Randolph Rogers (July 6, 1825 in Waterloo, New York – January 15, 1892 in Rome, Italy) was an American Neoclassical sculptor. An

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. The term often refers to a professional, skilled worker, or student from an affluent country. However, it may also refer to retirees, artists and ...

who lived most of his life in Italy, his works ranged from popular subjects to major commissions, including the '' Columbus Doors'' at the U.S. Capitol and

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

monuments. He died in Rome Italy on January 15 1892 at age 66.

Biography

Rogers was born in

Waterloo, New York Waterloo is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 7,378 at the 2020 census. The town and its major community are named after Waterloo, Belgium, where Napoleon was defeated. There is also a village called Wate ...

, and his family moved to

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

when he was a child. He developed an interest in wood cuts and wood engraving, and moved to New York City about 1847, but was unsuccessful in finding employment as an engraver. While working as a clerk in a dry-goods store, his employers discovered his native talent as a sculptor and provided funds for him to travel to Italy. He began study in

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 ...

in 1848, where he studied briefly under Lorenzo Bartolini. He then opened a studio 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, ...

in 1851. He resided in that city until his death in 1892.James-Gadzinski & Cunningham, pp. 58–61. He began his career carving statues of children and portrait busts of tourists. He was not happy working with marble consequently all his marble statues were copied in his studio by Italian artisans under his supervision, from an original produced by him in another material. This also enabled him to profit from his popular works. His first large-scale work was ''Ruth Gleaning'' (1853), based on a figure in the

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

. It proved extremely popular, and up to 20 marble replicas were produced by his studio. His next large-scale work was ''Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii'' (1853–54), based on a character in

Edward Bulwer-Lytton Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (; 25 May 1803 – 18 January 1873) was an English writer and politician. He served as a Whig member of Parliament from 1831 to 1841 and a Conservative from 1851 to 1866. He was Secr ...

's best-selling 1834 novel, '' The Last Days of Pompeii''. It proved even more popular, and his studio produced at least 77 marble replicas. In 1855 he received his first major commission in the United States: great bronze doors for the East Front of the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

. He chose to depict scenes from the life of

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...

. The '' Columbus Doors'' were modeled in Rome, cast in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, and installed in Washington, DC in 1871.Columbus Doors
from Architect of the Capitol Webpage. In 1854, Rogers along with

William Wetmore Story William Wetmore Story (February 12, 1819 – October 7, 1895) was an American sculptor, art critic, poet, and editor. Life and career William Wetmore Story was the son of U.S. Supreme Court judge Joseph Story and Sarah Waldo (Wetmore) Story. ...

, Richard Greenough, and Thomas Crawford were each commissioned by

Mount Auburn Cemetery Mount Auburn Cemetery, located in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, is the first rural or garden cemetery in the United States. It is the burial site of many prominent Boston Brahmins, and is a National Historic Landmark. Dedicated in ...

to create statues of famous Bostonians to be displayed in the cemetery's chapel. Rogers was commissioned to create a statue of President

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

. In September 1857, Rogers shipped the completed marble sculpture from Rome, but the ship was lost at sea before its arrival. Rogers was then commissioned to create another copy of his sculpture of "John Adams" and was contracted to create a marble version of Thomas Crawford's plaster sculpture "James Otis" after Crawfords died suddenly. (All of the sculptures were transferred to the

Harvard Art Museums The Harvard Art Museums are part of Harvard University and comprise three museums: the Fogg Museum (established in 1895), the Busch-Reisinger Museum (established in 1903), and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum (established in 1985), and four research ...

in 1935) Following the 1857 death of sculptor Thomas Crawford, Rogers completed the sculpture program of the

Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States, victorious commander-in-chief of the Continen ...

at the State Capitol in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

. He designed four major

monuments: the

Soldiers' National Monument The Soldiers' National Monument is a Gettysburg Battlefield memorial which is located at the central point of Gettysburg National Cemetery. It honors the battle's soldiers and tells an allegory of "''peace and plenty under freedom … follow ...

(1865–1869) at Gettysburg National Cemetery; the Rhode Island Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (1866–1871) in Providence; the Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (1867–1872) in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

; and the Soldiers' Monument (1871–1874) in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

. He modeled ''The Genius of Connecticut'' (1877–1878), a bronze goddess that adorned the dome of the

Connecticut State Capitol The Connecticut State Capitol is located north of Capitol Avenue and south of Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford, the capital of Connecticut. The building houses the Connecticut General Assembly; the upper house, the Connecticut Sen ...

in Hartford. It was damaged in a 1938 hurricane, removed, and melted down for scrap metal during World War II. A plaster cast of the statue is now exhibited within the building. In 1873 he became the first American to be elected to Italy's

Accademia di San Luca The Accademia di San Luca () is an Italian academy of artists in Rome. The establishment of the Accademia de i Pittori e Scultori di Roma was approved by papal brief in 1577, and in 1593 Federico Zuccari became its first ''principe'' or director; ...

