Robert Ingersoll Aitken (May 8, 1878 – January 3, 1949) was an American

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

. Perhaps his most famous work is the West

Pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

of the

United States Supreme Court Building The Supreme Court Building houses the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. The building serves as the official workplace of the Chief Justice of the United States, chief justice o ...

Life and career

Born to Charles H. Aitken and Katherine A. Higgens in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, Aitken studied there at the

Mark Hopkins Institute of Art San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) was a Private college, private art school, college of contemporary art in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1871, SFAI was one of the oldest art schools in the United States and the oldest west of the Mis ...

lso called the California School of Design – now the San Francisco Art Institutewith

Douglas Tilden Douglas Tilden (May 1, 1860 – August 5, 1935) was an American sculpture, sculptor. He was deafness, deaf from a bout of scarlet fever at the age of four and attended the California School for the Deaf, Fremont, California School for the Deaf i ...

. From 1901 until 1904 he was an instructor at the Institute. During this period, Aitken in 1900 designed San Francisco's original municipal flag; the design was in use from 1900 until sometime in the early 1920s. In 1903, he sculpted the Victory figure for the top of the

Dewey Monument The Dewey Monument is a memorial statue by Robert Ingersoll Aitken in San Francisco, California, located at the center of Union Square. Union Square is bounded by Geary, Powell, Post and Stockton Streets. The monument is dedicated to Admira ...

, which still stands in San Francisco's Union Square. In 1904, Aitken carved a statue of a female figure, representing the

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

for the

William McKinley Memorial The William McKinley Memorial is a statue honoring the assassinated United States President William McKinley. It stands at the foot of Panhandle (San Francisco), Panhandle Park, San Francisco, California, and faces the California Department of M ...

, which still stands in the

Panhandle Park. In 1904, Aitken moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

where he continued his studies. He returned 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 ...

after his sojourn in Paris and was employed as an instructor at the

Art Students League The Art Students League of New York is an art school in the American Fine Arts Society in Manhattan, New York City. The Arts Students League is known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may study f ...

Eleanor Mary Mellon Eleanor Mary Mellon (1894–1979) was an American sculptor. A native of Narberth, Pennsylvania, Mellon studied with Robert Ingersoll Aitken, Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, Charles Grafly, Edward McCartan, Victor Salvatore, and Adolph Alexander W ...

was among his pupils. His works include the ''Science'' fountain and ''Great Rivers'' statues at the

Missouri State Capitol The Missouri State Capitol is the home of the Missouri General Assembly and the Executive (government), executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Missouri. Located in Jefferson City, Missouri, Jefferson City at 201 West Capitol Avenue, ...

, the ''

Iron Mike Iron Mike is the '' de facto'' name of various monuments commemorating servicemen of the United States military. The term "Iron Mike" is uniquely American slang used to refer to men who are especially tough, brave, and inspiring; it was original ...

'' statue at

Parris Island, South Carolina Parris Island is a district of the city of Port Royal, South Carolina on an island of the same name. It became part of the city with the annexation of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on October 11, 2002. For statistical purposes, ...

, several military sculptures at

West Point 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 ...

and the

Temple of Music The Temple of Music was a concert hall and auditorium built for the Pan-American Exposition which was held in Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, New York (state), New York in 1901. President of the United States, United States President William McKinle ...

, and sculptural works for the

Liberty Memorial The National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri was opened in 1926 as the Liberty Memorial. In 2004, it was designated by the United States Congress as the country's official war memorial and museum dedicated to World Wa ...

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

. Aitken also produced the ''Fountain of Earth'' for San Francisco's

Panama Pacific Exposition Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

. Perhaps his most famous work is the West

of the

United States Supreme Court building The Supreme Court Building houses the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. The building serves as the official workplace of the Chief Justice of the United States, chief justice o ...

, which bears the inscription "

Equal Justice Under Law Equal justice under law is a phrase engraved on the West Pediment, above the front entrance of the United States Supreme Court building in Washington D.C. It is also a societal ideal that has influenced the American legal system. The phrase w ...

". The sculpture, above the entrance to the Supreme Court Building, is of nine figures—the goddess of Liberty surrounded by figures representing Order, Authority, Council, and Research. These allegorical figures were in fact sculptures of real people who had a role in the creation of the building. Aitken himself is depicted in the pediment, seated to the proper left of

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

with Chief Justice

Charles Evans Hughes Charles Evans Hughes (April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948) was an American politician, academic, and jurist who served as the 11th chief justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

. Many of his works were carved by the

Piccirilli Brothers The Piccirilli Brothers were an Italian family of renowned marble carvers and sculptors who carved many of the most significant marble sculptures in the United States, including Daniel Chester French’s colossal ''Abraham Lincoln'' (1920) in the ...

, including the pieces for the

National Archives Building The National Archives Building, known informally as Archives I, is the headquarters of the United States National Archives and Records Administration. It is located north of the National Mall at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue (Washington, D.C.), Penn ...

. Aitken created a stir when he criticized the display and placement of the ''

Venus de Milo The ''Venus de Milo'' or ''Aphrodite of Melos'' is an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek marble sculpture that was created during the Hellenistic art, Hellenistic period. Its exact dating is uncertain, but the modern consensus places it in the 2nd ...

''. His work was also part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from 28 July to 12 August 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam had previously bid for ...

Medallic and coin design

Aitken also enjoyed success as a designer of coins and medals. He sculpted the $50 gold commemorative (round and octagonal) for the Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915, as well as the official medal of the event. He also created the

Missouri Centennial half dollar The Missouri Centennial half dollar is a commemorative fifty-cent piece struck by the United States Mint in 1921. It was designed by Robert Ingersoll Aitken. The US state of Missouri wanted a commemorative coin to mark its centennial that year. ...

of 1921, following it a decade and a half later with the California Pacific International Exposition half dollar of 1935–1936. In the medallic arena, Aitken sculpted the American Numismatic Society's 1921 medal commemorating Marshal Foch's visit to the United States; the 15th issue of the

Society of Medalists The Society of Medalists was established in 1930 in the United States to encourage the medallic work of superior sculptors, and to make their creations available to the public. The Society of Medalists was the longest running art medal collector's ...

''Omnia Vincit Amor'', 1937; the Medal of the National Academy of Design; and the Medal of the National Sculpture Society.

References

External links

Robert Ingersoll Aitken papers, 1902–(ca. 1949)
from the Smithsonian's

Archives of American Art The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washing ...

Smithsonian American Art Museum's list of works
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aitken, Robert Ingersoll 1878 births 1949 deaths American architectural sculptors American male sculptors Artists from San Francisco San Francisco Art Institute alumni San Francisco Art Institute faculty 20th-century American sculptors 20th-century American male artists National Sculpture Society members Sculptors from California American coin designers Art competitors at the 1928 Summer Olympics Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters 20th-century medallists

Life and career

Medallic and coin design

See also

References

Further reading

External links