William Robert Colton

William Robert Colton
Royal Artillery Boer War Memorial
Born	(1867-12-25)25 December 1867 Paris, France
Died	13 November 1921(1921-11-13) (aged 53) Kensington, England
Nationality	French
Education	Lambeth School of Art Royal Academy Schools
Known for	Sculpture

William Robert Colton RA (25 December 1867 – 13 November 1921) was a British sculptor. After completing his studies in London and Paris Colton established himself with solid, career-long business relationships, secured admission to exhibitions at the Royal Academy and the Salon in Paris. His works included commissions for busts, statues and war memorials. His clientele included royalty in England and India.

During his career, Colton was a professor at the Royal Academy, president of the Royal British Society of Sculptors and full member at the Royal Academy.

Colton was born in Paris, France on 25 December 1867. His father was an architect. In 1870 Colton left Paris for London. He studied at the Lambeth School of Art in England under William Silver Frith before enrolling as a student in the Royal Academy in 1889. At the Royal Academy, he was taught by Henry Hugh Armstead and Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm. He also studied in Paris.

Within two years of his 20th birthday, Colton was exhibiting at both the Paris Salon and the Royal Academy.Auguste Rodin and Alfred Gilbert provided inspiration for Colton's work.

He received a commission from the Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, Maharajah of Mysore and continued to receive commissions from India throughout his career. Besides his engagements for work in England, Colton also received commissions for work in Australia and South Africa. On 21 January 1903 Colton was elected as an Associate to the Royal Academy. He became a full member sixteen years later in 1919 on 25 April. In 1921 he became the president of the Royal British Society of Sculptors (RBS).