Hans K. Schuler (May 25, 1874 – March 30, 1951) was a German-born American sculptor and monument maker. He was the first American sculptor ever to win the Salon Gold Medal. His works are in several important museum collections, and he also created many public monuments, mostly for locations in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, Maryland and in the

Washington, D.C. area The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the U.S. state, states of Maryl ...

. For over a quarter of a century he served as president of the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Life and work

Hans Schuler was born in a part of Alsace-Lorraine which was then under German sovereignty, though it is now part of France. Schuler's family emigrated to the United States while he was still a youngster. He graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in

, Maryland, having studied there at the Rinehart School of Sculpture. He continued his artistic training in France at the

Académie Julian The Académie Julian () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907) that was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number a ...

, studying under

Raoul Verlet Charles Raoul Verlet (7 September 1857, Angoulême - 1 December 1923, Cannes) was a French sculptor and art professor. Biography His father was the concierge at the Angoulême cemetery. He initially sculpture in Bordeaux, from 1884 to 1886, the ...

. Schuler won the Salon Gold Medal in Paris in 1901, the first American sculptor ever to do so. Returning to Baltimore, he built his studio at 7 East Lafayette Avenue in 190

residing and working in Baltimore for the rest of his life. Schuler served as president of MICA from 1925 to 1951 and was a member of the

Charcoal Club of Baltimore The Charcoal Club has been an arts club in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, on an intermittent basis since 1883. History Started as the Sketch Club in 1883 by a group of male artists in Baltimore who "desired to draw and paint from life" (meani ...

. His works are in the collections of museums including the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...

in Washington, DC and the

Walters Art Museum The Walters Art Museum, located in Mount Vernon-Belvedere, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is a public art museum founded and opened in 1934. It holds collections established during the mid-19th century. The museum's collection was amassed ...

. His Baltimore studio is still in use as the Schuler School of Fine Arts, founded in 1959 by sculptor Hans C. Schuler (1912–1999), the son of Hans K. Schuler. The

Hans Schuler Studio and Residence The Hans Schuler Studio and Residence is a historic home and artist studio located at Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is an eclectic brick building constructed in two stages. The studio is one story high with a recessed skylight, and was d ...

was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1985. Schuler's sculptures and monuments grace many public places. Among them is a statue of U.S. President

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...

Meridian Hill Park Meridian Hill Park, also known as Malcolm X Park, is a structured urban park located in the Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C., Columbia Heights; it also abuts the nearby neighborhood of Adams Morgan. The park wa ...

in Washington, D.C. It is the only public memorial dedicated to Buchanan. On Baltimore's Charles Street, in the area of the main campus of

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

, there are also imposing monuments by Schuler honoring

Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland where he remained for most ...

and

Sidney Lanier Sidney Clopton Lanier (February 3, 1842 – September 7, 1881) was an American musician, poet and author. He served in the Confederate States Army as a private, worked on a blockade-running ship for which he was imprisoned (resulting in his catch ...

. All three of these monuments are large bronzes occupying elaborate stone placements. Schuler's sculptures and reliefs also adorn the interiors of many public buildings. For example, Schuler, along with sculptor

J. Maxwell Miller Joseph Maxwell Miller (December 23, 1877 – February 20, 1933) was an American sculptor. Biography J. Maxwell Miller was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 23, 1877. He studied at the Maryland Institute School of Art and Design and at ...

, created a large relief panel which is located in the main concert hall at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. While Hans Schuler created many public monuments, he also created extremely sensual examples of free sculpture, including a life-sized and very lifelike marble nude – now at the

– representing the abandoned

Ariadne Ariadne (; grc-gre, Ἀριάδνη; la, Ariadne) was a Cretan princess in Greek mythology. She was mostly associated with mazes and labyrinths because of her involvement in the myths of the Minotaur and Theseus. She is best known for having ...

, writhing in sadness and longing. Below is a link to an image and auction record of another Schuler piece of this type, recently sold at

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...

in London. Other works by Schuler can be found at

St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) is a public liberal arts college in St. Mary's City, Maryland.Maryland State Archives, Online Manual, "St. Mary's College Of Maryland: Origin & Functions" http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/25univ/stmarys/ ...

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: *National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra *National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London, with s ...

, Fogg Art Museum, Peabody Institute,

Maryland Historical Society The Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC), formerly the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS), . founded on March 1, 1844, is the oldest cultural institution in the U.S. state of Maryland. The organization "collects, preserves, and inte ...

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

, St. John's College (

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...

, ( Albany and

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

), Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, PA and in various parks in the

and Washington D.C. area. He is buried in Loudon Park National Cemetery. Schuler was a member of 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 ...

and exhibited in their 1923 exhibition.National Sculpture Society, ''Exhibition of American Sculpture Catalogue'', 1923, National Sculpture Society, New York 1923 Schuler also taught at the

Corcoran School of Art The Corcoran School of the Arts and Design (known as the Corcoran School or CSAD) is the professional art school of the George Washington University, in Washington, DC.Peggy McGloneUniversity names first director of Corcoran School of the Arts and ...

, where his pupils included Mary Blackford Fowler.

