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Title
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Janet Scudder (1869-1940)
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birthday
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1869-10-27
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Birthplace
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Rockport, MA
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Death Date
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1940-06-09
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Occupation
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Sculptor
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Painter
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Woman Suffrage Activist
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Biographical Text
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Janet Scudder, was a sculptor, painter and woman suffrage activist. Her early life was full of tragic loss. The passing of her mother occurred when she was five, followed by four of her siblings. Growing up she had an interest in drawing, taking weekend art classes. After graduating high school in 1887, she enrolled in the Cincinnati Art Academy to study sculpture, painting, woodcarving, and design. At this time she changed her name from Netta Deweze Frazee Scudder to Janet Scudder. Following the completion of her studies there in 1890, she took classes at the Art Institute of Chicago and Académie Vitti in Paris. Scudder's working career was full and lengthy. She entered the art world as an sculpture assistant for large exposition projects. At twenty-five she became the first woman employed by Frederick W. MacMonnie, assisting him on major projects including his sculptor of Shakespeare. Her first major commission was in 1894, for a New York Bar Association seal. From there she began to gain more steady design and sculpture work. From 1898-1900, she resided in Europe, furthering her eduction and gaining inspiration from Italian Renaissance sculpture. Following this time, she began a series of ornamental garden sculptures. One of the most notable was the "Frog Fountain," of which she produced five versions, located across the US. Her career continued to flourish through the twentieth century, with her work featured in various museums, galleries, and major expositions. Scudder was known to advocate for women's rights, taking part in demonstrations and working on the art committee of the National American Women Suffrage Association. Towards the end of her life she continued to create and pursue new forms of art. In 1925 her autobiography, "Modeling My Life," was published, detailing her career as a successful female artist.
Scudder did not marry or have children, but had a companion, Marion Benedict Cothren. On June 9, 1940, she passed of pneumonia while on vacation in Massachusetts.
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Contributor
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O'Neill, Iris
Janet Scudder, Sculpture