John Frazee (sculptor)

John Frazee
Born July 18, 1790
Rahway, New Jersey, United States
Died February 24, 1852 (aged 61)
Crompton Mills, Rhode Island, United States
Nationality American
Known for sculpture, architecture
Designed by Frazee as New York Customs House, the building was converted into Federal Hall National Memorial

John Frazee (July 18, 1790 – February 24, 1852) was an American sculptor and architect.[1][2][3] The Smithsonian has a collection of many of his sculptures as well as paintings of Frazee by other artists including Asher B. Durand, Henry Colton Shumway[4]

He was born in Rahway, New Jersey, and worked in the Neo-Classic tradition. He is known as being one of the first successful native born American sculptors and "the first American born sculptor to execute a bust in marble."[5] He is best known for his portrait busts, including of John Jay and Marquis De Lafayette. He carved sculptures for the Boston Athenaeum including of Chief Justice John Marshall and Daniel Webster.[6] He also received a commission to design the New York Customs House, later used as Federal Hall National Memorial.[6]

The sculptor Thomas Crawford began his career as a marble carver in Frazee's studio in New York City.[7]

In 1826, he helped found the National Academy of Design.

Selected works

References

  1. John Frazee papers
  2. John Frazee National Academy
  3. John Frazee Smithsonian Collections
  4. James-Gadzinski, Susan and Mary Mullen Cunningham, ‘’American Sculpture in the Museum of American Art of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’’, Museum of American Art of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, 1997 p. 20
  5. 6.0 6.1 http://siris-archives.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?uri=full=3100001~!211098!0#focus
  6. Crane, Sylvia E., ‘’White Silence: Greenough, Powers and Crawfoed, American Sculptors in Nineteenth Century Italy’’, University of Miami Press, Coral Gables, 1972 p. 279
  7. Voss, Frederick S., ‘’John Frazee: 1790-1852, Sculptor’’, the Boston athenaeum and the National Portrait Gallery, Washington City and Boston, 1986 p. 29
  8. Voss, Frederick S., ‘’John Frazee: 1790-1852, Sculptor’’, the Boston athenaeum and the National Portrait Gallery, Washington City and Boston, 1986 p. 104

Further reading

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