George Grey Barnard 1863-1938

Early Life

He was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and In 1870, the family moved to Kankakee, IL. He was the son of Reverend Joseph Barnard. He spent his boyhood and grade school years in Kankakee. He started as a jewelry engraver. At the age of 17, he attended the Chicago Art Institute. He wanted two things in his life: to be a great artist and to be recognized in his hometown.

His Career

Barnard was involved in the new capitol building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He sculpted what was known as the Capitol Statuary. There was a scandal with his contract.  The government had problems with the commission. Eventually, all payments were stopped. On October 4, 1911, the official unveiling of the sculpture was seen. 

On May 10, 1914, the Cloisters opened. “The Architecture” magazine declared the Cloisters the most interesting piece of art in the country or perhaps the world.

In March 1916. In 1919, he was commissioned as a sculptor for the head of Lincoln, which the New York Metropolitan Art Museum would own. 

Barnard’s Lincoln bust was finished in 1917.

It took two years to find a live model for the sculptor. He finally found a farm boy in Louisville, Kentucky. 

In 1920, he also wanted to create a shrine for World War 1. In June 1934, his health began to fail. This would be the last sculptor that he created.  He wanted the Piccirilli brothers of New York City to do the carving before his death. He left the funding in his will for the sculptor. 

The World War 1 shrine was finished. It took over 4 years. The memorial was dedicated to all the American men who fought and lost their lives in WW1.

He donated some of his studio plaster statues for display in Central School in Kankakee. The surviving pieces of the gift from Barnard are located in the core of the museum’s collection. 

 He is nicknamed the “modern Michelangelo.” for his larger-than-life modern sculptors. 

His Family Life

In January of 1893, he met Edna Monroe. They got married in 1895. They had three children and stayed together until his death. 

George Grey Barnard Exhibit at the Kankakee County Museum

The new wing that the Kankakee County Historical Museum was building. There were 60 models located in storage at different places, at the University of Delaware, and some were already displayed at the Kankakee County Historical Museum.  It is open now for the public to visit.

How he died 

He died of heart disease on April 24, 1938. He was buried near the Harrisburg Capitol building with his beloved sculptor.