Campagna Shepherd Boy by Edward Sheffield Bartholomew

Edward Sheffield Bartholomew (c. 1822 - May 2, 1858) was an American sculptor active in the

Papal State The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct Sovereignty, sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy fro ...

and later in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Bartholomew was born in

Colchester, Connecticut Colchester is a New England town, town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 15,555 at the 20 ...

. After apprenticeships as a bookbinder and dentist, his first employment was as a

dentist A dentist, also known as a dental doctor, dental physician, dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry, the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. The dentist's supporting team aids in provi ...

Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

, but he soon abandoned it for painting and (after learning that he was color-blind) sculpture. In 1844 he studied at the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Frederick Styles Agate, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, an ...

's antique class in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, from 1845-1848 directed the

Wadsworth Atheneum The Wadsworth Atheneum is an art museum in Hartford, Connecticut. The Wadsworth is noted for its collections of European Baroque art, ancient Egyptian and Classical bronzes, French and American Impressionism, Impressionist paintings, Hudson Riv ...

in Hartford, contracting a severe case of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

circa 1847, then studied for another year in the

and sailed for Europe. From 1851 onwards he lived in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and died in

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...

. Bartholomew is known for his bas reliefs,

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

busts and statues, and

medallion A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be in ...

s in the neo-classical style. His earliest recorded work is a medallion of poet Lydia Sigourney (1847). Among his best-known works are ''Blind Homer Led by the Genius of Poetry'' (1851, now in the

Metropolitan Museum The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the third-largest museum in the world and the largest art museum in the Americas. With 5.36 million v ...

), ''Eve'', ''Campagna Shepherd Boy'' (

Peabody Institute The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a Private university, private music and dance music school, conservatory and College-preparatory school, preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1857, it became affiliat ...

), ''Genius of Painting'', ''Youth and Old Age'', ''Evening Star'', ''Eve Repentant'' (Wadsworth Atheneum), ''Washington and Flora'', ''A Monument to Charles Carroll'' (near

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

), ''Bellsarius at the Porta Pincinia'', and ''Ganymede''. Many of his works are now held by the

References

* ''Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography'', edited by James Grant Wilson and John Fiske, New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1887–1889 * David Bernard Dearinger, ''Paintings and Sculpture in the Collection of the National Academy of Design'', Vol. 1 : 1826-1926, Hudson Hills, 2004, page 27. . * Susan Underwood Crane, "Edward Sheffield Bartholomew", ''Connecticut Quarterly'', v. 2, July–September 1896, pages 202-214. * William G. Wendell, "Edward Sheffield Bartholomew", ''Wadsworth Atheneum Bulletin'', 5th series, Winter 1962, pages 1–18.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bartholomew, Edward Sheffield 1820s births 1858 deaths People from Colchester, Connecticut 19th-century American sculptors American male sculptors Artists from Hartford, Connecticut American expatriates in Italy Sculptors from Connecticut 19th-century American male artists Deaths from bronchitis Artists from the Papal States