Robert Cushing (sculptor)
Robert Cushing | |
|---|---|
 A New York Times sketch of Cushing in their obituary of the sculptor | |
| Born | 1841 County Tipperary, Ireland |
| Died | 11 March 1896 (aged 55) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery, Queens, New York City |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Known for | Sculpture |
Robert Cushing (1841 – 11 March 1896) was a prominent Irish sculptor, active in the United States in the second half of the 19th century. According to The New York Times, his most striking work was a statue of John Christopher Drumgoole in New York City.
Life and career
[edit]
Cushing was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1841. He emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York City. He studied under Randolph Rogers in Rome, Italy, for a period.[1]
He had an office at 44 West 30th Street in Manhattan's Tenderloin district.[1]
Cushing had a daughter with his wife, who died several years before him.[1]
In 1894, his most notable piece of work, a statue of compatriot Father John Christopher Drumgoole, was erected in Lafayette Place, New York City.[2] It was moved to the Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne, Mount Loretto, in 1920.[3]
Death
[edit]Cushing died on 11 March 1896, aged 55.[1] The sign he had left on his office door read: "Called away by an important engagement. Back at 3 P.M. tomorrow." He had left to go to St. Vincent's Hospital, and expected to be back at work the following day; however, he experienced "heart trouble", which, coupled with "other ailments", led to his death. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery, Queens. Only a couple of his most intimate acquaintances knew of his health problems.[1]
Selected works
[edit]Below is a selection of Cushing's works, which are believed to number around 500 in total.[1]
- Equitable Building grouping, New York City
- William Morrill Wadley statue, Terminal Station, Macon, Georgia (1885)
- Bust of Cardinal McCloskey, St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City[4]
- Father Drumgoole statue,[1] Mission of the Immaculate Virgin, Lafayette Place, New York City (1894) - moved to Mount Loretto in 1920
- John Kelly statue, Tammany Hall, New York City[1]
- Millard Fillmore bust, Senate chamber, Washington, D.C. (1895)[5][6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h "ROBERT CUSHING'S ART; WORK OF THE AGED SCULPTOR WHO HAS JUST PASSED AWAY. One of the Originators and Leaders of the Profession in This Country -- His Sudden Dentil, of Which Few Knew -- Works Which Will Hand His Name Down to Fame -- Ward and Macdonald Contemporaneous with Him". The New York Times. 29 March 1896. p. 26. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
- ^ "Statue of Father Drumgoole", The New York Times, 15 December 1893, p. 8
- ^ "A Brief History of MIV", Mission of the Immaculate Virgin. Archived June 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Official Directory of the World's Columbian Exposition: List of U. S. Exhibitors and Exhibits - Sculpture". columbus.iit.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
- ^ The Capital Dome, March 2019, U.S. Capitol Historical Society, p. 35
- ^ "U.S. Senate: Millard Fillmore". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2022-04-11.