Philip Martiny
American (1858 - 1927)

Boy with Heron Fountain

Bronze
51 Inches high
Circa 1910
Signed

Philip Martiny was a gifted Beaux Arts sculptor who was active from the 1880's through 1920's. He worked in the studio of Augustus St. Gaudens along with Frederick MacMonnies a while St. Gaudens took on the commission for the decoration of the Vanderbilt Mansion on 57th street in New York City. Martiny soon was off on his own and was successful in securing numerous large architectural commissions. His work was at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 and the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901. He executed the Grand Staircase in the Library of Congress but pirmarily his work can be seen throughout the New York area. His most important commission was for the decoration of the facade of the New York City Hall of Records, (Now the Surrogate's Court building) on Chambers Street in lower Manhattan. For this building Martiny created 24 heroic sized figures who were either allegories or portraits of famous New Yorkers. Because the majority of Martiny's output was architectural his work is rarely seen on the art market.