In 1883, Dallin entered a competition to develop an equestrian statue of Paul Revere. Among the other entrants was Daniel Chester French. No entries were selected, but Dallin persisted in trying to obtain the commission. This began a 58-year endurance trial to get the work made (and paid for). During those 58 years Dallin made seven versions of Paul Revere. A timeline with photos of the seven versions is in the Revere room of the Dallin Art Museum.

In Boston, he gained the respect of the other famous artists of his day, including Augustus St. Gaudens and John Singer Sargent, who became a close friend. (Sargent’s sketch of Dallin’s Portico is a treasured artifact of the Dallin Museum.) He became internationally famous, and his works were widely duplicated and collected.

In 1891 he married a Boston woman, Vittoria Colonna Murray, who was a successful writer. They raised three children: Bertram, Arthur, and Lawrence.

In 1900, at the age of 39, Dallin moved to Arlington, Massachusetts, which remained his home for the rest of his life. As a result, Arlington is now the home for many of his works.

Originally members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Dallin’s family converted to Presbyterianism when he was young. His connection to the Church, however. He was commissioned to sculpt busts of its Founding Fathers, Utah’s pioneers, and the Angel Moroni atop the Salt Lake City Temple.

He was also busy throughout his life creating war memorials, statues of statesmen, generals, and mythic figures. Dallin created more than 260 sculptures during his life.

Among his most beloved works are those celebrating Native Americans. When Dallin was a boy, American Indians were often depicted as brutal savages. Dallin was among the first to see a more transcendent character, and conveyed this in his many Native American sculptures. His Appeal to the Great Spirit may be the most famous and copied example, but there are dozens of other works which are admired for their humanity and classicism.

Dallin’s prolific output continued until the end of his life. In 1940 he finally saw his Paul Revere statue erected in Boston. By now, the work was famous, with copies installed in schools across America. Dallin contributed substantially to the cost of casting and installing the Boston “original,” Boston’s city fathers having failed to fulfill their financial commitments.

Dallin died at home on November 14, 1944, a week shy of his 83nd birthday. After World War II, the modernist art movement, with its emphasis on abstraction, completely eclipsed Dallin’s achievements. Many of his works were allowed to deteriorate. Some were destroyed; some were just misplaced and lost. Worse, the skills of classical rendering at which he excelled were simply not valued.

Every artist must endure a period in which his work is dismissed as old-fashioned. History sorts out the great over time, and Dallin is reemerging from obscurity. Now is our chance to decide what art is saved for future generations, and Dallin’s genius makes him stand out as an American master.

The photos on this page are from Rell G. Francis’ book,Cyrus E. Dallin: Let Justice Be Done (see Resources), and we thank him for their use.