Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Leonard Crunelle [Various sculptures]




One of the hidden treasures of Chicago is a set of four figure fountains in the Grant Park, "Dove Girl, Turtle Boy, Crane Girl, Fisher Boy" .. by Leonard Crunelle .. click here..

Fascinating art and an inspiring life-story ..
Analogous to the rags-to-riches story is the coal-mines to art-circles story .. The story of Leonard Crunelle who was born in a coal miner family in Northern France and grew up to become a reputed sculpture, with works displayed in many art exhibitions around the world .. His family emigrated to Brazil, Indiana in 1882, when he was ten yeard old .. Soon they moved to Decatur, Illinois. Leonard helped his father in coal mining since the age of ten.. He went school in Decature, where his teachers noticed his drawing skills, and that was his opening to the world of art..

Shortly before the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Lorado Taft delivered a lecture in Decature. After his address, some teaches of the town showed him the drawings made by Leonard ... Lorado Taft was impressed and took him under his tutelage. Soon Leonard started helping Lorado in the preparation of Columbian Exposition/World's Fair at Jackson Park .. After the Fair, Leonard took whatever daytime jobs he could get and attended the Art Institute night classes.

Soon he flourished as a artist. His speciality was making children's sculptures .. many times he used his own four children as models. His children helped him in making statues, the same way he helped his father in coal mines ..

Some of Leonardo Crunelle's works are:
Crane Girl, Fisher Boy, Dove Girl and Turtle Boy - by Leonard Crunelle.. click here..
Heald Square Monument [started by Lorado taft, completed by Leonard Crunelle] click here..
Victory Monument - by Leonard Crunelle..  click here..
Richard J. Oglesby - by Leonard Crunelle click here..
Baby Marguerite - by Leonard Crunelle [Oregon Public Library]
Sakakawea [North Dakota] - by Leonard Crunelle [This is at the National Statutory Hall, of the U.S. Capitol Bldg.. click here.. ]



Heald Square Monument, designated a Chicago Landmark .. was started by Crunelle's mentor, Lorado Taft and become Taft's last work. It was completed by Leonard Crunelle..
For more on Heald Square Monument..click here..







Victory Monument, also designated a Chicago Landmark...
This monument was erected to honor the achievements of the Eighth Regiment of the Illinois National Guard, an African-American unit that served in France during World War I ... Crunelle's birth town was destroyed in World War-I.
For more on Victory Monument.. click here..




Richard J. Oglesby - by Leonard Crunelle
For more,  click here..




Baby Marguerite - by Leonard Crunelle
As part of Eagle's Nest Collection at Oregon Public Library, Oregon, IL..click here..

This piece is presumed to be a bronze cast of a marble sculpture of Baby Marguerite executed by Crunelle in Loredo Taft’s Midway Studio.  [Ref. click here..]



Sakakawea [North Dakota] - by Leonard Crunelle
This is at the National Statutory Hall, of the U.S. Capitol Bldg.. click here..

RELATED LINKS..
Crane Girl, Fisher Boy, Dove Girl and Turtle Boy - by Leonard Crunelle.. click here..
Heald Square Monument [started by Lorado taft, completed by Leonard Crunelle] click here..
Victory Monument - by Leonard Crunelle.. click here..
Richard J. Oglesby - by Leonard Crunelle click here..
Sakakawea [North Dakota] - by Leonard Crunelle [This is at the National Statutory Hall, of the U.S. Capitol Bldg.. click here.. ]

REF: The Miner Sculptor.. by Isabell MacDougall..

5 comments:

carolyn56 said...

My father, Eugene A. Montgomery, a student at the Art Institute of Chicago and a portrait artist from Evanston, IL modeled for a statue of Abraham Lincoln done by Leonard Crunelle about 1926.

He posed for that sculpure at the Larado Taft Studio.

carolyn56@comcast.net

Jyoti said...

Thats very interesting Carolyn! Maybe someday I'll see that sculpture. Where is it now?
I think Leonard Crunelle was an amazing sculptor!

pat rich said...

Leonard Crunelle was a relative on my moms side. My grandmothers maiden name was Lornza Crunelle..

Jyoti said...

thanks pat! Thats wonderful to know!

Anonymous said...

Leonard Crunelle was my great grandfather. He had a son, Gene Crunelle (my grandfather). He had a son, Richard Crunelle (my father), and then there is me... Richard Crunelle Jr.

I've got a very cool old pic of Leonard at a studio with a bunch of students, but not much else. Funny thing is that when I was in highschool I discovered I have a talent for sculpting. I guess it runs in the family, but I never persued it.
Gene was a photographer. He filmed a lot of medical procedures, and he invented some specialed camera, or photo process. I've got some really cool old photos from him. My favs are of actual airplane dog fights from WWI taked from one of the planes!
Anyway, if anyone else has info on Leonard, please share it! RicksNovaSS@yahoo.com