William John (sculptor)

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For other persons named William John, see William John (disambiguation).

Sir William Goscombe John (1860-1952) was a Welsh sculptor. He was born in Cardiff and as a youth assisted his father, a wood carver, in the restoration of Cardiff Castle. He went to London in 1882 and studied at the Lambeth Art Schools under Dalou and Frith and afterward at the Academy schools, where he won the gold medal and a traveling scholarship in 1887. In 1890--91 he studied in Paris. John received a gold medal in paris in 1901, was made a Royal Academician in 1909, was knighted in 1911, and became corresponding member of the French Institute.

[edit] Works

His art usually strives to reproduce the severe dignity of the Gothic style and excels in skillful and delicate modeling. Among the best of his ideal works are "Morpheus" and "St. John the Baptist" (Cardiff Gallery); "The Elf" (Glasgow Gallery); "Boy at Play" (Tate Gallery); "Study of a Head" (Liverpool Gallery). His portraits, which are faithful likenesses, include the seated statue of the Duke of Devonshire, at Eastbourne, King Edward VII, at Cape Town; Prince Christian Victor, at Windsor; the historian Lecky at Trinity College, Dublin, and the equestrian statue of the Earl of Minto, at Calcutta. Among his memorial momuments are those to the Marquis of Salisbury, in Westminster Abbey and Hatfield Church; to Sir Arthur Sullivan, in St. Paul's Cathedral, and to the Coldstream Guards and War Correspondents, also in St. Paul's.