Taft, Lorado (Zadoc) (1860–1936)

US sculptor and educator. In the 1910s he began sculpting a series of monumental fountains such as Columbus Fountain (1912) in Washington, DC. An advocate for art education, he lectured high school students and created ‘Peep Shows’ of sculptors at work for children. He continued creating large scale pieces until the end of his life.

Taft was born in Elmwood, Illinois. A graduate of the University of Illinois (BA 1879; MA 1880) he studied at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris (1880–83), then taught sculpture at the Chicago Art Institute (1886–1906), where he introduced marble carving. His commissions came slowly and in 1903 he published History of American Sculpture, which led to lucrative lecture tours.