Saint-Gaudens

Saint-Gaudens Painting of Saint-Gaudens by Kenyon Cox, 1908 Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site New Hampshire National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Aspet and the formal gardens, with view of Mt. Ascutney in the distance The Little Studio Saint-Gaudens, his niece Marie, his son Homer, and "Seasick" the goat, 1892 off the main hallway, along w i t h new bedrooms, a sun room, dormers, and a wide porch w i t h columns. Many other well known artists followed Saint-Gaudens t o Cornish, forming w h a t was known as the Cornish Colony: painters Maxfield Parrish, Thomas Dewing, George de Forest Brush, Lucia Fuller, and Kenyon Cox; dramatist Percy MacKaye; American novelist Winston Churchill; architect Charles Piatt; and sculptors Paul Manship, Herbert Adams, and Louis St. Gaudens, brother of Augustus. They created a dynamic social environment, at whose center was Augustus SaintGaudens. site, to honor Saint-Gaudens' t w e n t i e t h year in Cornish. The stage set in the form of a Greek temple was later recreated in marble. It is n o w the final resting place of Saint-Gaudens and his family. Saint-Gaudens in Cornish Augustus Saint-Gaudens first came to Cornish in 1885, renting an old inn for the summer from his friend and lawyer, Charles C. Beaman. He adapted the house t o his needs and converted a hay barn into a studio. Saint-Gaudens grew t o love the place and finally purchased it in 1892. The family continued t o summer here until 1900, after which it became their year-round home. He named the estate Aspet after his father's birthplace in France. Over the years he transformed the grounds w i t h gardens, hedges, and recreation areas, including a swimming pool, bowling green, and nine-hole golf course. The house, built about 1800, was completely remodeled: a graceful, curving stairway w i t h a study was added As his popularity grew and commissions poured in, SaintGaudens built a large studio where his assistants worked. Saint-Gaudens' role became that of an executive producer, developing the concept and initial models for a sculpture, then directing his assistants in completing the work. In 1904 the large studio burned, destroying the sculptor's correspondence, sketchbooks, and many works in progress. A redesigned structure named the Studio of the Caryatids was quickly built, but in 1944 it too burned. After the death of Saint-Gaudens in 1907, the artist colony gradually dissipated. Aspet remains, however, as a reminder of that community and the w o r k of one of America's greatest sculptors. In 1905 members of the art colony produced the play "A Masque of Ours: The Gods and the Golden Bowl" at the Sculptor of the American Renaissance Augustus Saint-Gaudens was born March 1, 1848, in Dublin, Ireland, t o a French shoemaker and his Irish w i f e . Six months later, t h e family e m i g r a t e d t o New York City, w h e r e Augustus g r e w up. A f t e r c o m p l e t i n g school at age 13, he expressed strong interest in art as a career and was apprenticed t o a cameo cutter. W h i l e w o r k ing days at his cameo lathe, Augustus also att e n d e d art classes at New York's Cooper Union and t h e National Academy of Design. Shaw Memorial, final version, 1900, exhibited here at the national historic site. "A sculptor's work endures so long that it is next to a crime for him to neglect to do everything that lies in his power to execute a result that will not be a disgrace" A t 19, w i t h his apprenticeship completed and his m i n d set o n becoming a sculptor, he traveled t o Paris w h e r e he studied at t h e r e n o w n e d Ecole des Beaux-Arts. In 1870 he left Paris f o r Rome, w h e r e f o r t h e next five years he studied classical art and architecture and w o r k e d on his first commissions. In Rome Saint-Gaudens also met an American art student, Augusta Homer, w h o m he later married. In 1876 he received his first major commission: a m o n u m e n t t o Civil War A d m . David Glasgow Farragut. Unveiled in New York in 1881, t h e w o r k was a t r e m e n d o u s success; its c o m b i n a t i o n of realism and allegory marked a d e p a r t u r e f r o m previous American sculpture. Saint-Gaudens' f a m e grew, and o t h e r commissions w e r e quickly f o r t h c o m i n g . Augustus Saint-Gaudens Cameos, Medals, and Coins Saint-Gaudens began his artistic career working in a form of miniature relief sculpture, the cameo. Apprenticed for six years in his youth to a cameo cutter, he produced a host of beautifully delicate cameos in both shell and stone. Later in life he created other masterpieces in miniature: medals and coins. He did commemorative medals for the Centennial of George Washington's inauguration in 1889, the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and the Theodore Roosevelt Saint-Gaudens and students at the Art Students League, c 1888 Saint-Gaudens' increased prominence a l l o w e d h i m t o pursue his strong interest in teaching, s o m e t h i n g he did steadily f r o m 1888 t o 1897. He t u t o r e d y o u n g artists privately, t a u g h t at t h e A r t Students League, and t o o k on a large n u m ber of assistants. He was also an artistic advisor t o t h e Columbian Exposition of 1893, an avid supporter of t h e American Academy in Rome, and part of t h e MacMillan Commission, w