Beniamino Bufano

Sculptor Beniamino Bufano working on a copper head model of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Library of Congress, Music Division, Federal Theatre Project Collection

Beniamino Bufano (ca. 1890-1970) created the smooth granite sculptures, Frog and Seal, on the veranda of the Maritime Museum. Bufano had intended at least 10 more animal sculptures for Aquatic Park—including those of fish, a crab, and a penguin—but he withheld or removed them from the site following controversy over the early use of the Aquatic Park Bathhouse.

Born in San Fele, Italy, Bufano moved to New York City with his family as a child. He later came to San Francisco to sculpt pieces for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, including figures for the Court of the Universe and Palace of Fine Arts. With the city as his new home, Bufano traveled extensively through Europe and Asia, gaining influences for his art.

An educator and impassioned advocate of public art, Bufano is best known for large-scale monuments promoting peace, smaller works featuring animals, and sculptures of Saint Francis of Assisi, whom he revered. Bufano’s recognizably sleek and rounded outdoor sculptures are found in and around San Francisco, including in the Great Meadow at Fort Mason. The rest of his works meant for Aquatic Park are currently in San Francisco’s Valencia Gardens housing complex.

Further Reading:

"Oral history interview with Beniamino Bufano” by Mary McChesney, Smithsonian Archives of American Art. October 4, 1965.