Robert Merrell Gage (December 26, 1892 – October 30, 1981) 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 ...

, frequently credited or referred to as Merrell Gage.

Biography

Gage was born in

Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central U ...

and studied in the Topeka public schools and at

Washburn University Washburn University (WU) is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,100 ...

. He worked on ranches in the Midwest before settling on an art career. He studied art in New York and France and worked in the studio of

Gutzon Borglum John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum (March 25, 1867 – March 6, 1941) was an American sculptor best known for his work on Mount Rushmore. He is also associated with various other public works of art across the U.S., including Stone Mountain in Geo ...

as an assistant. In 1916, he set up a sculpture studio in a barn behind his house in Topeka. His first public commission was for a statue of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

that is now on the grounds of the

Kansas State Capitol The Kansas State Capitol, known also as the Kansas Statehouse, is the building housing the executive and legislative branches of government for the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in the city of Topeka, which has served as the capital of Kansas sin ...

. He married Marian Gage, a painter, shortly after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

when he was in the medical corps and lived in Kansas City.Stewart. Virginia, (1957, September 8). "An ability for interpretation" The Los Angeles Times, p. M22. Retrieved June 23, 2008 He began teaching sculpture at Washburn and at the

Kansas City Art Institute The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) is a private art school in Kansas City, Missouri. The college was founded in 1885 and is an accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and Higher Learning Commission. It has approx ...

. They moved to Los Angeles from New York in 1924 and built a studio in their home in the

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to i ...

Canyon. He was appointed professor of sculpture at the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

and rose to the head of the department. Gage's mother and sister lived in

La Jolla, San Diego, California LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

. His work was also part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics.

Academy Award Winning Short Film

Gage executed likenesses of Lincoln in many stages of the president's life. In 1955 Gage starred in a short film '' The Face of Lincoln'', in which he modeled Lincoln's features while narrating the story of his life. The film, produced b
Wilber T. Blume
won an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Live Action Short Film.Merrell Gage papers, 1911–1982 at the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art
retrieved on 2008-07-05. Gage executed numerous commissions in the Los Angeles area and served on the sculpture commission for the 1936 Olympics. His film The Face of Jesus was nominated for Academy Awards in 1962.

Works

* seated ''Lincoln'',

grounds,Topeka, Kansas (circa 1915) * ''American Legion Memorial'', Kansas City, Missouri (1921) * ''Police Monument'', Kansas City, Missouri ( 1921) * ''Electric Fountain'',

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

, California (1931) * the Edison Building,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, (1931) * Facade of the

Los Angeles Times Building Times Mirror Square is a complex of buildings on the block bounded by Spring, Broadway, First and Second streets in the Civic Center district of Downtown Los Angeles. It was headquarters of the ''Los Angeles Times'' until 2018. It is curren ...

, Los Angeles, California (1935) * ''Pioneer Mother Memorial'', Kansas State Capitol grounds, Topeka, Kansas (1937) * Allan J. Hancock Foundation, University of Southern California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, (1940) * ''Bust of Sherman Minton'',

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 (1956) * ''Bust of Abraham Lincoln'', 110 Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California (1961) * many schools and churches

References

External links

Merrell Gage papers, 1911–1982 at the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art
retrieved on 2008-07-05.

retrieved on 2008-07-05.
California Arts Club "13th CAC President" page
retrieved on 2008-07-05.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gage, Robert Merrell 1892 births 1981 deaths Modern artists Artists from Topeka, Kansas Kansas City Art Institute alumni 20th-century American sculptors 20th-century American male artists American male sculptors Olympic competitors in art competitions