Pratt, Bela Lyon, 1867-1917

Sculptor.

From the description of Bela Lyon Pratt papers, 1884-1918. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71132900

American sculptor.

From the description of Bela L. Pratt Letters to Michael S. O'Donnell, 1908, 1909. (University of Virginia). WorldCat record id: 71224886

Sculptor, teacher; Boston, Mass.; b. 1867; d. 1917

Studied at Yale, Art Students League, and with Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Kenyon Cox, and William Merritt Chase, and others.

From the description of Bela L. Pratt papers, 1876-1986. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 81348791

Biographical Note

• 1867, Dec. 11: Born, Norwich, Conn.
• 1873: Attended Yale University, School of Fine Arts, New Haven, Conn., where he studied with John Henry Niemeyer and John Ferguson Weir
• 1887: Attended Art Students League, New York, N.Y., where he studied with William Merritt Chase, Kenyon Cox, Francis Edwin Elwell, and Augustus Saint-Gaudens
• 1890 - 1892 : Attended École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts (France), where he studied with Jean-Alexandre-Joseph Falguière and Henri Chapu
• 1892: Received commission from World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Ill., for the sculpture group The Genius of Navigation
• 1893 - 1917 : Instructor in modeling, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Mass.
• 1897: Married Helen Pray
• 1895 - 1896 : Awarded commissions to create multiple works for the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., including the spandrels entitled Science, Literature, and Arts; the figure, Philosophy; and the medallions, Winter, Autumn, Summer, and Spring
• 1901: Received silver medal, Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, N.Y.
• 1906: Young Soldier sculpture, Saint Paul's School, Concord, N.H.
• 1910: Art and Science sculptures, Boston Public Library, Boston, Mass.
• 1914: Nathan Hale sculpture, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
• 1915: Received gold medal, Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, Calif.
• 1917, May 18: Died, Boston, Mass.

From the guide to the Bela Lyons Pratt Papers, 1884-1918, (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)