Lorado Taft

Lorado Taft. . , The "Black Hawk" statue is one of many large-scale works created by Chicago artist Lorado Taft. For five decades, from 1886 to his death in 1936, Taft was a vibrant figure in the Illinois art world, as a sculptor, lecturer, and author., Trained in Paris , Lorado Taft was born April 29, 1860, in Elmwood, Illinois. The son of a geology professor, he began to study art at an early age. He earned art degrees at the University of Illinois in Champaign, then traveled to Paris to study at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts. He returned to Illinois in 1883. From 1886 to 1907, he was an instructor at the Art Institute of Chicago, and also lectured at the University of Chicago.,

"I cannot think of art as mere adornment of life, a frill on human existence, but as life itself." , Lorado Taft, April 29, 1860 - October 30, 1936

, Studios and Art Colonies , Taft was founder and/or member of many art organizations, studios, and art colonies. In 1898, he founded the Eagle's Nest Art Colony near what is now Lowden State Park. The park is home to one of his most famous monumental concrete sculptures, the Black Hawk statue., In 1907, Taft established Midway Studios near Washington Park in Chicago. There, young artists gathered to assist and learn from the master sculptor. The popular atelier featured several large work studios, and dormitories for both male and female students., An Assistant , One of Lorado Taft's prominent assistants was a young sculptor from Taft's Midway Studios. Taft was lucky in finding such a skilled collaborator. Prasuhn had worked as a civil engineer before turning to sculpture, and his engineering experience and concrete skills made the giant sculpture possible., Taft created the initial model for the Black Hawk statue, but Prasuhn was the primary artist and engineer behind its construction. Taft gave his students generous credit for the sculpture.