MacMonnies, Frederick William, 1863-1937

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Frederick William MacMonnies (1863-1937) was a sculptor from New York, N.Y.

From the description of Frederick William MacMonnies papers, 1874-1997. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 756820999

Sculptor; New York, N.Y.

From the description of Frederick William MacMonnies letters and typescript, 1908-1911. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 81919240

From the description of Frederick William MacMonnies letters and clippings, 1885-1937. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79939082

American sculptor and painter.

From the description of Correspondence, 1894-1897. (Metropolitan Museum of Art). WorldCat record id: 193561240

Frederick William MacMonnies (1863-1937) of New York City, was a well known sculptor of the Beaux-Arts School, equally successful in France as in the United States. He was also a highly accomplished painter and portraitist.

Frederick William MacMonnies was born on September 28, 1863 in Brooklyn Heights, New York, the son of Juliana Eudora West and William MacMonnies. From an early age, MacMonnies showed skill in fashioning figures from wax. Because the Civil War put an end to his father's prosperous importing business, MacMonnies had to leave school at a young age in order to earn money to support the family.

With the help of a stone carver friend of his father, MacMonnies became a studio assistant to Augustus Stint-Gaudens in 1880. MacMonnies also studied at night at Cooper Union. In 1882 Saint-Gaudens promoted MacMonnies to apprentice and encouraged his development as an artist. MacMonnies began studying drawing at the National Academy of Design and occasionally attended classes at the Art Students League. It was during this time that he became better acquainted with Saint-Gaudens' important patrons and colleagues including John LaFarge, Charles F. McKim, Stanford White.

In 1884 MacMonnies left for Paris to study first at the Académie Colarossi and later at the É Ecole des Beaux-Arts under Jean Alexandre Falguière. In 1888 he opened a studio in Paris where he mentored artists including Janet Scudder and Mary Foote. He married a fellow artist, Mary Louise Fairchild in 1888. They had two daughters, Berthe Hélène and Marjorie. They were divorced in 1909, and Mary married painter Will Hicok Low later that year. MacMonnies married his former student Alice Jones in 1910.

MacMonnies executed commissions for Stanford White and John La Farge. In 1889, he won a competition to complete a statue of Nathan Hale for City Hall Park. He won a medal in the Paris Salon for his statue of Hale and a second medal for his statue of James T. Stranahan, earning status as a master artist. In 1891, he was commissioned to produce the central fountain for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Even though MacMonnies travelled annually to the United States, he maintained his primary residences and studios in Paris and Giverny, France. He was also an occasional painter and had a solo exhibition at the Durand-Ruel Galleries in the United States in 1903. In 1905 his Bacchante and Infant Faun statue became the center of controversy when it was rejected by conservative groups in Boston. It was later acquired by the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. In 1915 he returned permanently to the United States.

MacMonnies was an Academician of the National Academy of Design, Chevalier of the Legion of Honor of France and hors concours at the Paris Salon allowing him to submit works directly to the Salon without initial scrutiny by judges.

Frederick William MacMonnies died of pneumonia on March 22, 1937 in New York City.