Baltimore monuments

Schuler was known as "Baltimore's Monument Maker" after creating many of the city's monuments on streets and parks. Some of these include: Luther Baltimore

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

Monument, originally located at Druid Hill Park; now at Lake Montebello * Casimir Pulaski Monument, Patterson Park *

Monument,

Memorial,

Samuel Smith Samuel Smith may refer to: In politics *Samuel Smith (Connecticut politician) (1646–1735), early settler of Norwalk, Connecticut and deputy of the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut in 1691 *Samuel Smith (1754–1834), British Member ...

Monument,

Federal Hill Park Federal Hill Park is a 10.3 acres park located in Baltimore, Maryland on the south shore of the Inner Harbor. The park is a signature Baltimore landmark and offers visitors some of the most noted views in the city often photographed looking north ...

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 ...

Marker, Mount Vernon *Fallsway Fountain, Mount Vernon *To the Glory of Maryland, Maryland National Guard

Cemetery monuments

Like many of the successful sculptors of his day, Schuler created quite a few cemetery memorials. Many of these sculptures are life-sized or even larger than life-sized bronze human figures. Often the figures sit or sprawl across the tombstones in an attitude of grief, nostalgia, pensiveness, or anguish, like fellow mourners at the grave, or ghosts sociably mingling with the living, instead of being perched neatly on pedestals. The Riggs memorial, shown at right, is a good example. The Lanier monument pictured above, while not being a cemetery sculpture, also exemplifies Schuler's knack for presenting figures in this way. Most of the cemetery pieces are located in and around Baltimore. They include: *Key Memorial, Cathedral Cemetery *Hinrich Memorial,

Druid Ridge Cemetery Druid Ridge Cemetery is located in Pikesville, Maryland, just outside the city of Baltimore. Among its monuments and graves are several noted sculptures by Hans Schuler and the final resting places of: *Felix Agnus, American Civil War general a ...

*Gail Memorial,

*Schmidt Memorial,

*Wagner-Lawyer Memorial,

*Coates Memorial,

*Baetjer Memorial, Greenmount Cemetery *Hilken Memorial, Greenmount Cemetery *Maulsby Memorial, Greenmount Cemetery *Riggs Memorial, Greenmount Cemetery *Mendels Memorial, Hebrew Cemetery *Oppenheim Memorial, Hebrew Cemetery *Krug Memorial,

Loudon Park Cemetery Loudon Park Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. It was incorporated on January 27, 1853, on of the site of the "Loudon" estate, previously owned by James Carey, a local merchant and politician. The entrance to the cemetery i ...

*Husted Memorial,

*Nitze Memorial,

*Kaiser Memorial,

*Newcomes Memorial, Woodlawn Cemetery *Winslow Memorial, Lakeside Cemetery Brockport, NY *Fisher Memorial, Ashland Cemetery, Ashland KY

Coins

Schuler designed the 1934 United States commemorative

Maryland Tercentenary half dollar The Maryland Tercentenary half dollar was a commemorative fifty-cent piece issued by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1934. It depicts Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore on the obverse and the Coat of Arms of Maryland on the reverse. The ...

References

*Davenport, R. J.
''Davenport's art reference & price guide''
Davenport's Art Reference; Ventura, Calif.; biennial (every 2 years) ; *Falk, Peter H.
''Who was who in American art''
(Madison, Conn. : Sound View Press, 1985) *Keyser, Ephraim, ''Baltimore The Monument City – Why?'' ''Art and Archaeology'' May, June 1925 *Kvaran, Einar Einarsson, ''Cemetery Sculpture of America'', unpublished manuscript *National Sculpture Society, ''Exhibition of American Sculpture Catalogue'', 1923, National Sculpture Society, New York 1923 *Opitz, Glenn B., ed., "Dictionary of American Sculptors" (Poughkeepsie, NY: Apollo, 1984) *Rusk, William Sener
''Art in Baltimore: Monuments and Memorials''
The Norman Remington Company, Baltimore, 1924.

External links

summary information on Hans K. Schuler
Schuler School of Fine Arts
website
Askart.com page on Hans SchulerAuction record with COLOR IMAGE
of Schuler work sold at Christie's, London, in September 2006 *
Baltimore City Paper
article on Schuler (Tom Chalkley, January 2001)
Art Inventories Catalog of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
detailed information on the Lanier monument, including the following description: "Sidney Lanier is shown seated on huge unpolished granite boulders, leaning back slightly on his proper right arm, his proper left leg crossed over his proper right leg. In his proper left hand he holds an open book and in his proper right he holds a pencil. His flute is by his proper right leg. He is dressed in a suit with a vest and overcoat, his full beard spreads over the opening of his vest as he tilts his head slightly downward toward his book. He leans back against a boulder which is carved with a relief depicting a landscape and two allegorical female figures. They hold hands, one also holding an unrolled scroll, and the other one also holding a musical instrument."

noting the 2006 centennial celebration of the opening of Schuler's Baltimore studio on Lafayette Street. The studio is now the Schuler School of Fine Arts.
Artfact.com bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schuler, Hans 1874 births 1951 deaths Cemetery art Maryland Institute College of Art faculty Académie Julian alumni People from Alsace-Lorraine Artists from Baltimore 20th-century American sculptors 20th-century American male artists American male sculptors National Sculpture Society members Sculptors from Maryland American currency designers Coin designers

Life and work

Baltimore monuments

Cemetery monuments

Coins

See also

References

External links