Paul Manship, Sculptor of Mythic Proportions

Happy birthday to Paul Manship (1885–1966), best known for his Prometheus Fountain in Rockefeller Center and other sculptures inspired by classical mythology.

By the time he was fifteen years old, Paul Manship had decided he wanted to become a sculptor.

In 1905 he enrolled in the Art Students League in New York City and after a few months of formal study became an assistant to the sculptor Solon Borglum, whom he considered a critical influence on his work.

After further study he received a three-year scholarship to study in Rome where he fell under he spell of Greek antiquity and the beauty of classicism. He traveled extensively before returning to the United States in 1912 where he became an immediate success, launching a career that would last fifty years.

Early in his career Manship became attracted to animal sculptures and showed a great interest in mythical stories and characters. He became known for his freely modeled forms and dramatic gestures. "I like to express movement in my figures. It's a fascinating problem which I'm always trying to solve," he said. He also noted, "I'm not especially interested in anatomy, though naturally I've studied it. And, although I approve generally of normally correct proportions, what matters is the spirit which the artist puts into his creation—the vitality, the rhythm, the emotional effect."

See more mythological sculptures by Paul Manship with our online teacher's guide, Mythology and the Art of Paul Manship.

Pictured top: Paul Manship, 1885–1966, Atalanta, 1921, bronze, 28 3/4 in. diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of the artist.

Pictured bottom: Photograph of Paul Manship with his daughter Pauline, 1917.Smithsonian American Art Museum, Peter A. Juley and Son Collection.