From the guide to the Frederick William MacMonnies papers, 1874-1997, (Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Edmondo Quattrocchi Papers, 1919-1962 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Charles Henry Hart papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn Emmet family papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf Paul Wayland Bartlett papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn Autograph File, M Houghton Library
creatorOf McKim, Charles Follen, 1847-1909. Papers 1838-1930 1866-1909. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
referencedIn Hartmann, Sadakichi, 1867-1944. Letters between Sadakichi Hartmann, National Sculpture Society and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1935, undated. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
referencedIn Chester Beach papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn Enid Yandell papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf MacMonnies, Frederick William, 1863-1937. Frederick W. MacMonnies : artist file : study photographs and reproductions of works of art with accompanying documentation 1930?-1990 [graphic] [compiled by staff of The Museum of Modern Art, New York]. Frick Art Reference Library of The Frick Collection
referencedIn Lockman, DeWitt McClellan, 1870-1957. DeWitt M. Lockman interviews with artists, 1927. Churchill County Museum
referencedIn Brooklyn Museum. Libraries and Archives. Lantern slide collection. Brooklyn monuments. Brooklyn Museum Libraries & Archives
creatorOf MacMonnies, Frederick William, 1863-1937. Artist file. Brooklyn Museum Libraries & Archives
referencedIn White, Stanford, 1853-1906. Stanford White letters to Frederick William MacMonnies, 1895-1896. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
creatorOf MacMonnies, Frederick William, 1863-1937. Correspondence, 1894-1897. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
referencedIn MacMonnies, Frederick William, 1863-1937 : [miscellaneous ephemeral material]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
referencedIn Edwin Coupland Shaw papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf MacMonnies, Frederick William, 1863-1937. Frederick W. Macmonnies letters to F.E. Elwell, 1902-1903, undated. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
referencedIn Paolo S. Abbate papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn Alice Jones MacMonnies Papers, c.1874-1952, 1917-1929 The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens Manuscripts Department
creatorOf Chester Beach papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf MacMonnies, Frederick William, 1863-1937. Pioneer Fountain - Monument - Denver [art original]. Denver Public Library, Central Library
creatorOf Frederick William MacMonnies papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn Taylor, J. W., 1846-1918. J.W. Taylor photograph collection, ca. 1880-1910. Aurora University, Phillips Library
referencedIn Yandell, Enid Bland, 1869-1934. Enid Yandell : papers, 1875-1982. The Filson Historical Society
creatorOf Frederick William MacMonnies papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf Edmondo Quattrochi papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn Washington Arch Committee. Statuary Fund. Correspondence, 1895-1899, 1914-1917. New-York Historical Society
referencedIn Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston. Trustees Records: McKim Building Art and Architecture Papers, 1859-1965 (bulk 1888-1895). Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Interviews of artists and architects associated with the National Academy of Design Archives of American Art
Relation Name
associatedWith Abbate, Paolo S., 1884-1973. person
associatedWith Barnard, George Grey, 1863-1938. person
associatedWith Bartlett, Paul Wayland, 1865-1925. person
associatedWith Beach, Chester, 1881-1956. person
associatedWith Bion, Paul. person
associatedWith Booth, Edwin, 1833-1893. person
associatedWith Brooklyn Museum. Libraries and Archives. corporateBody
associatedWith Burnham, Daniel Hudson, 1846-1912. person
associatedWith Ecole nationale supérieure des beaux-arts (France) corporateBody
associatedWith Ecole nationale supérieure des beaux-arts (France) corporateBody
correspondedWith Elwell, Frank Edwin, 1858-1922 person
associatedWith Emmet family family
associatedWith Emmet family. family
associatedWith Flanagan, John F., 1865-1952. person
associatedWith Hart, Charles Henry, 1847-1918. person
associatedWith Hartmann, Sadakichi, 1867-1944. person
associatedWith King, J. Howard. person
associatedWith Lockman, DeWitt McClellan, 1870-1957. person
associatedWith MacMonnies, Alice person
associatedWith MacMonnies, Alice. person
associatedWith MacMonnies, Alice Jones, 1875- person
associatedWith MacMonnies, Berthe person
associatedWith MacMonnies, Berthe. person
associatedWith MacMonnies, Betty person
associatedWith MacMonnies, Betty. person
associatedWith MacMonnies, Marjorie person
associatedWith MacMonnies, Marjorie. person
associatedWith MacMonnies, Mary Fairchild, 1858-1946. person
associatedWith Marquand, Allan, 1853-1924. person
associatedWith McClellan, George Brinton, 1826-1885. person
associatedWith McKim, Charles Follen, 1847-1909. person
associatedWith Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith Quattrocchi, Edmondo. person
associatedWith Quattrochi, Edmondo, 1890-1966. person
associatedWith Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 1848-1907. person
associatedWith Shaw, Edwin Coupland, 1863-1941. person
associatedWith Smart, Mary, 1917- person
associatedWith Taylor, J. W., 1846-1918. person
associatedWith Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston. corporateBody
associatedWith Washington Arch Committee. Statuary Fund. corporateBody
associatedWith White, Stanford, 1853-1906. person
associatedWith World's Columbian Exposition (1893: corporateBody
associatedWith World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.) corporateBody
associatedWith Yandell, Enid. person
associatedWith Yandell, Enid Bland, 1869-1934. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
New Jersey
New York (State)--New York
New York (State)--New York
Colorado--Denver
Subject
Art, American
Sculpture, American
Sculpture, American
Art
Monuments
Painters
Painting
Painting, American
Pioneer Monument (Denver, Colo.)
Public sculpture
Sculptors
Sculptors
Sculpture
War memorials
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1863-09-28

Death 1937-03-22

Americans

Information

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