“Shaw Memorial” by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, photograph courtesy Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish, N.H.
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Currier Museum presents a monumental exhibit to showcase the work of one of the United States’ most renowned sculptors, and New Hampshire resident, Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907). “The Sculpture of Augustus Saint-Gaudens” primarily consists of 40 sculptures and continues through May 20.
The Nineteenth Century artist was widely hailed as the finest American sculptor of his day. One of his most famous works is the Shaw Memorial located in Boston Common that honors the Civil War Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and his African American troops. Saint-Gaudens’ $20- and $10-dollar gold coins were designed at the request of President Theodore Roosevelt for the US Mint and are still considered among the most beautiful American coins ever issued. He is also revered for his iconic sculpture of Diana, the goddess of the hunt that once graced the tower of Madison Square Garden.
“The Currier is partnering with the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, N.H. to bring many of the most important works of this prolific New Hampshire artist to a wider audience,” stated Currier Museum curator Andrew Spahr. “Saint-Gaudens had a profound impact on many artists in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century, and he was widely regarded in America and Europe as one of the finest sculptors of his time.”
Saint-Gaudens may be a familiar name to many in New Hampshire because he founded the Cornish Colony that attracted many notable painters, sculptors, writers and architects. Even though he was constantly in demand for the most important public commissions of his day and received international acclaim for his work, New Hampshire was his summer residence and later his year-round home and studio, where he conceived and refined some of his most important works.
“We are honored to be able to present this collection of Saint-Gaudens’s works,” said Spahr. “His revolutionary sculptural style combined the classical styles of Greek, Roman and Renaissance art with a vibrant American naturalism, and while some of his monumental pieces are permanently installed in public places like the Boston Common and New York’s Central Park, our exhibit will allow for an up-close and personal exploration of his talents.”
The Currier Museum of Art is at 150 Ash Street. For information, 603-669-6144 or www.currier.org.
