Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

I’m not really “into” art. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a beautiful painting or photograph or even a lifelike statue. But you won’t find me, chin in hand, staring at some painting while commenting on the artist’s brush stroke. Thus, I had never heard of Augustus Saint-Gaudens prior to my visit, despite him being one of America’s greatest sculptors.

Augustus Saint-Gaudens was born in 1848 in Ireland to a French father and an Irish mother. His family moved to New York when he was six months old. After receiving a primary education, he apprenticed with a cameo cutter through his teen years. This was followed by five years of studying in Paris. After Paris, he went to Rome, where he met Augusta Homer.

He wanted to marry her, but her father told him he needed his first major commission before he would grant Saint-Gaudens permission. That commission finally came in a request for a monument of Admiral Farragut. His design was a departure from the norms of the day and vaulted him to prominence in the sculpting world.

The Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park is located at his home in New Hampshire. He established a studio in the barn and taught aspiring artists who worked as his assistants. A visitor center provides information, brochures, a gift shop, and a video on Saint-Gaudens.

On the rest of the grounds are his house and several outbuildings, many of which served as studios or classrooms. A couple of art galleries are located near the visitor center where the Farragut monument and a monument of Abraham Lincoln along with several smaller sculptures and carvings.

The Lincoln monument is considered one of the finest of the 16th President and has some background. As a teen, Saint-Gaudens saw Lincoln in person while he was on the way to Washington for his first inauguration, then saw his casket pass through New York City just over four years later.

Though there are tours of the house, the highlight of this site is both the art and sculptures present along with the history of an artist that I suspect many outside of the art community do not know. I do now.

Steve