Gutzon Borglum
American·1867–1941
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Gutzon Borglum (1867-1941) was an American sculptor best known for carving the four presidential faces on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Born John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum in Idaho to Danish immigrants, he studied art in Paris at the Académie Julian and the École des Beaux-Arts before returning to the United States.
Borglum had already established himself through monumental works, including early (and controversial) involvement with the Stone Mountain Confederate memorial in Georgia. Mount Rushmore, begun in 1927, consumed the last 14 years of his life. He died seven months before the project was completed by his son Lincoln. The 60-foot-tall heads of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln draw roughly 3 million visitors annually.
Sculptures by Gutzon Borglum
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Museums with Gutzon Borglum's Work
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About Gutzon Borglum
Borglum carved the four presidential faces on Mount Rushmore: Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Each head stands about 60 feet tall, carved into the granite face of the Black Hills in South Dakota.
Work on Mount Rushmore took 14 years (1927-1941). Around 400 workers used dynamite and jackhammers to remove 450,000 tons of rock. Borglum died before completion, and his son Lincoln finished the project.
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