h i c h made recommendations f o r t h e architectural and artistic preservation and i m p r o v e m e n t of t h e Nation's Capital. Saint-Gaudens' greatest legacy may be his p u b lic m o n u m e n t s , such as t h e Sherman M o n u m e n t in New York's Central Park and his "Standing Lincoln" in Chicago, one of t h e finest representations of t h e Civil W a r President. Infused w i t h b o t h realism and idealism, Saint-Gaudens' m o n uments had a dynamic quality not seen before in American sculpture. The m o n u m e n t t o Gen. W i l l i a m T. Sherman is a dramatic example of this t e c h n i q u e , w i t h t h e w i n g e d Victory leading a resolute Sherman on his march t o t h e sea. He produced o t h e r e n d u r i n g and distinctive public sculpture, such as t h e Adams M e m o r i a l , Peter Cooper M o n u m e n t , and Gen. John A. Logan M o n u m e n t . Perhaps his greatest achievement d u r i n g this period was t h e Shaw M e m o r i a l , u n veiled in Boston in 1897. Described as SaintGaudens' " s y m p h o n y in b r o n z e , " this masterpiece t o o k 14 years t o complete. Saint-Gaudens pioneered t h e i n t e g r a t i o n of architecture, landscape design, and m o n u m e n tal sculpture, collaborating w i t h leading architects like Stanford W h i t e t o create innovative and u n i q u e settings f o r his works. Model of the Sherman Monument, Cornish, N.H., c. 1901 Diana, Second Version, 1892 h o m e year r o u n d . For t h e next seven years, despite diminishing energy, he c o n t i n u e d t o w o r k , producing a steady stream of reliefs and public sculpture. Following his d e a t h on August 3, 1907, his w i f e Augusta and t h e i r son Homer c o n t i n u e d t o summer at Aspet. In 1919 they established t h e Saint-Gaudens M e m o r i a l , an o r g a n i z a t i o n dedicated t o preserving t h e place as a historic site. In 1965 t h e M e m o r i a l d o n a t e d t h e property t o t h e National Park Service. A f t e r being diagnosed w i t h cancer in 1900, Saint-Gaudens decided t o make Cornish his Portrait Reliefs Special Inaugural medal in 1905. At the request of President Roosevelt in 1904, Saint-Gaudens designed three coins for the U.S. Mint: the one cent piece and the 10 and 20 dollar gold pieces. Roosevelt and SaintGaudens wanted to evoke the beauty of the high-relief coins of ancient Greece and Rome. With this commission Saint-Gaudens became the first sculptor fully to design an American coin. After initial problems In producing coins in such high relief, the gold pieces were issued a few months after the death of Saint-Gaudens in 1907 and were minted until 1933. The obverse of the 20 dollar "double eagle" coin, featuring the standing liberty, is still used for United States gold bullion coins. For many artists and collectors, Saint-Gaudens' design remains the most beautiful of American coins. Stone cameos (left) of Mary Queen of Scots, 1873, and Mars, 1873. Ten and 20 dollar gold pieces (right), 1909 and 1907 respectively. Among Saint-Gaudens' crowning achievements are his portrait reliefs. Considered the most complicated and difficult type of sculpture, bas-relief (low relief) has been likened to "drawing in clay." As such, relief does not deal with actual form but the appearance of form. Details and perspective must be conveyed by means of light falling on subtle surface contours. Saint-Gaudens' reliefs are found in a variety of media, including bronze, wood, marble, and plaster, and show a vitality and liveliness rarely seen in this form. His work demonstrates not only beauty in its composition but subtlety of expression and insight into the character of the subject. Muralist Kenyon Cox called him "the most complete master of relief since the fifteenth century." Many prominent individuals, like Cornelius Vanderbilt and Samuel Gray Ward, commissioned Saint-Gaudens to model portraits of them and their families. He produced more than 100 such portrait reliefs (right). Compositions in low relief include those of his wife Augusta, his neighbor's son William E. Beaman, and Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson, one of his most popular subjects. The portrait of Louise Howland (right) is in very high relief. Robert Louis Stevenson, 1888 Louise Howland, 1884 William E. Beaman, 1885 Augusta Homer Saint-Gaudens, 1906 I M A G E S NOT CREDITED ARE NFS Touring Saint-Gaudens Welcome to the home, gardens, and studios of one of America's greatest sculptors. This was Saint-Gaudens' summer residence from 1885 to 1897 and his permanent home from 1900 until his death in 1907. Numbers key these points of interest to the painting. 1 Visitor Center Trail This is your route to the visitor center. God;" Saint-Gaudens called it "The Mystery of the Hereafter. .. beyond pain and beyond joy." 2 Visitor Center Located here are the information desk, auditorium and orientation film, museum shop, drinking fountain, and restrooms. 11 Flower Garden Old-fashioned perennials enclosed by pine and hemlock hedges echo Italian formal gardens. Saint-Gaudens was personally involved in all aspects of planning and developing the landscape around Aspet. 