Detail of “Fall” – Wheeler Williams 1934 (Photos by the author.}
We found Wheeler Williams! That probably means nothing to you. And it meant nothing to us at the time as well. But let us go back into our past for the full story.
The setting: spring, 2018, Kintnersville, PA: true to our mission of driving-for-deco, we headed out to Antique Haven. This is one of our go-to moderate sized stores. And rarely do we leave empty handed.
On this day, we saw a nice Art Deco half round side table. And displayed on top was a very interesting, very large (40 1/2in high), very heavy, and equally Art Deco statue. It didn’t take much discussion before both were in the car heading off to a new home.
The three faces of “Fall” (Photo by the author.)
Detail of the cast base. {Photo by the author.}
We try to research things we purchase as a way of increasing our knowledge and, when possible, to share that knowledge. Unfortunately, we could not find anything on either.
Martell Gallery – Three Seasons (Photo from Instagram)
Last autumn, Anthony was excited to see a series of these statues in the background of an ad for a high-end store in Florida. Unfortunately, there was no other information on them in the ad or on the dealer’s website
Wheeler Williams (Photo from americanart.si.edu}
Flash forward to 2024 and on a whim, I decided to try a reverse image search on the statue. Ta-da! We purchased a composite stone statue called “Fall” designed by Wheeler Williams and manufactured circa 1934.
The Four Season’s (Photo from artnet.com)
In 1932, Williams designed the series of the “Four Season”; cast in bronze. Later production copies, such as ours, were cast in metal, marble, cast stone or plaster.
Wheeler Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1897. He studied sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago. Transferring to Yale University, he took top honors graduating magna cum laude in 1922 with a Master of Architecture degree. That same year, Williams won dual honors: a medal for architecture from the American Institute of Architects, and for a sculpture (in collaboration with John Albert Wilson) from the Prix de Rome.
Talented in both disciplines, he opted to concentrate on sculpture over architecture. He spent the next 8 years at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France, mentored by Jules Coutan.
In 1927, Wheeler Williams was invited to participate in the Pioneer Woman statue competition. He failed to win. However, you can see an enlarged, cast version of his entry in front of the Liberty Kansas Public Library. You an easily see the form’s similarity to the Four Seasons.
Muse of Missouri Fountain postcard (Photo from eBay.com)
Wanting to expand his exposure to the world, he opened a studio in New York in 1928, traveling between Paris and the U.S. Eventually taking up permanent residence in the U.S.A., he continued to sculpt both in New York and a copious amount in California.
Pediment of the Environmental Agency,1935, Washington D.C. (Photo from Wikipedia)
Williams flourished during the 1930s. Proficient in carved allegorical reliefs you can still see an example at the Interstate Commerce Building, Washington, D.C. He also produced work for the WPA (Federal Works Agency). Two of his works are viewable in the post offices on Canal Street, New York, and in Bay Shore, Long Island. He is also known for his life-like portrait busts.
For a list of some of his other public works, click here.
1936 Speed: Post office in Bay Shore, New York (Photo from US National Archives and Records Administration)
In 1937, Williams was a recipient of a Gould Medal at the Paris Exposition.
1939 Black Panther (Photo from pafaarchives.org)
Panthers flank the entrance to The Society of the Four Arts (Photo from palmbeach.floridaweekly}
He exhibited regularly at the National Academy beginning in 1938 and winning in 1940 the Ellin Speyer Memorial Prize for his Black Panthers. He served as president of the National Sculpture Society and helped to found and serve as president of the American Artist Professional League.
Prolific, he worked steadily through the 1940s and 1950s.
As a patriot, he served active duty in both world wars. However, there was a darker side to him. This fanatical patriotism manifested as a supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committee. His involvement was looking for “red” communists in the arts. He also participated as a trial juror on the Alger Hiss treason case.
1959 Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon Douglas W. Orr with Wheeler Williams (Photo from aoc.gov}
Many of Williams’ commissions during this period reflect as conservative viewpoint. An example of this is his work on the Robert A. Taft Memorial in Washington, D.C. The imposing tower is a work by Douglas W. Orr and the 10 foot bronze statue is by Williams.
After a long and undisclosed illness, Wheeler Williams died at the age of 74 on August 12, 1972 in Madison, Connecticut.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, Tennessee (Photo by Thomas R Machnitzki)
In 1961, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis, Tennessee purchased a trio of the seasons consisting of “Spring, Summer, Fall”. Fabricated in Carrara marble, they were prominently displayed to the left of the entrance. However, on October 28, 2023, two of the statues, “Spring” and “Summer”, were badly damaged by in a hit-and-run when a van struck them.
Ironic that the only one not to fall, is, well, “Fall”.
Post accident (Photo from artnews.com Courtesy the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art)
