Walter Seymour Allward

Walter Seymour Allward
CMG RCA
Walter Allward in 1913
Born(1874-11-18)18 November 1874
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died24 April 1955(1955-04-24) (aged 78)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)Monument sculptor and designer
Spouse
Margaret Kennedy
​
(m. 1898)​

Walter Seymour Allward CMG RCA (18 November 1874[1] – 24 April 1955) was a Canadian monumental sculptor best known for the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. Featuring expressive classical figures within modern compositions, Allward's monuments evoke themes of memory, sacrifice, and redemption.[1] He has been widely praised for his "original sense of spatial composition, his mastery of the classical form and his brilliant craftsmanship".[2]

Allward's 1917 heroic monument, the Bell Telephone Memorial, has been seen as the finest example of his early works.[3] It brought the sculptor fame and led to Allward later creating the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France, his most renowned work. Some of the sculptor's works have also been acquired by the National Gallery in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.[4] In addition to his sculptural works, Allward produced a series of approximately one hundred allegorical drawings exploring the subject of war at the onset of the Second World War.[1]

Allward has been described as "probably Canada's most important monumental sculptor in the first third of [the 20th] century".[3] However, his name was largely forgotten following his death in 1955 until 2001, when he was portrayed as a fictional character in Jane Urquhart's celebrated novel The Stone Carvers.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d Dombowsky, Philip (2021). Walter S. Allward: Life & Work. Toronto: Art Canada Institute. ISBN 978-1-4871-0252-4.
  2. ^ "Walter Seymour Allward (1876–1955)". Parks Canada. Retrieved 2 April 2017. Walter Allward's many Canadian monuments are a lasting testament to his original sense of spatial composition, his mastery of the classical form, and his brilliant craftsmanship.
  3. ^ a b "Walter S. Allward Collection". National Gallery of Canada. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  4. ^ "Bell Monument". HistoricPlaces.ca. 31 October 2005. Retrieved 27 March 2012.