Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Anna Hyatt Huntington was one of the greatest sculptors of the twentieth century, famous for the skillful realism and emotional depth of her work. Her husband, Archer Milton Huntington, founded the Hispanic Society of America in 1904.
It was 1929 when Archie and Anna first visited the property at Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Captivated by the beauty of it, they bought it, and planned to develop the former plantation lands into a garden to feature Anna’s sculptures. But their collection of American sculpture rapidly expanded, and when Brookgreen Gardens became a public sculpture garden in 1932, it soon emerged as the largest and most comprehensive collection of American figurative sculpture in the country.
Frederick Hart grew up nearby. But he struggled. His older brother had died before he was born, casting a pall of grief over the family. And then, another family tragedy: In 1945, when he was just two years old, Hart’s mother died of scarlet fever.
A World War II Veteran, Hart’s father was a hard-drinking newspaper reporter. He moved the family to Atlanta, Georgia. More and more, Hart contemplated escape. It became an obsession. As a child, he fantasized about being abducted by aliens.
And Hart suffered for his art: he got spanked for drawing pictures of naked women. As a teenager, he quarreled with his father and step-mother, who had nothing but contempt for his artistic ambitions. Exasperated, they sent him back home to live with his aunt in South Carolina.
That was when Hart discovered the sculpture of Brookgreen Gardens. At every chance he got, Hart would escape to wander alone among the moss-covered oaks and magnolia trees. Over time, they became fixed in his mind, the garden’s hidden treasures: a stone faun, a bronze Diana, a golden Dionysus. These were stretches of time that would remain with him for the rest of his life — on the cathedral scaffolding, in the studio — and serve as an inspiration throughout his career.
The sculpture of Anna Hyatt Huntington had a particular impact on Hart’s career. She was of the greatest figurative sculptors of the early twentieth century, and it was her work that helped inspire Hart to pursue a career as an artist. In time, Hart himself would become one of the greatest figurative sculptors of the late twentieth century. Hart’s habit of escaping to Brookgreen Gardens also shaped the way he talked about art: He said that art must give hope to the darkness, and it must be a part of life. It must be an enriching, ennobling and vital partner… It should be a majestic presence in everyday life.
In 1986, Hart was appointed to the Board of Trustees, Brookgreen Gardens Sculpture Collection.
Source: https://www.brookgreen.org
Frederick Hart 