Frederic Auguste Bartholdi

Frederic Auguste Bartholdi (Colmar, August 2nd 1834 - Paris, October 4th 1904), sometimes known under the name Amilcar Hasenfratz , is a famous Alsatian sculptor , author in particular of famous the statue of the '' Liberté illuminant the world '', offered by the France to the the United States and located at the entry of the port of New York, as well as monumental Lion of Belfort , carved in a cliff to celebrate the heroic resistance of the city at the time of the seat of 1870-71.

Born in Colmar on August 2nd, 1834, wire of Jean Charles Bartholdi (1791-1836), adviser of prefecture, and Augusta Charlotte, born Beysser (1801-1891), girl of a mayor of Ribeauvillé. On their four children, only the elder one, Jean-Charles (lawyer-editor, then interned for disease) and the junior, Auguste will survive. With the untimely death of her father, the mother, on easy condition decides to go to live in Paris, while preserving the family home of the 30, rue des merchants, which shelters since 1922, the Bartholdi museum, (after being bequeathed to the city in 1907).

After the Louis-the-Large College with Paris, Auguste Bartholdi obtains his baccalaureat in 1852. It will continue to study architecture with 3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of the fine arts, as well as painting under the direction of Ary Scheffer in its workshop of the street Chaptal. After a memorable long voyage in Egypt, it will begin its activity from architect with Colmar, with its first monument, dedicated to the general Rapp, in 1856.

During the Franco-German War of 1870, major of the national guards, he will be aide-de-camp of general Giuseppe Garibaldi and liaison officer of the government, particularly charged to deal with the needs for the army for the Vosges.

In 1871, at the request of Edouard Lefebvre de Laboulaye and Franco-American union, it accomplishes its first voyage to the the United States, to select the site in person where will be installed celebrates it Statue of Freedom.

The project will resemble besides much a similar project of statue which would have being installed at the entry of Suez Canal, if Ismaïl Pasha had accepted it in 1869.

Its career will become international extensive consequently. He becomes the most famous sculptor of the 19th century in all Europe and North America.

Freemason since 1875, it adhered to the Cabin Alsace-Lorraine in Paris. It is starting from this date that it begins the construction of the statue of Freedom in its Parisian workshops, street Vavin.
The same year, on December 15th, he concludes a “rocambolesque” marriage with Jeanne-Emilie Baheux de Puysieux, who would have renovated herself 13 years to the eyes of her husband, with the Town hall of Newport, Rhodos Island (the USA). Their marriage will be however happy but without children.

It will accomplish its last voyage to the the United States for the inauguration, on October 28th of the statue of Freedom, in New York.

It will be made commander of the Légion of honor in 1882.

The couple moves in a private mansion 80, rue d'Assas in Paris.

He dies of Tuberculose on October 4th, 1904 in Paris and is buried with the Cimetière of Montparnasse.

Works

Bartholdi is at the origin of 35 monuments all over the world. Most famous are:

the 4 angels trumpet players with the unitarian Church Baptist of Boston in the United States (1874).
the statue of Fayette with Union Public garden with New York in the United States (1876).
the “Fountain of Capitole” to the Bartholdi park with Washington in the United States (1878).
Lion of Belfort to Belfort in France (1880) (whose reduced counterpart is on the Denfert-Rochereau place in Paris).
the statue of Diderot, set up on the Diderot place of Langres in 1884.
Statue of Freedom to New York in the United States (1886). Two smaller copies are with the bridge of grenelle with Paris, inaugurated initially in 1885, and another in the Garden of Luxembourg. Last was finally recently installed at the entry of the town of Colmar.
the Bartholdi fountain, on the Place of the Composts, with Lyon in France (1892).
“Monument in Switzerland helping Strasbourg” with Swiss Basle in (1895).
Statue of Vercingétorix to Clermont-Ferrand in France (1903).

Many monuments and statues with Colmar, in the Haut-Rhin (France):

the monument of the general Rapp (1856)
the monument of Martin Schongauer with (Museum of Unterlinden) (1863)
the monument of the admiral Bruat (1864), destroyed by the occupant in September 1940, the statue of Bruat was positioned back in 1958
the funeral Génie , bronzes 1866 in the staircase of the college Bartholdi de Colmar
the Petit Alsatian vine grower (Bartholdi museum, Colmar) (1869), copy at the Market hall ;
the monument of the national Guards fallen in 1870, cemetery of Ladhof (1872)
the fountain Roesselmann (1888)
the monument Gustave-Adolphe Hirn (1890)
the monument-fountain with the Baron Lazare de Schwendi on the place of the Old Customs (1898)
the group of the Great supports of the world , group out of bronze of 1902 with (Bartholdi museum) presented to the Living room of bets in 1902.
the Alsatian Wet cooper , crowning of the House of the Heads (1902)
Four allegorical statues of Goldsmithery , itStudy , Engraving and the Painting (Bartholdi museum, Colmar)

Many monuments are also visible elsewhere in France and in the world.

the monument with the General Arrighi de Casanova (Corte) (1867)
the monument of Vauban to Avallon (1873)
the monument of Champollion to Paris (1878)
the monument of Gribeauval to Paris (1879)
the monument of Mullet of Lisle to Lons-the-Salt maker (1882)
the monument Gambetta with Sevres (1890)
the monument of Christophe Colomb with the World Fair of Chicago (1893
the monument of Fayette and Washington with Paris (1895)

Several other projects will not see the day

the project of the palate of Longchamps to Marseilles, which will not be retained, but which the prize winner would have taken as a starting point.
a monumental project, of youth, for the entry of Suez Canal.
a project for Callao, intended for the Republic of Peru.
With Bordeaux, Bartholdi takes part in a contest for a monumental fountain on the Place of Quinconces ; it receives the first price but the fountain carried out forever.

Posthumous monuments:

the monument of the Three Seats, in Belfort, (inaugurated in a posthumous way in 1913) according to model of Bartholdi finished by its pupils sculptors Christmas & Dechain.
It is planned for March 2005 that a new bronze statue is set up with Warsaw in Poland, carried out starting from an original plaster model held by the Museum Bartholdi de Colmar and who symbolizes the Polish drama in reference to the events of 1864 between the Russia and the Poland. That will be the 36e monument to be put at the credit of the sculptor.

Artistic context

to see French Sculpture of the XIXe century

Bartholdi price

The Bartholdi Price () is a reward aiming at developing the international opening of university educations in the Rhine higher F-D-CH.

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