Friday, September 22, 2006

Emory Seidel












A.I.C. Artists of Chicago Show, 1921


A.I.C. Artists of Chicago Show, 1924



A.I.C. Artists of Chicago Show, 1925









Emory Seidel (b. 1881) is not as well known today as many of the other former members listed on this site.

But it is known that he was in Chicago by 1903 and won the Palette & Chisel Gold Medal award in 1927.

He also got some local commissions for public sculpture -- for the Damen Ave bridge just north of Fullerton, and for the New York St. Bridge in Aurora -- pictured below:



He studied at the Art Institute with P&C member, Charles Mulligan, as well as with Wellington J Reynolds and Ephraim Keyser.

He was in the AIC vicinity show 17 times between 1913-1933, and won the AIC Shaffer prize in 1935, the Worcester prize 1926, and was mentioned in Lorado Taft's "History of American Sculpture."


In was in the 1939 Art Institute retrospective "50 Years of American Art" exhibit, and he served on the jury of selection for the 1935 "American Painting and Sculpture" exhibit at the Art Institute.


Sometime around 1930, he also had a exhibit with P&C member, Carl Krafft, which was described by the gallery as follows:


To see his tender replicas of children in all their grace and elfin charm is to be at once in sympathy with this artist, enthralled by the blossom like beauty possessed by these mysterious little people. In his modeling of grown up children, we find his hand vigorous in shaping the silken petals into ragged and virile character, the striving and restless human, the youthful breaklance that means to give a good account of himself in the end. His message is written strong in about 15 clay models.





























4 Comments:

Blogger Jillian's Random Ruminations said...

Thank you so very much for these illustrious images. They are breathtaking. Is this an artist who will see his recognition a century or more posthumously?
I think his sculptures are nothing short of magnificent. The lines are exquisite. And as a kind sidenote. The Memory sculptures are on the New York St. Bridge in Aurora, not Joliet! Lucky me, I get to see them as often as I like!

January 21, 2009  
Blogger chris miller said...

Thanks for the correction, Jillian.
I've been intending to go out and photograph that statue some day -- and what a disappointment if I went to the wrong city!

January 21, 2009  
Blogger Unknown said...

Does anyone know if Emory seidel did the Lion head sculptures in front of the art institute in chicago. I had heard that he did them but I have no way to verify this.

July 10, 2009  
Blogger chris miller said...

Do you mean the lion heads that are on the building at the corner of Michigan and Adams ?

I'd love to know if Emory had modeled them.

July 13, 2009  

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