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John Rogers (1829–1904) was an American sculptor who produced very popular, relatively inexpensive figurines in the latter 19th century. He became famous for his small genre sculptures, popularly termed "Rogers Groups", which were mass-produced in cast plaster. A total of 80,000 copies of almost 80 Rogers Groups were sold across the United States and abroad.〔() Wallace, David H. "The Art of John Rogers: 'So Real and So True'", article in ''American Art Journal'', Vol. 4, No. 2, Nineteenth-Century American Sculpture (Nov., 1972), pp. 59-70, online first page accessed via JSTOR Web site on January 21, 2007〕 At the height of their popularity, Rogers' figurines graced the parlors of homes in the United States and were found as far away as Chile and Australia. The English novelist Charles Reade furnished his home with all the Rogers figurines available to him, and in the Dakota Territory, Lt. Col. George Custer and his wife had one. Often selling for $15 apiece, the figurines were affordable to the middle class.〔 Instead of working in bronze and marble, he sculpted in more affordable plaster, painted the color of putty to hide dust.〔() Liebenson, Bess, "On the Trail of History in New Canaan", article, ''The New York Times'', October 1, 2000, accessed January 21, 2007〕 Rogers was inspired by popular novels, poems and prints as well as the scenes he saw around him.〔 ==Life== John Rogers was born in Salem, Massachusetts on October 30, 1829 to an unsuccessful but well-connected Boston merchant and attended Boston English High School . He gave early evidence of artistic interests and even as a young child, showed a taste and talent for drawing. However, it was the feeling of his parents that an artist’s life was little better than a vagabond, and in 1845, at the age of sixteen, after what was considered a good education in the town schools, he was placed in a dry-goods store in Boston, with the intention of learning the business. However, John Rogers felt certain he was not suited for this line of work, and in 1848 he began his career as a machinist and draftsman at the Amoskeag Locomotive Works in Manchester, New Hampshire, to learn the trade. During this period, John Rogers devoted himself to his art with enthusiasm and his attention was drawn to sculpture, in particular. John Rogers began to model in clay in his leisure hours. Nevertheless, in 1856 Rogers sought work in Hannibal, Missouri as a mechanic with the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. In 1858 he left that position to visit Europe to continue his formal education in sculpting. On his return in 1859 he went to Chicago, where he modeled, for a charity event, "The Checker Players," a group in clay, which attracted much attention. This event marked the beginning of an unusual career. Rogers died at his home in New Canaan, Connecticut in 1904. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「John Rogers (sculptor)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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