Mount Rushmore is one of the most recognizable monuments in the United States. The enormous faces of four of our most influential presidents are carved on the face of a granite mountain in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Mount Rushmore attracts more than two million visitors each year. They come to celebrate the achievements of the American presidents, admire the craftsmanship of the giant statue, and learn a bit more about American history.
Colorized photograph of artist Gutzon Borglum's model of Mouth Rushmore. (thescultorsfuneral.com)
Just before visitors enter the Avenue of the Flags leading to the viewing area, there is a small statue, a bust really, of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor and mastermind behind Mount Rushmore. Borglum is often overshadowed by his own creation. Let’s look at the life of Gutzon Borglum, the artist behind Mount Rushmore.
A Love of Art
The son of immigrants from Denmark, Gutzon Borglum was born in remote Bear Lake, Idaho, in early 1867. The family didn’t stay in Idaho long. They moved around quite often, living in Utah and then Nebraska. Although Borglum showed an interest in art from an early age, he didn’t have an opportunity for formal art training until he was well into his teens. When he was enrolled in a private high school in Kansas, he was finally able to learn artistic techniques. His training was short lived. His family moved once again, this time to California. Borglum graduated from high school and took a job as a lithographer’s apprentice.
Making a Name for Himself
Borglum's portrait of General Fremont launched his art career and opened doors for him. (deseret.com)
Gutzon Borglum left his apprenticeship after only six month and set up his own studio. He made a name for himself in 1888 when he did a portrait of General John C. Fremont. This painting was a turning point for Borglum. It brought him recognition and praise. General Fremont’s wife, Jessie Benton Fremont, was particularly taken with the young artist. She helped him sell more of his works, land more commissioned work, and even secure finances to study art in France. In Paris, he studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and Julien Academy. He exhibited his works in galleries and salons in Paris. He became good friends with Auguste Rodin, the sculptor that created The Thinker. He even had some of his pieces displayed for Queen Victoria in Windsor Castle.
Back in the U.S.
Borglum's bust of Lincoln is still on display in the capitol rotunda. (uschs.wordpress.com)
Once he returned to the United States in 1901, Gutzon Borglum continued to collect praise for his works. He had pieces on display at the White House and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Borglum also got involved in politics. In 1912, he helped campaign for Theodore Roosevelt’s reelection campaign. It may have been his foray into politics that led Borglum to focus his art on more patriotic themes. His marble bust of Abraham Lincoln was donated to the American public and is still on display in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.
A Confederate Monument
The Stone Mountain Memorial to Confederate heroes was recently removed. (latimes.com)
The president of the United Daughters of the Confederacy contacted Gutzon Borglum about an interesting project. This organization wanted to carve a giant likeness of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Georgia’s Stone Mountain. When Borglum visited the site, however, he was struck with the enormity of it. He proposed an alternative idea. Borglum believed that Stone Mountain was so large that it was better suited for a group carving of Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis on horseback. Behind them would be columns of soldiers. Work on Stone Mountain began in 1923, but shortly afterwards, Borglum had a falling out with the directors of the project. In anger, he destroyed all his models and plans for the project. Another artist was hired for the job. Stone Mountain was completed using Borglum’s ideas, but not his actual design.
Another Monumental Project
Borglum had lofty plans for Mount Rushmore. (time.com)
The state historian of South Dakota, Doane Robinson, learned about Borglum’s plans for Stone Mountain and reached out to the artist in 1923 about carving a similar giant monument in the Black Hills. The initial idea was to feature heroes of the American West, like Buffalo Bill Cody, Chief Red Cloud, Sacagawea, Lewis and Clark, and Chief Crazy Horse. Borglum, however, thought the monument should appeal to all Americans. He selected four U.S. presidents for the carving.
Carving Mount Rushmore
Borglum supervised a small army of men on the construction project. (nytimes.com)
Work on Mount Rushmore began in 1927. The majority of the carving was done with dynamite, then workers were lowered down the rock face to add the finishing touches. Borglum originally had much loftier plans for Mount Rushmore. He envisioned a giant scroll chiseled onto the mountain with a summary of American history carved on it. He also planned to construct a vault deep within the mountain to serve as a depository for important historical documents and artifacts. As the project’s finances dwindled, Borglum scaled back the plans.
Unfinished Business
Gutzon Borglum died before Mount Rushmore was completed. (cnn.com)
Gutzon Borglum did not live to see the completion of Mount Rushmore. He died on March 6, 1941, just shy of his 74th birthday. His son, Lincoln Borglum, took over the Mount Rushmore project and saw it through to completion. Months later, on October 31, 1941, Mount Rushmore was finally completed and unveiled to the public.
