September 27, 1838January 3, 1898) was the 19th governor of Texas, a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and the seventh president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now ...
'' (1917–19),
Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M Unive ...
. File:Bust_of_Gen._William_Shafter_by_Coppini.jpg, General William Rufus Shafter (1919), Galesburg, Michigan. File:Clarke cvc 500h 1.jpg, ''James Paul Clark'' (1921),
United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...
, Washington, DC. File:Dallas Fair Park Hall of State inside 1.jpg, ''Stephen F. Austin'' and ''Sam Houston'' (1935–36),
Hall of State The Hall of State (originally the State of Texas Building) is a building in Dallas's Fair Park that commemorates the history of the U.S. state of Texas and is considered one of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in the state. It was desig ...
, Dallas, Texas. File:AlamoMemorial-0727.jpg, Alamo Cenotaph (1937–38), San Antonio, Texas.


References


Further reading

* * * * *


External links


The Coppini Academy of Fine Art (his former workshop)
* *

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20051220143116/http://www.utexas.edu/tours/statues/ The University of Texas at Austin: Tour: Statuesbr>Texas A&M University: Outdoor Sculpture
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coppini, Pompeo 1870 births 1957 deaths University of Texas at Austin people Artists from Mantua Italian emigrants to the United States Davy Crockett 19th-century Italian sculptors Italian male sculptors 20th-century American sculptors American male sculptors National Sculpture Society members Sculptors from Lombardy