19th & 20th Century Bronze Sculptures

The American Movement

With a few notable exceptions such as Edward Kemeys and John Quincy Adams Ward, Americans came to bronze sculpture late in the 19th century.  It was the goal of all aspiring sculptors in the United States to either find a patron or raise enough funds to travel to Paris and study at one of the more prestigious schools or under one of the French masters in their studio. Walking in the streets of Paris in the 1880's and 90's it was not unusual to hear English being spoken by a group of young American men and women artists. Lucky were those artists who after attending the Ecole des Beaux Arts, the Academie Julian, or Academy Colarossi were taken into the studio of Fremiet, Rodin, Chapu, or one of the American sculptors who made Paris their permanent residence.  In the United States several art schools were started to meet the rising demand for training in sculpture. Among the most notable were the Art Students League in New York City and the Art Institute of Chicago.  Many American sculptors returned from their time in Paris or Rome to establish studios and take student assistants under their wing.  Augustus Saint-Gaudens set up studios in New York City and in Cornish, New Hampshire, taking in promising pupils. Many of the most famous artists of the late 19th and early 20th century were pupils under Saint-Gaudens or MacMonnies in his Paris studio.  There never would be a American state sponsored school for artists such as the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris but any aspiring sculptor in late 19th century America had many options open to them.