The Indian Hunter
Bronze
16 x 14 3/4 x 8 3/4 in
Biography
John Quincy Adams Ward was born on June 29, 1830 in Urbana, Ohio. Ward was interested in sculpture from a young age when as a youth he modeled small animals and figures on horseback. His parents tried to steer him towards farm life and then medicine, but in 1849 under the guidance of his sister he was accepted as a student by Henry Kirke Brown at his studio in Brooklyn.
In 1856 Ward went out on his own and supported himself by sculpting busts of prominent political figures. He also worked on several compositions, including The Indian Hunter and Simon Keaton. Ward returned to The Indian Hunter in 1865 when he was making a good income from modeling busts and presentation pieces. In 1865 he made a life-size plaster cast of The Indian Hunter, which received great praise for the American theme and realistic representation. He was then able to raise enough funds through subscribers to have a life-size version cast in bronze after which it was give to the city of New York for permanent display in Central Park. His sculpture of George Washington situated on the steps of the old Sub-Treasury Building in New York City is another well-known sculpture.
