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#0040
The Sculpture of Daniel Chester French
the Historical Society Building at Concord, which — satisfies me entirely in design and in the central
was designed by Mr. Guy Lowell of Boston : this figure. In the slumberous abandon of this grand
group by Mr. French represents on either side the torso, Michelangelesque in its splendid forms,
Genius of Ancient and of Modern History, with and recalling the Night of the Laurentian Chapel,
between them the Seal of the Historical Society, Mr. French shows that when he selects the nude
watched over by Minerva's owl. This is reserved, he can invest it with the same dignity and har-
simple, absolutely decora- monious beauty as his
tive; while, among the . draped figures: indeed
thirty statues which adorn among the great services
the exterior of the attic B^^^^^B which he has rendered
story of Brooklyn Institute, B^ - . J^H- to American sculpture not
the Greek Religion and Bjp^» the least has been the
Lyric Poetryhy our sculptor Br\?"nfH fact that from first to last
are draped female figures Vtv^Bb •• his aim has been lofty,
treated independently, and **-^|fC9 his sentiment pure and
of great beauty of type, ■ B^^ unsoiled.
Pot ^BV> Va)H The nude lies behind
appears as a grand B -v lft/^B a" sculpture — behind
bearded figure of Homer. B ^ J every one of the noble
When I was in Mr. B <ffP draped figures of this
French's studio at Glen- B American master, who
dale in 1906 he was B. fl has told me how much in
actually working on the Bw ■» fl his youth he owed to
great groups of the New B/^lL. fl Rimmer's masterly
York Customs, which are- H ^fl^^L. j^JIB analysis of human
now of course in place: ^BE^^^^B anatomy. Vet one feels
the composition is in every H ^m^^^ B that it would havebeen-
case more or less pyra- and has been—so easy for
midal and the difficult ■ the young sculptor, fresh
problems involved have fj from the,ateliers of Paris,
been boldly met and 1 to exhibit his technical
solved. Europe, a queenly dexterity before the
figure of noble type, »/Hs e , ' American public in those
with the shrouded form of - -' J> figures " des femmes, des
History as her comrade; ■ ISilSiSit' .Sfert , i: jeunes et jolies femmes."
America, alert and ardent, -Ofl!' '>"■"*«■ 1 ■fe^;r> which were wont to
the Redskin of her past H H B I I people the central hall of
behind her ; Asia, seated Hhf B ** * Bv " wntf.^ the Paris Salon. Daniel
111 hieratic pose, the '-^ '»Jj£"rl B^iSfl ^^B^'. Chester French has in-
Buddha on her lap, the ;':^V^I*B * , B B ^BRs*'* breathed his art with some-
effulgent Cross behind -jjfej ; -;»8j .'j^k,- thing of a more solemn
her, with her feet upon " »»,''4 '..Hfc.jB''™' ^a^^BJ music, of a severer, a more
human skulls, are com- BBiSte''"*"''" '"--:— - - 'i1*! austere message. Like
positions nobly con- fl^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Jj the distinguished Italian
ceived, the detail sub- ^Bi;r»j-j .e^eU?,-^?ftiBiW^^W[^^B^^^M Leonardo Histoid he has
ordinate to the central been, pre-eminently in his
, . , • , statue of abraham lincoln at lincoln, , ,
thought, the technical Nebraska monuments, the sculptor
handling that of an accom- d. c. french, sculptor of Death : this very phrase
plished master of his art. recalls his wonderful
To me personally Asia is the least pleasing, group at Forest Hill Cemetery, nor has any
though I know others do not share that verdict; monument to dead heroes excelled the lovely
on the other hand Africa, a sleeping woman of figure of Mourning Victory.
Nubian type, the upper part of her form entirely If in referring to the beginnings of modern
nude, resting her sinewy right arm on the Sphinx American sculpture I have spoken of Puritanism as
20
the Historical Society Building at Concord, which — satisfies me entirely in design and in the central
was designed by Mr. Guy Lowell of Boston : this figure. In the slumberous abandon of this grand
group by Mr. French represents on either side the torso, Michelangelesque in its splendid forms,
Genius of Ancient and of Modern History, with and recalling the Night of the Laurentian Chapel,
between them the Seal of the Historical Society, Mr. French shows that when he selects the nude
watched over by Minerva's owl. This is reserved, he can invest it with the same dignity and har-
simple, absolutely decora- monious beauty as his
tive; while, among the . draped figures: indeed
thirty statues which adorn among the great services
the exterior of the attic B^^^^^B which he has rendered
story of Brooklyn Institute, B^ - . J^H- to American sculpture not
the Greek Religion and Bjp^» the least has been the
Lyric Poetryhy our sculptor Br\?"nfH fact that from first to last
are draped female figures Vtv^Bb •• his aim has been lofty,
treated independently, and **-^|fC9 his sentiment pure and
of great beauty of type, ■ B^^ unsoiled.
Pot ^BV> Va)H The nude lies behind
appears as a grand B -v lft/^B a" sculpture — behind
bearded figure of Homer. B ^ J every one of the noble
When I was in Mr. B <ffP draped figures of this
French's studio at Glen- B American master, who
dale in 1906 he was B. fl has told me how much in
actually working on the Bw ■» fl his youth he owed to
great groups of the New B/^lL. fl Rimmer's masterly
York Customs, which are- H ^fl^^L. j^JIB analysis of human
now of course in place: ^BE^^^^B anatomy. Vet one feels
the composition is in every H ^m^^^ B that it would havebeen-
case more or less pyra- and has been—so easy for
midal and the difficult ■ the young sculptor, fresh
problems involved have fj from the,ateliers of Paris,
been boldly met and 1 to exhibit his technical
solved. Europe, a queenly dexterity before the
figure of noble type, »/Hs e , ' American public in those
with the shrouded form of - -' J> figures " des femmes, des
History as her comrade; ■ ISilSiSit' .Sfert , i: jeunes et jolies femmes."
America, alert and ardent, -Ofl!' '>"■"*«■ 1 ■fe^;r> which were wont to
the Redskin of her past H H B I I people the central hall of
behind her ; Asia, seated Hhf B ** * Bv " wntf.^ the Paris Salon. Daniel
111 hieratic pose, the '-^ '»Jj£"rl B^iSfl ^^B^'. Chester French has in-
Buddha on her lap, the ;':^V^I*B * , B B ^BRs*'* breathed his art with some-
effulgent Cross behind -jjfej ; -;»8j .'j^k,- thing of a more solemn
her, with her feet upon " »»,''4 '..Hfc.jB''™' ^a^^BJ music, of a severer, a more
human skulls, are com- BBiSte''"*"''" '"--:— - - 'i1*! austere message. Like
positions nobly con- fl^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Jj the distinguished Italian
ceived, the detail sub- ^Bi;r»j-j .e^eU?,-^?ftiBiW^^W[^^B^^^M Leonardo Histoid he has
ordinate to the central been, pre-eminently in his
, . , • , statue of abraham lincoln at lincoln, , ,
thought, the technical Nebraska monuments, the sculptor
handling that of an accom- d. c. french, sculptor of Death : this very phrase
plished master of his art. recalls his wonderful
To me personally Asia is the least pleasing, group at Forest Hill Cemetery, nor has any
though I know others do not share that verdict; monument to dead heroes excelled the lovely
on the other hand Africa, a sleeping woman of figure of Mourning Victory.
Nubian type, the upper part of her form entirely If in referring to the beginnings of modern
nude, resting her sinewy right arm on the Sphinx American sculpture I have spoken of Puritanism as
20