Crawford, Thomas

Crawford, Thomas, 1813–57, American sculptor, b. New York City. He was apprenticed to a wood carver and later worked for a firm of tombstone cutters. He achieved his first success with decorations for the Capitol at Washington, D.C., which include the figure above the dome entitled Armed Freedom, and the bronze doors and pediment statues for the Senate wing. He designed the Washington Monument, Richmond, Va., for which he executed the equestrian figure and the figures of Patrick Henry and Jefferson. A pupil of Thorvaldsen, Crawford was a leading exponent of the Greek Revival movement. He lived and worked in Rome most of his life. He married Louise Cutter Ward, sister of Julia Ward Howe. The novelist Francis Marion Crawford was their youngest son.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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