3 Farragut Monument (1881) Saint-Gaudens' first commissioned public monument commemorated Civil War Adm. David Glasgow Farragut. Its great success assured Saint-Gaudens' reputation as a leading sculptor. Architect Stanford White helped design the pedestal, their first of many collaborations. Interior, Little Studio 4 Picture Gallery This original outbuilding was adapted in 1948 as a gallery for changing art exhibitions sponsored by the trustees of the Saint-Gaudens Memorial. 12 Little Studio Built in 1904 after designs by architect George Fletcher Babb, this building replaced a barn that Saint-Gaudens had converted into a studio in 1885. He worked here by himself. His assistants later enlarged and completed his sketches in a larger studio nearby, lost to fire in 1944. Saint-Gaudens designed the pergola with Doric columns in 1889 after a trip to Italy. Red stucco walls and casts from the Parthenon frieze complete the desired Mediterranean effect. The building now exhibits works by Saint-Gaudens. 13 Aspet Built about 1800 as an inn, this Federal style, brick house was known locally as Huggins' Folly. Saint-Gaudens renamed it Aspet in honor of his father's French birthplace and later added dormers and the west porch piazza with its Ionic columns. The house retains original furnishings and decorative objects from Saint-Gaudens' travels. The majestic tree in front is a thornless honey locust planted in 1886. 5 New Gallery & Atrium After fire destroyed the Studio of the Caryatids, two remaining outbuildings were remodeled in 1948 as exhibition galleries. Architect John Ames added a Romanstyle atrium and pool. Exhibits include portrait reliefs, designs for the 1907 U.S. gold coinage, medals, and cameos by Saint-Gaudens. 6 Bowling Green Saint-Gaudens used this area to play the sport of lawn bowls. 7 Shaw Memorial (1897/1900) This is SaintGaudens' final version of the monument to the Civil War service of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment of African American Volunteers in Boston. Original and unique, the cast differs slightly from the original, which Saint-Gaudens took 14 years to complete. 8 Stable and Ice House Built before 1885 and remodeled in 1891, the ice house stored blocks of ice cut from Blow-Me-Down Pond. It now exhibits horse-drawn vehicles. 9 Cutting Garden This former vegetable garden is now planted with historic varieties of annuals used to replenish flower arrangements. 10 Adams Memorial (1891/1974) This is a recast of the bronze funerary sculpture commissioned by historian Henry Adams for his wife Clover and located in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Adams called it "The Peace of Atrium and pool, New Gallery 14 Ravine Studio Built about 1900, this studio was used by Saint-Gaudens' assistants for marble carving and sculpture production. Restored in 1969, it now provides a workshop for the sculptor-in-residence. 15 Ravine Trail This self-guiding, quarter-mile nature trail begins at the Ravine Studio and follows an old cart path along Blow-Me-Up Brook. It terminates at the Temple. At the lower end is the swimming hole built by Saint-Gaudens. 16 Temple Designed in 1905 as a set for a play presented by artists of the Cornish Colony on the 20th anniversary of Saint-Gaudens' coming to Cornish, the temple was later redone in marble and holds the Saint-Gaudens family ashes. 17 Blow-Me-Down Trail This two-mile scenic hiking trail descends to the mill pond through the Blow-Me-Down Natural Area, 80 acres of forest featuring mature stands of white pine. ILLUSTRATION NPS/L. KENNETH TOWNSEND, UPDATED 2003 BY ELIOT COHEN About Your Visit Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site is just off N.H. 12A in Cornish, N.H. It is 12 miles south of West Lebanon, N.H., 12 miles north of Claremont, N.H., and two miles from Windsor, Vt. Hours and Fees The site is open daily from late May through late October. The buildings are open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the grounds until dusk. There is an admission fee for persons more than 16 years of age. This is a federal fee area, and Golden Age, Golden Access, Golden Eagle, and National Park Passes are honored. From Windsor, cross the covered bridge and turn left on N.H. 12A. From I-89 take exit 20 (West Lebanon) and go south on N.H. 12A. From 1-91 take exit 8 (Ascutney) and go east to N.H. 12A north. For Your Safety Be alert for traffic when you cross from the parking lot and take care while touring the park. The marble steps are slippery when wet, and the brick paths may be uneven. Watch for bees and for poison ivy near the forest and trails. The park has no public telephone, food service, or camping facilities, but neighboring communities offer these services. The visitor center has wheelchair-accessible restrooms. AGPO:2003—496196/40S78 ReprinL 2003 Printed on recycled paper. Accessibility Some buildings and areas of the site (nos. 4, 11, 13, 14, 15, and 17 above) are not wheelchair accessible. Interpretive information in Braille, closed-captioned video, audio tape, and interactive computer formats is available at the visitor center (no. 2). For More Information Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site 139 Saint-Gaudens Rd., Cornish, NH 03745-9704 603-675-2175 or www.nps.gov/saga Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site is one of more than 380 parks in the National Park System. Visit www.nps.gov to learn more about parks and National Park Service programs in America's communities. Dining room at Aspet Flower garden ALL PHOTOGRAPHS NPS