Launt Thompson (February 8, 1833 – September 26, 1894) was an American sculptor.

Biography

He was born in Abbeyleix,

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Due to the Great Famine occurring in Ireland at the time, he emigrated to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1847 with his widowed mother, and they settled in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

. There, he found work as a handyman. After studying anatomy in the office of a physician, Dr. James H. Armsby, he spent nine years as the studio boy of the sculptor, E. D. Palmer. In 1858 he moved to

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 ...

where he opened a studio. There he shared an apartment with James Pinchot. In 1862 he was elected academician at the

National Academy A national academy is an organizational body, usually operating with state financial support and approval, that co-ordinates scholarly research activities and standards for academic disciplines, and serves as a public policy advisors, research ...

due to his work ''Rocky Mountain Trapper'', a marble portrait of James "Grizzly" Adams. He visited

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, ...

in 1868–1869, and married Maria Louisa Potter (1839–1916), daughter of Alonzo Potter, Episcopal Bishop of Pennsylvania. From 1875 to 1887 he was again 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 ...

, living for most of the time at

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

. He died at the State Mental Asylum at

Middletown, New York Middletown is the largest Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Orange County, New York, Orange County, New York, United States. It lies in New York's Hudson Valley region, near the Wallkill River and the foothills of the Shawangunk ...

Selected works

*''Rocky Mountain Trapper'' (1862), unlocated. *'' Napoleon the First'' (1866),

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM; formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds one of the world's lar ...

, Washington, D.C. *Portrait bust of ''

William Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the '' New York Evening Post''. Born in Massachusetts, he started his career as a lawyer but showed an interest in poe ...

'' (1867),

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

, New York City. * General John Sedgwick Monument (1868),

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

, West Point, New York. *Portrait bust of ''Charles Loring Elliott'' (1870),

, New York City. *Portrait bust of ''Sanford Gifford'' (1871),

, New York City. *Civil War Memorial (1872), Park Square, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. *''

General Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as Commanding General of the United States Army from 1841 to 1861, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, American Indian Wars, Mexica ...

'' (1873), Soldiers' Home, Washington, D.C. *'' Abraham Pierson, First President of Yale College'' (1874),

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, New Haven, Connecticut. A replica is in

Clinton, Connecticut Clinton is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. The population of the town was 13,185 at the 2020 census. The town center along the shore line was liste ...

. *''Unconsciousness'' (1881), Marble nude. Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library, Watertown, N.Y. *United States Regulars Monument (1882), Stones River National Battlefield, Murfreesboro, Tennessee. *'' Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont'' (1884), Rockford Park, Wilmington, Delaware. Originally installed at

DuPont Circle Dupont Circle is a historic roundabout park and Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Washington, D.C., located in Northwest (Washington, D.C.), Northwest D.C. The Dupont Circle neighborhood is bounded approximately by 16th St ...

in Washington D.C.; moved to Wilmington, 1920. * Equestrian statue of Ambrose Burnside (1887), Burnside Park, Providence, Rhode Island. This was Thompson's only equestrian statue and last major work. *Medallion portrait of '' General John A. Dix''. *Portrait bust of '' James Gordon Bennett''. *Portrait bust of '' Samuel F. B. Morse'', National Academy of Design, New York City. *Portrait bust of ''

Edwin Booth Edwin Thomas Booth (November 13, 1833 – June 7, 1893) was an American stage actor and theatrical manager who toured throughout the United States and the major capitals of Europe, performing Shakespearean plays. In 1869, he founded Booth's Th ...

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

''. *Portrait bust of '' Stephen H. Tyng'' *Portrait bust of '' Robert B. Minturn''. File:Napoleon I by Launt Thompson 1862 Smithsonian.jpg, ''Napoleon I'' (1866),

, Washington, D.C. File:Sedgwick Statue.JPG, John Sedgwick Monument (1868),

, West Point, New York. File:Abraham Pierson statue Old Campus Yale University.jpg, ''Abraham Pierson'' (1874),

, New Haven, Connecticut. File:Sam DuPont.JPG, ''Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont'' (1884), Rockford Park, Wilmington, Delaware. File:Burnside Park monument.jpg, ''Major-General Ambrose E. Burnside'' (1887), Burnside Park, Providence, Rhode Island.

References

Attribution: *

Biography

Selected works

References

Further reading