Karl Bitter

You can read a biography of an artist who worked on a Minneapolis landmark, the Thomas Lowry Memorial.

Biography

Karl Bitter (1867-1915)

Karl Bitter was an Austrian-born American sculptor. Recognized as among the greatest sculptors of his era, he received many honors over the course of his life.

He won the:

  • Silver medal in sculpture at the Paris Exposition in 1910
  • Gold medal at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition
  • Silver medal at the Philadelphia Exposition in 1902
  • Gold medal at the Saint Louis Exposition in 1904

He also served as director of sculpture at the

  • 1901 Pan-American Exposition
  • 1901 Saint Louis Exposition
  • 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition

Bitter served as the vice-president of the National Sculpture Society for one year.

Bitter is responsible for dozens of memorials and much sculptural ornamentation across the country. The Thomas Lowry Memorial is his only work in Minnesota. Bitter worked on the Thomas Lowry Memorial from 1911 until his death in 1915, four months before the memorial’s completion. Nearby works of Bitter include:

  • Ornamentation on the Wisconsin state capitol building
  • Three pieces in Saint Louis, Missouri:
    • One public sculpture
    • Two pieces in the collection of the Missouri History Museum

Read about the Thomas Lowry Memorial

Updated: April 2015

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