DOI issue:
No. 279 (June 1916)
DOI article:Brinton, Selwyn John Curwen: The recent sculpture of Daniel Chester French
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21262#0038
The Sculpture of Daniel Chester French
(1879) that bust of Emerson to which the sage whole composition as the column and the entabla-
himself paid the compliment of remarking "That ture"; and I added my own entire support in
is the face I shave." these words—" In America, under the unfavourable
We shall find in his later work the form of conditions for the plastic arts of a Puritan tradition
Emerson to re-appear, robed and seated, the keen and inheritance, the energetic propaganda of one
kindly face looking out quietly and steadily on life society has reversed the whole position, and is filling
and its problems ; and this figure, designed for the the United States with architecture and sculpture
Public Library of Concord in 1914, just thirty-five wedded into noble harmony."
years later than that earlier bust from the life, It is now before me to illustrate this remark in
must have been a labour of love, for Mr. French the work of Mr. Daniel Chester French, and here
has spoken to me more than once of the delightful his connection with a brilliant American architect,
hours which his earlier life had shared with the Mr. Cass Gilbert, is of first importance. This
sage of Concord, who seems to have been beloved connection began, as I believe, with the decorative
by all who knew him in that little New England work of the Minnesota State Capitol at St. Paul,
community. that great white marble structure which is due to
In an article published some three years ago Mr. Gilbert's design and contains figure work by
(1913) I endeavoured to press upon public atten- our artist; and when Mr. Cass Gilbert added to his
tion the claims of architectural sculpture. In so earlier successes the New York Customs, it was
doing I quoted the words of one of our ablest Mr. French who was to add to his design those
English architectural sculptors, Mr. Albert Hodge, groups of the four Continents which are its greatest
who had said in Birmingham " The finest sculp- ornament.
ture has been architectural, and has had allotted Before coming to these I wish to mention in this
to it a part as important to the integrity of the connection the decorative group over the doorway of
(1879) that bust of Emerson to which the sage whole composition as the column and the entabla-
himself paid the compliment of remarking "That ture"; and I added my own entire support in
is the face I shave." these words—" In America, under the unfavourable
We shall find in his later work the form of conditions for the plastic arts of a Puritan tradition
Emerson to re-appear, robed and seated, the keen and inheritance, the energetic propaganda of one
kindly face looking out quietly and steadily on life society has reversed the whole position, and is filling
and its problems ; and this figure, designed for the the United States with architecture and sculpture
Public Library of Concord in 1914, just thirty-five wedded into noble harmony."
years later than that earlier bust from the life, It is now before me to illustrate this remark in
must have been a labour of love, for Mr. French the work of Mr. Daniel Chester French, and here
has spoken to me more than once of the delightful his connection with a brilliant American architect,
hours which his earlier life had shared with the Mr. Cass Gilbert, is of first importance. This
sage of Concord, who seems to have been beloved connection began, as I believe, with the decorative
by all who knew him in that little New England work of the Minnesota State Capitol at St. Paul,
community. that great white marble structure which is due to
In an article published some three years ago Mr. Gilbert's design and contains figure work by
(1913) I endeavoured to press upon public atten- our artist; and when Mr. Cass Gilbert added to his
tion the claims of architectural sculpture. In so earlier successes the New York Customs, it was
doing I quoted the words of one of our ablest Mr. French who was to add to his design those
English architectural sculptors, Mr. Albert Hodge, groups of the four Continents which are its greatest
who had said in Birmingham " The finest sculp- ornament.
ture has been architectural, and has had allotted Before coming to these I wish to mention in this
to it a part as important to the integrity of the connection the decorative group over the doorway of