Mahonri Young

Mahonri Macintosh Young (August 9, 1877 – November 2, 1957) was an American sculptor and artist. Although he lived most of his life in New York City, two of his works, the This Is The Place Monument and the Seagull Monument are featured prominently in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mahonri was the grandson of the second President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and first Governor of Utah, Brigham Young.

Biography

Young was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory to Mahonri Moriancumer Young and Agnes Mackintosh Young just 20 days before the death of his grandfather Brigham Young. Young's own father died when he was eight.

Rather than high school, Young choose to pursue an artistic education under local artist James T. Harwood. Young saved money earned as a Salt Lake Tribune engraver to attend the Art Students League of New York between 1899 and 1901, returning for financial reasons. Working for the Salt Lake Herald, Young saved enough money to travel to Paris, France where he studied at the Académie Julian until 1905. In France he decided to focus on sculpture, although his watercolor paintings were also acclaimed.