Brenda Putnam: A group of three bronzes

Brenda Putnam (1890-1975) was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 3rd June 1890.  Her father, Herbert Putnam, was the librarian at the library of Congress in Washington DC.  She first studied sculpture at the age of 15 at the Boston Museum Art School from 1905-1907.  She studied sculpture under James Earl Fraser for a year and then enrolled in The Art Student's League in New York City and at the Corcoran Art School in Washington DC.  Her first exhibit was in 1911.  In the years following WWI she was commissioned to do several fountains, sundials and other garden accoutrements.  She won the Barnett Prize at the National Academe of Design in 1922 and the Wildner Gold Medal at the Pennsylvania Academe in 1923.  Up until 1927 her work comprised mostly of children, cherubs, and garden ornaments when she travelled to Florence Italy to study.  Returning to New York she continued sculpting and in 1935 she was awarded the Waterus Gold Medal at the National Academe of Design.  She was awarded many monumental commissions in her career including A Memorial to the women of Virginia in Lynchburg, Va; The Congressional Gold medal awarded to Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King; and The bas reliefs over the visitors gallery in the US House of Representatives.  Her last sculpture was a bust of Susan B. Anthony done for New York University in 1952.  Brenda Putnam was a member of the National Academe of Design, a fellow of the National Sculpture society, and the author of the book The Sculptor's way.