Historical Profile: Daniel Chester French

Stockbridge, MA. - Daniel Chester French (1850 – 1931) was one of the most prolific American sculptors during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  In 1893, French became a founding member of the National Sculpture Society.  French was also a founding member of the United States Commission of Fine Arts.  In 1940, French was selected to be honored on a stamp for the U.S. Postal Service “Famous Americans” series. 

His works of art are on display throughout the United States: most notably – the Abraham Lincoln statue (1920) at the Lincoln Memorial; the John Harvard statue at Harvard University; bronze doors at the Boston Public Library; the General Joseph Hooker statue at the Massachusetts State House; the Dupont Circle fountain in Washington, D.C.; the Minute Man statue (1875) in Concord, Massachusetts; and the Wisconsin statue (1920) on the top of the Wisconsin State Capitol Building.

In 1931, French died at his summer home – Chesterwood in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.  Chesterwood, which was designed by architect Henry Bacon, is now a museum dedicated to the work of Daniel Chester French.  Chesterwood is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

Daniel Chester French was said: “The effect of a monument or statue rightly placed does a great deal for the embellishment of a square… The important thing is, not to find a site for a statue, but a statue for a site.”

A model statue of Abraham Lincoln created by Daniel Chester French, at Chesterwood.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Life and Art of Allan Rohan Crite

Image
The Boston Public Library was one of three locations in the city of Boston to display the art work of longtime Bostonian and artist Allan Rohan Crite. Beginning in the fall of 2007 until February 3, 2008, the BPL, the Boston Athenaeum, and the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists exhibited collected works of art from Crite’s storied career in The Life and Art of Allan Rohan Crite: 1910-2007 . Funded in part by the Boston Public Library Foundation, the exhibit offered onlookers a view into Crite’s lengthy artistic career. When I visited the exhibit on January 19, 2008, over fifty collages, drawings, paintings, and sketches adorned the Wiggins Gallery in the McKim Building of The Boston Public Library. Crite was born on March 20, 1910, in Plainfield, New Jersey. In that same year, his family moved to Boston, Massachusetts. Crite would later make Boston his home as an adult. Over the course of his distinguished career he promoted visual art as a lecturer, p...
Read more

Historical Profile: The Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial

Image
America was a divided nation during the Civil War. From 1861-1865, the North (Union) and the South (Confederacy) battled in the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history. The Massachusetts 54th Infantry Regiment participated in the Civil War. The 54th was a unique regiment because it was the first regiment composed of African American soldiers to fight for the Union. In total, over 186,000 African American soldiers fought in the Civil War.  The Massachusetts 54th Regiment distinguished itself during a battle on July 18, 1863. On this day the Regiment led an assault on Fort Wagner – a Confederate base in Charleston, South Carolina. As a result of the battle, the Regiment lost 63 soldiers. One of the soldiers who died was the Regiment’s white commanding officer -Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. Several members of the regiment fought valiantly in the battle of Fort Wagner. Despite being wounded three times, Sgt. William Carney, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, saved the American flag from...
Read more

A Century of Excellence: Charles River Esplanade Celebrates 100th Anniversary

Image
2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation’s Charles River Esplanade. I write this article to highlight this great milestone. As a fourth year seasonal Ranger at the Teddy Ebersol’s Red Sox Fields which are located on the Esplanade, I have learned about the park’s unique features. The Esplanade is a well known and popular location that is used for a variety of recreational activities. The Esplanade is a unique place because it has numerous historical attributes portraying the rich history of the city of Boston and the DCR. The term Esplanade - first used in 1910 to describe the parkland, is a French word that means “promenade along a shore.” The Esplanade stretches approximately 3 miles along the Boston side of the Charles River, from the Boston University Bridge to the Museum of Science. The Esplanade contains: 6 miles of walkways & bikeways, 3 boathouses, an athletic field complex, 6 wooden docks, and over 1,900 trees. A sp...
Read more