William Henry Rinehart: The Last Classical Sculptor William Henry Rinehart (1825 – 1874) stands as a singular figure in American art history—the final bastion of Neoclassical sculpture during the Victorian era. Born in Union Bridge, Maryland, Rinehart’s artistic trajectory was marked by an unwavering dedication to reviving the sculptural traditions championed by artists like Michelangelo and Canova, a pursuit that cemented his reputation as “the last important American sculptor to work in the classical style.” His tragically premature death in Rome at the age of 49 left behind a legacy of ex…