9 minute read
Gardiner’s William Clark Noble
by James Nalley A renowned sculptor
The Maine State House in Augusta was built in 1832, just one year after the city became the capital. Previously topped by a cupola, the building was remodeled in 1909–1910 and the cupola was replaced by the current copper dome rising to 185 feet. However, it is the draped female figure that adorns the dome that makes it special. Although commonly confused for Athena (the Greek Goddess of Wisdom), it was created and donated by a Gardiner-born man who called it the Lady of Wisdom. In this regard, her upraised right arm symbolizes the city of Augusta, while the pine torch in her hand represents the state of Maine. He would go on to win numerous sculpting competitions and commissions, many of which were monuments of well-known figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.
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William Clark Noble was born in Gardiner on February 10, 1858. He and his older brother were raised by his maternal grandfather after his father, a ship’s captain, was lost at sea. According to his biographical article by the Bronze Gallery (1998), “Noble showed great fondness for art at an early age, spending many hours modeling animals in the local clay near his grandfather’s home. He then decided that he was going to become a full-time sculptor at the age of eight, after reading the life story of the Danish sculptor Berthel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844).” Thorvaldsen had made a name for himself as an award-winning sculptor, maintaining a large workshop in the city of Rome, Italy. His patrons resided all over Europe and he was considered a national hero upon his return to Denmark.
In 1870 his grandfather died, after which 12-year-old Noble went to Boston and became an apprentice to an architectural sculptor for three years. He continued his studies in art with the American painter Charles Franklin Pierce (1844–1920) and the American sculptor Richard Greenough (1819–1904) in Boston. In 1879, Noble opened his first studio in Newport, Rhode Island. After gaining a reputation in the region for his detailed sculptures, he was naturally chosen to create the Soldiers and Sailors Monument (1890) at Congdon Park in historic Newport. The monument consists of a bronze statue
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(cont. from page 29) of a soldier standing and a sailor kneeling. On each side of the base is a large plaque representing the Grand Army of the Republic, the State of Rhode Island, the Artillery, and the Cavalry, respectively.
By the 1890s, New York City had become the most important location for sculptors in the United States, since many profitable commissions were awarded there. Accordingly, in 1892, Noble moved to New York and opened a studio. As stated by the Bronze Gallery, “After opening his studio, he received many monumental commissions, most of them being awarded after winning sculpture competitions. In fact, out of the 32 competitions for monuments that Noble entered, he won 29.” Among his most notable works in the city is the Phillips Brooks Monument at the Church of the Incarnation in mid-town Manhattan.
In 1904, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, also known as the St. Louis World’s Fair, was held from April 30 to December 1. More than 60 countries and 43 out of the then-45 U.S. states presented exhibitions at the event. It was attended by approximately 19.7 million people. In general, historians emphasize the importance of the fair and its long-lasting impact on scholars in the fields of history, art, architecture, and anthropology. Meanwhile, Noble was commissioned to present not one but three sculptures, including Napoleon Bonaparte, Thomas Jefferson, and Revolutionary War General “Mad” Anthony Wayne.
In 1924, Noble was selected by the Woman’s Universal Alliance to create the Mothers’ Memorial planned (but never built) for Washington, D.C., in honor of motherhood and the “world’s great women.” As for Noble’s relationship with women, he was married three times, including his last marriage to Emile Berlin Bleecker. His son, William Clark Noble, Jr., also became an artist.
Interestingly, Noble not only produced high-profile sculptures, but he also designed coinage such as the Charles William Eliot medallion (1924), the Guatemala quetzal (1925), and the Panama balboa (1931). However, Noble became best known for his sculptures of soldiers and well-known figures in American society. For example, his long list of commissions includes Lincoln the Candidate (1909); George Washington Carver (1910); the 50th and 100th Pennsylvania Volunteer Reserve Infantry Monuments (1904), respectively, at Antietam Battlefield, Maryland; the Civil War Memorial (1906) at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania; and the aforementioned Lady of Wisdom at the Maine State House. (cont. on page 32)
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On May 10, 1938, Noble died in Washington D.C. He was 80 years of age. He was subsequently buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Gardiner. Although his legacy as a sculptor has been cemented through his works, perhaps his generosity and motivation to produce long-lasting sculptures was the most important. For instance, he wrote, “I was spending time in Boston, and happened into the office of Mr. Desmond, the architect, and noted, while looking over the plans for the alteration of the Maine Capitol, that he had suggested a statue for the dome. In answer to my questions, he informed that there was no appropriation made to pay for such a one as he would like to have, but informed that the contractor would put some type of figure in tin or zinc, pressed in halves and riveted together…” Noble immediately went to the William Clark Noble with sculpture in 1924 contractor and interested him in a copper statue, making a gift of his time and skill. When it was finally gilded and mounted, it became known as “one of the finest statues on any State Capitol in the United States.”
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