Lot # : 53 - Neil Estern (American, 1926-2019) Bronze Sculpture

Neil Estern (American, 1926-2019) Large Bronze Sculpture Man w/ a Pole. Signed 'Estern' on the base. Neil Carl Estern (April 18, 1926 – July 11, 2019) was an American sculptor.Known for his public monuments, Estern's best-known works are his sculptures of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Fala at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington. Estern was also the creator of Patti Playpal doll. Neil Carl Estern was born on April 18, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York to Marc J. and Molly Estern. He was interested in sculpting from a young age, playing with clay as a child. Raised in Flatbush, he graduated from the High School of Industrial Art. In 1948, Estern graduated from Temple University's Tyler School of Fine Arts[4] with a BS in education and a BFA. He also studied at the Barnes Foundation and spent time at a foundry in Pietrasanta, Italy. For much of his career, Estern worked out of a studio in Brooklyn Heights, commonly working in bronze. He also created sculptures of Jimmy Carter (Time, August 18, 1980), J. Edgar Hoover, and Princess Diana for covers of Time and Life. His sculpture of John F. Kennedy in Prospect Park was originally erected on May 31, 1965, on a marble base: Estern's first commissioned monument. Robert F. Kennedy officially unveiled the sculpture. Plaza renovations were started in 2002, and the statue was removed later on October 6, 2003. After small tweaks by Estern, it was re-dedicated in 2010.