Isidore Konti
Encyclopedia
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
-born (of Hungarian parents) sculptor. He began formal art studies at the age of 16 when he entered the Imperial Academy
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is an institution of higher education in Vienna, Austria.- History :The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna was founded in 1692 as a private academy by the court-painter Peter Strudl, who became the Praefectus Academiae Nostrae. In 1701 he was ennobled as Baron of the Empire...
in Vienna where he studied under Edmund von Hellmer. In 1886 he won a scholarship that allowed him to study in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
for two years. While there he developed a love of Renaissance art that was to affect the nature of his mature sculpture. Upon returning to Austria, Konti worked as an architectural modeler.
In 1890, 1891 or 1892 (depending on the source) Konti moved, permanently as it turned out, to America, there going straight to Chicago where he began working on sculptural decorations for the World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
. When the work there was completed, he moved to New York City and commenced working as an assistant for fellow Austrian expatriate Karl Bitter
Karl Bitter
Karl Theodore Francis Bitter was an Austrian-born United States sculptor best known for his architectural sculpture, memorials and residential work.- Life and career :...
. In 1900, for the exposition in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, in 1904 for the one in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and for the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915, Konti's skills as a modeler kept him in much demand.
Konti died in Yonkers, New York on January 11, 1938.
Architectural sculpture
Like many sculptor of that epoch Konti created architectural sculpture. His works in this arena include:- tympanumTympanum (architecture)In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
, Grace Chapel, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
1894 - spandrel figures, the Elbridge GerryElbridge GerryElbridge Thomas Gerry was an American statesman and diplomat. As a Democratic-Republican he was selected as the fifth Vice President of the United States , serving under James Madison, until his death a year and a half into his term...
home, New York City, 1895 - Three Graces (for which Audrey MunsonAudrey MunsonAudrey Munson was an American artist's model and film actress, known variously as "Miss Manhattan," "the Exposition Girl," and "American Venus." She was the model or inspiration for more than 15 statues in New York City and appeared in four silent films.-Life and career:Audrey Marie Munson was...
served as the model) Hotel Astor, New York, 1907 - Gainsborough Studio Building, New York City, 1908
- statues of Justinian and Alfred the GreatAlfred the GreatAlfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
for the Cuyahoga County Court House in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
1910 - capitols, panels and allegorical figures for the Pan-American Building in Washington D.C. 1910
- Home Life Insurance Building
Public monuments and fountains
- McKinley Memorial, Yonkers, New YorkYonkers, New YorkYonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
1906 - Mother & Child: the Bath, fountain in Katonah, New YorkKatonah, New YorkKatonah, New York is one of three unincorporated hamlets within the town of Bedford, Westchester County, New York, United States.-History:Katonah is named for Chief Katonah, an American Indian from whom the land of Bedford was purchased by a group of English colonists...
, c. 1910 - recumbent figure of Morgan Dix, Trinity Church, New York, 1915
- Gumbel Memorial Fountain, New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, 1919 - the fate of this work is not known, following the destruction of much of that city by natural disasters in 2005. - Hyams Memorial Fountain, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1921 - the fate of this work is not known, following the destruction of much of that city by natural disasters in 2005.
- recumbent figure of Bishop Potter, Church of St. John the Divine, New York City, 1921
- Yonkers War Memorial, Yonkers, NY, 1922
- Edgar John Lownes Memorial, Swan Point CemeterySwan Point CemeterySwan Point Cemetery is a cemetery located in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. Established in 1846 on a 60 acre plot of land. It has approximately 40,000 interments.- History :...
, Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, 1924 - Hudson - Fulton Monument, Yonkers, New York, 1924
- Spanish - American War Memorial, Yonkers, New York, 1928
- Lincoln Monument, Lincoln Park, Yonkers, New York, 1929
- Father Kelehan Memorial, St. Joseph's Cemetery, Yonkers, New York, 1929
- Governor Francis T. NichollsFrancis T. NichollsFrancis Redding Tillou Nicholls was an American attorney, politician, judge, and a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
, State Capitol Building, Baton Rouge, LouisianaBaton Rouge, LouisianaBaton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
1931
Besides these works Isidore Konti produced numerous medals, plaques, figures and figurines that are today highly sought after by museums and collectors.