John Hogan

Who was John Hogan?

John Hogan was one of Ireland's greatest sculptors.

Hogan was born on October 14, 1800 in Tallow, County Waterford, spent his youth in the city of Cork, Ireland and, in 1812, was placed as clerk to an attorney. Disliking this occupation, he chose to be apprenticed to the architect Sir Thomas Deane, where his talents for drawing and carving were developed. He was sent to Rome where he resided and cultivated his skills for many years.

Hogan's best known work and masterpiece are the three versions of the statue of The Redeemer in Death or The Dead Christ. Created in flawless Carrara marble, the first version is located in St. Therese's Church, Dublin, Ireland, the second in St. Finbarr's Church, Cork, Ireland and the third and final version is located in the Basilica of St. John The Baptist, Newfoundland. Other works by Hogan include the Sleeping Shepherd and The Drunken Faun.

Hogan assured his international reputation in 1829 with The Dead Christ; thereafter, his creations were snapped up by Irish bishops visiting his Rome studio, and Hogan was pronounced by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorwaldsen as "the best sculptor I leave after me in Rome."