Background
Charles Calverley was born on November 1, 1833 in Albany, New York, United States; of English parentage.
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book
The History of American Sculpture (Classic Reprint)
(Excerpt from The History of American Sculpture No more c...)
Excerpt from The History of American Sculpture No more composite nation than the United States has existed in modern times. The influx of foreign elements has been enormous; yet, despite the varied antecedents and the wide affinities of the American people, our language remains English and our traditions (such as exist) are and always have been English. In matters of religion and law, the inheritance was adequate, and familiar princi ples were readily harmonized with a new environment. In our literature, likewise, the ancestral traditions have been positive and potent; but in regard to the other fine arts they have been negative, though not less significant, since they explain, in large measure, the unpromising conditions amid which our national art was cradled. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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Charles Calverley
Edit ProfileEducation
Calverley received his education in Albany, New York, United States.
Career
Calverley became a marble-cutter and while he was engaged at this trade his ability was noticed by Erastus D. Palmer, the sculptor, who took him as an assistant. He remained with Palmer about fourteen years. At some time in the later sixties he went to New York and opened a studio of his own. In 1872 he was elected an associate member of the National Academy and in 1875 a full academician. "The Little Companions" and "Little Ida" (a medallion) seem to have been comparatively early works. Though he was mainly maker of busts and medallions, he did make larger statues on occasion; such are the statue of Robert Burns in Washington Park, Albany, and the bronze figure of "Meditation" on the Boulware Lot in the Albany Rural Cemetery. The latter was one of his last works. He was represented at the Centennial Exposition of 1876 by a bas-relief of Peter Cooper and a large bronze bust of John Brown (1873), the latter of which now belongs to the Union League Club. Among his large busts in bronze are those of Horace Greeley (1876) and Elias Howe (1884), both in Greenwood Cemetery. At the exhibition of the National Sculpture Society in 1895 he showed a portrait bust of himself. He also did busts of Lincoln, Charles Loring Elliott, and the Rev. John MacLean, a former president of Princeton. A bust of Burns by him is in the Metropolitan Museum. Examples of his medallions are preserved in the Historical and Art Society of Albany. He is likewise said to have done some remarkable cameo cutting.
For the last few years of his life he lived with his daughter, Mrs. Francis Byrne-Ivy, and died at her house in Essex Fells, New Jersey. He was apparently in good health to within a few days of his death which was caused by acute bronchitis.
Calverley's monument is the only one in the cemetery that features a full-sized bronze bust, which was made by the artist 20 years before his death. Calverley also created bronze bas-reliefs of his wife, mother and brother that adorn the family plot.
The bust of Calverley was stolen about 20 years ago, but a person who jogged regularly in the cemetery spotted it in a New York City antique shop and alerted authorities. The Calverley bust was recovered and was anchored more securely atop the artist's monument in Section 107, Lot 109.
Achievements
Works
book
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The History of American Sculpture (Classic Reprint)
(Excerpt from The History of American Sculpture No more c...)
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The History of American Sculpture (Classic Reprint)
Membership
He was a member of the National Academy.
Personality
Calverley lived to an advanced age and in later life photographs show him to have been a man of venerable appearance with mustache and long flowing beard.
Quotes from others about the person
Taft calls him "a craftsman of sterling worth, " and says: "Mr. Calverley's permanent reputation will rest largely upon his medallions, which, in their precision and firmness of construction, are among the admirable products of the art. A forceful characterization of aged Louis Menand is especially noteworthy. "
Connections
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Born
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Died
February 25, 1914 (aged 81) -
Nationality
American