, and he was knighted in 1884 by King Umberto I. Rogers suffered a stroke in 1882, and was never able to work again. He left his papers and plaster casts of his sculptures to the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, where there is also a ''Nydia'' replica.

Selected works

List

*''Ruth Gleaning'' (1853),

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. *''Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii'' (1853–1854),

, New York City. *''John Adams'' (1854–1859), Memorial Hall,

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, Cambridge, Massachusetts. *'' Columbus Doors'' (1855–1861), East Front,

, Washington, D.C. *''Thomas Nelson'', ''Meriwether Lewis'', 6 allegorical figures (1857–1858),

, Virginia State Capitol, Richmond, Virginia. *''Angel of the Resurrection'' (1862), Samuel Colt Monument, Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford, Connecticut. *''Isaac on the Altar'' (1863–1864),

Brooklyn Museum of Art The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...

, Brooklyn, New York City *''La Somnambula'' (1863–1864),

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. *''The Sentinel'' (1863–1865), Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio. One of Ohio's first formal Civil War monuments. *

(1865–1869), Gettysburg National Cemetery, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, George Keller, architect. *Rhode Island Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (1866–1871), Kennedy Square, Providence, Rhode Island, Alfred Stone, architect. * Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (1867–1872), Detroit, Michigan. *''

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

'' (1870–1871), East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. * Soldiers' Monument (1871–1874), Worcester, Massachusetts. *''The Lost Pleiade'' (1874), The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Sculpture group of feuding tribes. *William H. Seward Monument (1875–1876),

Madison Square Madison Square is a public square formed by the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The square was named for Founding Father James Madison, the fourth president of the United St ...

, New York City. *''The Genius of Connecticut'' (1877–1878),

, Hartford, Connecticut. *''The Last Arrow (statuette)'' (1879–1880),

, New York City.The Last Arrow
from MMA. *''The Infant Psyche'' (bust of the artist's daughter Nora) (c. 1880),

Cincinnati Art Museum The Cincinnati Art Museum is an art museum in the Eden Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1881, it was the first purpose-built art museum west of the Alleghenies, and is one of the oldest in the United States. Its collection of ...

, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Images

File:Ruth Gleaning.jpg, ''Ruth Gleaning'' (1853),

, New York City. File:Colt Family Monument (Randolph Rogers, sculptor), Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford, CT - February 2016.jpg, ''Angel of the Resurrection'' (1864) atop Colt Monument, Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford, Connecticut. File:Cincinnati - Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum "Civil War Soldier in Autumn".jpg, ''The Sentinel'' (1864–65), Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio. File:Genius of Liberty on top of the Soldier's National Monument, Gettyburg.jpg, ''The Genius of Liberty'',

(1865–1869), Gettysburg National Cemetery, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. File:Providence RI City Hall and Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument (cropped).jpg, Rhode Island Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (1866–1871), Kennedy Square, Providence, Rhode Island. File:For Those Who Gave All....jpg, Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (1867–1872), Detroit, Michigan. File:Lincoln 1871 Fairmount.jpg, ''Abraham Lincoln'' (1870–71), East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. File:CivilWarMemorialWorcester.JPG, Soldiers' Monument (1871–1874), Worcester, Massachusetts. File:WLA brooklynmuseum Randolph Rogers The Lost Pleiad.jpg, ''The Lost Pleiad'' (1873–74),

, Brooklyn, New York City. Seward statue in Madison Square Park (00284) (cropped).jpg, William H. Seward Monument (1875–76),

, New York City. File:Genius of Connecticut statue, by Randolph Rogers.jpg, ''The Genius of Connecticut'' (1877–78),

, Hartford, Connecticut. Painted plaster cast, the original bronze statue was damaged and destroyed. File:Randolph Rogers Labor.jpg, "Labor" from

Notes

*"Randolph Rogers," Susan James-Gadzinski & Mary Mullen Cunningham, ''American Sculpture in the Museum of American Art of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts'' (PAFA, 1997), pp. 58–61. *Millard F. Rogers, Jr. ''Randolph Rogers: American Sculptor in Rome''.

University of Massachusetts Press The University of Massachusetts Press is a university press that is part of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The press was founded in 1963, publishing scholarly books and non-fiction. The press imprint is overseen by an interdisciplinar ...

. 1971. . *Marc Tarrozzi, ''Randolph Rogers and the Rhode Island Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument'' (1989). * William H. Seward was Secretary of State, 1861–1869.

References

External links

Sculptor.org information

Randolph Rogers
from

University of Michigan Museum of Art The University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) is one of the largest university art museums in the United States, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with . Built as a war memorial in 1909 for the university's fallen alumni from the Civil War, Alu ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, Randolph 1825 births 1892 deaths 19th-century American sculptors American male sculptors American expatriates in Italy People from Waterloo, New York Artists from Ann Arbor, Michigan Sculptors from New York (state) Sculptors from Michigan Neoclassical sculptors 19th-century American male artists