ENJOY YOUR VISIT — Sculpture

Sculpture at the Garden

If you are interested in supporting the Garden's sculpture program, please contact the Development Department at (847) 835-8374.

Educational materials are supported in part by a generous grant from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation. In addition to the Gallery at the Garden schedule, selections from In Search of Paradise: Centuries of Great Garden Design are on view in the Great Hall except during select special events.

	Birds on Eggs Sylvia Shaw Judson Cast aluminum, 1959 Fruit and Vegetable Garden A gift from Mrs. Leonard S. Davidow
	Blue Heron Gregory Glasson Bronze, 1981 Home Landscape Gardens A gift from Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Bent
	Boy Gardener Margot McMahon Bronze, 1986 Rose Garden A gift from Mr. Bruce Krasberg
	Canada Geese William Turner, American (b. 1935) David Turner, American (b. 1962) Bronze, 1988 Naturalistic Garden A gift from Gordon Bent and family and friends The moment depicted by nature artists William and David Turner is a familiar one. Each bird’s pose is seen daily at sunset as flocks of geese settle in for the evening on the lakes.
	Caricia Olivier Sequin, French (b. 1945) Black lava stone, 1986 Landscape Gardens A gift from Mr. and Mrs. John Stetson Caricia is the Spanish word for caress. This name may refer to the smooth surface or to the figurative aspect of the shape. The sculpture also calls to mind the mysterious Easter Island statues or the simplified forms of the artist Jean Arp. The sculpture is placed as a sentinel along the path outside the Bulb Garden. Together, the curving pathway and the surrounding shrubs at first conceal, but then reveal, the sculpture as visitors approach.
	Carolus Linnaeus Robert Berks, American (b. 1922) Bronze, 1982 Heritage Garden A gift from Mrs. Arthur C. Nielsen, Sr. This figure of Swedish physician Linnaeus (1701-1778) looms large in the history of science and is appropriately placed in the Heritage Garden. Linnaeus established binomial nomenclature, the international system of naming plants and animals that is still in use today. He is shown reaching eagerly toward the plants in his path with a collector’s enthusiasm. The prominent bird in the sculpture — a golden plover, which can fly for thousands of miles — refers to the many students of Linnaeus who traveled the globe collecting plants for him to name.
	Composition in Stainless Steel #1 Gidon Graetz, Israeli (b. 1929) Stainless steel, 1985 Education Building A gift from Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sternberg Located in the midst of the All-America Rose Selections, this sculpture reflects brilliant flashes of red, yellow, pink and white roses from springtime until late autumn. During the winter, its curving, polished surface mirrors a setting of white snow, blue sky and brown earth. The shape of the work brings to mind the exuberance of plant breeders who develop the award-winning roses showcased here. It establishes a central focus, inviting visitors to enter the garden and look closely.
	Double Butterfly W.J. Frey Copper, 1984 Naturalistic Garden A gift from the family of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Mason
	Goose William Turner Bronze, 1971 Sensory Garden A gift from Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Bent
	Guardian Simon Verity, English (b. 1945) Minnesota limestone, Arizona jasper, Arkansas quartz and Portuguese copper, 1992 English Walled Garden A gift in memory of Catherine Galitzine Campbell The Guardian stands as a folly at the entrance to the English Walled Garden. It is located on the axis that links the North Lake with the Great Basin. Constructed of semiprecious stones and minerals, the sculpture represents the ancient elements of earth, air, fire and water. Simon Verity carved stone statuary for the Portal of Paradise on St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York from 1988 to 1997. His work appears in many English gardens, including that of the Prince of Wales.
	Heron Pair W.J. Frey Copper, 1984 Home Landscape Gardens A gift from the family of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Mason
	Mermaid Sylvia Shaw Judson Bronze, 1920 North Gallery, Joseph Regenstein Jr. School (seasonal) A gift from Mrs. Owen B. Jones
	Metamorphosis of a Bulb Jerry Caplan Terra cotta, 1982 Bulb Garden A gift from Martha Jane B. Catlett
	Naughty Faun Sylvia Shaw Judson Bedford stone, 1921 Home Landscape Gardens A gift from Mrs. Albert Farwell
	Otter Girl Gerry Lewis-Amendola Lead, 1966 Home Landscape Gardens A gift from friends of Gertrude Kuh
	Preening Heron W.J. Frey Copper, 1984 Home Landscape Gardens A gift from the family of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Mason
	Pumpkin Tony Tasset, American (b. 1960) Bronze, paint, 1998 Fruit & Vegetable Garden A gift from The Guild of the Chicago Botanic Garden Placed on a pedestal at the center of the Fruit and Vegetable Garden, this witty sculpture elevates a popular American icon to high art. Pumpkin is trompe l’oeil art—an object rendered to mimic what it is not. While it appears real, even larger than life, the sculpture was actually cast in bronze by the artist from a champion pumpkin purchased from the 1998 Lake County Pumpkin Weigh-Off.
	Seven Birds Gregory Glasson Bronze, 1983 Naturalistic Gardens A gift from Mr. and Mrs. Edwin S. Brown
	Sitting Bear G.E. Olsen Tennessee Marble, 1986 Home Landscape Gardens A gift in memory of Stephen Wynne
	Sounding Sculpture Harry Bertoia, American (1915-1979) Beryllium bronze, 1985 Rose Garden A gift from friends of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph A. Bard, Jr. Sounding Sculpture makes us aware of the contribution that gentle sound makes to a garden setting. Placed between the Rose Garden and the Linden Allée, the sculpture’s slender rodsof bronze create musical sounds when activated by the wind. Their subtle vibrations suggest wheat fields swaying in the breeze or the melodious harps of antiquity.
	The Sower Albin Polasek, American (1879-1965) Black bronze, 1915 The Esplanade A gift from the Art Institute of Chicago At seven feet tall, this classic male figure captivates the viewer with its height, strong gaze and form. The Sower celebrates the Garden's historic relationship with the Art Institute while acknowledging the Garden's dedication to spreading the seeds of learning about plants and the natural world.
	Sundial Joseph Burlini Aluminum, Paint, 1987 Plant Evaluation Gardens A gift from Nancy Zadek Cohrs
	Untitled Martin Puryear, American (b. 1941) Stainless steel, 1998 Carnelian granite, 1998 Lakeside Gardens A gift from Ernest P. Waud, III This pair of benches—one stainless steel, the other pink granite—can be enjoyed both visually as sculptures and as inviting places to rest. From this site, visitors can view an extended panorama from the Japanese Garden to Evening Island to the Great Basin. The conical shape has intrigued sculptor Martin Puryear throughout his career. Suggestive of a yurt, the temporary shelter used by the semi-nomadic people the artist observed in central Asia, it brings to mind the notion of impermanence. By creating his cone-shaped sculptures out of durable materials such as stone and steel, Puryear sets up a lively dialogue between the inevitability of change and the dream of permanence.