Olin Levi Warner

Olin Levi Warner
Olin Levi Warner
Born	(1844-04-09)April 9, 1844 Suffield, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	August 14, 1896(1896-08-14) (aged 52) New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Known for	Bas relief, sculpture

Olin Levi Warner (April 9, 1844 – August 14, 1896) was an American sculptor and artist noted for the striking bas relief portrait medallions and busts he created in the late 19th century.

Warner was born in Suffield, Connecticut. Warner's great-great-uncle was the Revolutionary leader Seth Warner. As a young man he worked as an artisan and a telegraph operator. In 1869 he had saved up enough money to move to Paris, where he studied sculpture at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts under François Jouffroy, and worked as an assistant to Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux.

When the French Third Republic was proclaimed in 1870, he enlisted in the Foreign Legion, resuming his studies when the siege was over (May 1871). In 1872, he removed to New York City and established a studio. He was one of the founders and a member of the Society of American Artists in 1877, and an associate of the National Academy of Design in 1888.

A trip through the Northwest Territory led to a series of Native American-themed portrait medallions. He designed the souvenir half dollar for the Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893.