Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1907) (14783287202)

Identifier: augustussaintgau00cort (find matches)
Title: Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Cortissoz, Royal, 1869-1948 Rogers, Bruce, 1870-1957
Subjects: Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 1848-1907
Publisher: Boston : Houghton, Mifflin and Company
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries



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nt. The winged Victory in everyfibre quivers with the rhythm of oncoming resistlessforce. But so perfect is the balance of this group, so un-erring has the sculptor been in the fusion of elasticitywith restraint, that, while his work is at every point alive,it has the calm dignity which alone befits a monumentalwork of art. One way of emphasizing this is to comparethe Sherman with some such familiar composition asthe Emperor William of Begas at Berlin; the gulf thatseparates genius from mediocrity is then vividly realized.The German sculptors solution of his problem is wo-64 THE COLUMBUS MEDAL Modelled for the exhibition held at Chicago in 1893, incommemoration of the four hundredth anniversary of thelanding of Columbus. Of the two designs made by Saint/Gaudens, the second was adopted. The reverse of the oneabandoned has a special interest, the figure illustrating, asdoes the Diana for the top of the Madison Square tower inNew York, the very rare introduction of the nude into hiswork.
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fully disappointing, even though he had the precious aidprovided by an elaborate architectural scheme. Not allthe paraphernalia of the vast monument on the Spreecan obscure the fact that the central group is made upof only factitiously related parts, that no harmony ofform or line, of mass and light and shade, is establishedamongst the varied elements of the design. In SaintGaudenss work the rhythm of the dramatic conceptionis held so well in hand, it is so majestic, that classic artitself could not produce a more nobly monumental effect.Saint-Gaudens had, indeed, this much in common withthe antique, that he could not be trivial or violent, but hadto see life and treat it in his art with a wide and steadyvision, a strong hand, and a lofty feeling. Sincerity is writlarge upon everything he did, from the medallions of hisearlier days to the Sherman, which was the fruit of hismaturity. He was fortunate in his opportunities, which enabledhim to illustrate American history in statues of so