Olin Levi Warner

Olin Levi Warner was an American sculptor and artist noted for the striking bas relief portrait medallions and busts he created in the late 19th century.

Career
As a young man he worked as an artisan and a telegraph operator. In 1869, he had saved up enough money to move to Paris, where he studied sculpture at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts under François Jouffroy, and worked as an assistant to Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux.

When the French Third Republic was proclaimed in 1870, he enlisted in the Foreign Legion, resuming his studies when the siege was over (May 1871).

In 1872, he moved to New York City and established a studio. He was one of the founders and a member of the Society of American Artists in 1877, and an associate of the National Academy of Design in 1888.

A trip through the Northwest Territory led to a series of Native American-themed portrait medallions. He designed the souvenir half-dollar for the Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893.

After meeting with little commercial success, however, he returned to live at his father's farm in Vermont, where he also did work for manufacturers of silver and plated ware. Towards the end of his life his sculptures became known to a wider audience.

Text courtesy of Wikipedia, 2025