John Hughes (sculptor) facts for kids

John Hughes (born January 27, 1865 – died June 6, 1941) was a talented Irish sculptor. He created many important statues and monuments during his life. His art can be seen in Ireland and even as far away as Australia.

The Life of a Sculptor

John Hughes was born in Dublin, Ireland. He went to school with the Christian Brothers at O'Connell School. When he was just 13, in 1878, he started studying art. He attended the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin for ten years.

In 1890, John won a special scholarship. This allowed him to study art in London at the South Kensington School of Art. After that, another scholarship took him to Paris, France. He also traveled to Italy to learn even more about sculpture.

John returned to Dublin in 1894. He became a teacher at the Metropolitan School of Art. By 1902, he was made a Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Hibernian Academy School. This was a very important role! His last home in Dublin was on Lennox Street.

Around 1903, John moved to Paris. There, he worked on a big monument for Queen Victoria for Ireland. In 1905, he helped start the Royal Society of Sculptors. This group supports sculptors and their art.

In 1920, John moved to Florence, Italy. He lived there with one of his sisters until 1926. After that, he spent most of his time traveling through France and Italy. John Hughes passed away in Nice, France, on June 6, 1941.

Famous Sculptures

Statue of Queen Victoria in front of the National Library of Ireland (circa 1908)

John Hughes created many famous sculptures. Some of his works can be found in Ireland:

• Man of Sorrow and Madonna and Child, both made in 1901 for Loughrea Cathedral.
• A dying Irish soldier overlooked by Erin, which is now in the garden of the Dublin Castle Conference Centre.
• A monument for Charles Kickham in Tipperary.
• A monument for George Salmon at Trinity College Dublin.

He also made sculptures for other places:

• The W. E. Gladstone Memorial was meant for Phoenix Park in Dublin. However, it was placed at Hawarden in 1925 instead.
• The Queen Victoria statue was unveiled in 1907. It stood outside Leinster House in Dublin. Later, in 1987, it was moved and put up again in Sydney, Australia.