A monumental sculptor whose Buffalo nickel joined an Indigenous profile with the American bison in a compact national image.
生平
Fraser grew up in the American West, studied in Chicago and Paris, and worked with Augustus Saint-Gaudens. His public sculpture and medal career led to the 1913 nickel redesign and later federal commissions.
风格与影响
He favored strong silhouettes, textured surfaces, and simplified masses drawn from monumental sculpture. His Indigenous portrait is a composite artistic construction, not a documentary likeness of one named sitter. The Buffalo nickel became a durable symbol later revived on commemorative and bullion pieces. Modern adaptations must distinguish Fraser's original design from the artists who re-modeled it.