biography of James Wilson A. MACDONALD (1824-1908)

Birth place: Steubenville, OH

Death place: Yonkers, NY

Addresses: St. Louis, MO, c.1844-65; NYC, 1865-

Profession: Sculptor, painter, writer

Studied: St. Louis, with A. Waugh, 1845; anatomy with Prof. McDowell, St Louis

Exhibited: NAD, 1869

Work: bust of Senator Benton, 1854 (said to he the first marble cut West of the Mississippi); Appellate Court, NYC; NYC Law Lib.; "Halleck," Central Park, NYC; "Washington Irving," Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Comments: At about the age of 16 he left his Ohio home for St. Louis, MO where he studied with Alfred Waugh and made his first clay bust in 1845. He worked for a publishing firm in St. Louis during the time he was studying with Waugh; he continued in the business until 1854 when he decided to devote himself to sculpture. At that time, he won attention for a marble bust of Senator Benton. After the Civil War MacDonald moved to NYC where he gained success as a portrait sculptor. He also painted some portraits and landscapes.

Sources: G&W; DAB; Art Annual, VII (1909/10), 79; CAB; Thieme-Becker; WW08.