Students: To complete this activity, you are going to be divided into
cooperative groups. Each group will use the classroom computer to
research the **biography** of America\'s famous sculptor Augustus
Saint-Gaudens. You will be learning about his life and work, which will
help to make your visit more fun. All answers to the blanks will be
found in the text as you advance from screen to screen. We look forward
to meeting you when you come to Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site.

Now its time to begin: The Saint-Gaudens website is found on the
internet at: **www.sgnhs.org**

**Click on Saint-Gaudens\' EARLY YEARS**

**early years**

Augustus Saint-Gaudens lived from\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
to\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. He was

(date) (date)

born in \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. His
father came from\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_;

(city) (country) (country)

his mother was\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. When Augustus
was\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ old, the family

(nationality) (age)

*immigrated* to\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ to escape the disastrous
potato famine in Ireland.

(country)

They settled in\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_-. Augustus went to school
until the age

(city)

of\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, (which is the equivalent of grade 8 today.) It was
time for him to learn

(age)

a *trade*. Since he showed promise as an artist, he was *apprenticed* to

a\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ cutter, where he worked for \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
years. At night he took

(carved gem) (number)

drawing lessons.

**Vocabulary**: (words to look up and understand)

immigrate

trade

apprentice

cameo

**1**

**Click on Saint-Gaudens\' EARLY YEARS continued**

**early years**

**Important experiences: Foreign study in Paris and Rome**

In\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Saint-Gaudens left the United States to continue his
art education

(date)

at the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, a famous art
school in\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. He

(name of school in French) (city)

began to study\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. When
the\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ war broke

(a type of art) (name of the war)

out, he had to flee to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. This turned out to be a
very happy experience (city)

for him. Here he opened his first studio where he
created\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

(portraits)

and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_*busts.* He also
met\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, who later

(stone) (name)

became his wife. They were married in\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
In 1880, their

(date)

son\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ was born.

(date)

**Vocabulary:** (words to look up and understand)

bust

2

**Click on Saint-Gaudens SAINT GAUDENS COMES TO CORNISH, NH**

**in Cornish, 1885-1907**

Augustus Saint-Gaudens lived in Cornish from\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
to\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. He

(date) (date)

rented an old Inn called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
At first he used the property

(name)

only during the summer months. One of the first *commissions* begun in
Cornish

was a statue of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
Saint-Gaudens also began to fix up

(President of the United States)

the house and grounds. He named the house
\"\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\". He turned the hay (name)

barn into a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and added a
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, which is another name

(place where an artist works) (architectural term)

for a porch with columns. One of the first formal gardens he designed
was called

the\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, because it contained a statue of
the god Pan.

(Greek god)

**Vocabulary: (**words to look up and understand)

commission

**3**

**THE FINAL YEARS**

**Click on Saint-Gaudens**

**in Cornish**

In 1887, Saint-Gaudens returned to France. He visited his cousins in the

village of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Later, back in Paris, he
exhibited four important

(name of village)

works of sculpture in the famous Universal Exposition of 1900. These
were

(1)\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, (2)
the\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,

(name of sculpture) (name of sculpture)

\(3\) the\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, and (4)
the\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

(name of sculpture) (name of sculpture)

For all of these works he received the
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ (First Prize).
(name of prize in French)

Not feeling well, he was diagnosed
with\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and

(disease)

immediately returned to Cornish. He loved Cornish for the beauty of the
landscape and the peace he felt here.

**4**

**Click on Saint-Gaudens THE FINAL YEARS** continued

**In Cornish**

Hoping to restore his health and strength with sports, he built a
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

(name of a sport)

and a giant \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A
new \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ was

(winter sport) (where an artist works)

built in 1904. Saint-Gaudens employed young sculptors, who worked as his

assistants. They helped him with his larger sculptures, but when the
large

studio burned in 1904, the fire destroyed precious work and personal
belongings. A

new studio was built called
the\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. (This building burned in
(name of this studio)

1944, and so there is no evidence of this studio today.) By 1906-07, the
sculptor

was too weak to work. He left notes and instructions for his assistants
to follow so

they could finish the sculptures. Saint-Gaudens died in
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and is buried

(date)

at the Temple on the Cornish estate.

> **5**

**MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS**

**From the Index, click**

**on [The Art Works]{.underline}**

We remember Saint-Gaudens for more than 200 sculptures which he

completed during his lifetime. The types of work he did include (list
six):

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

**Public Monuments,** those sculptures which the general public sees in
city parks,

gardens, and cemeteries are some of the most important works. The
monument to

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ in 1877-80 is
Saint-Gaudens\' first major

(name of Admiral)

*commission* and established his reputation as one of our country\'s
finest sculptors.

(You will see this monument in Cornish.) Other Civil War monuments were
done

to honor \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,
the\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,

(name) (first black regiment)

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, and another

(name of a General) (another General)

memorial to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

(name)

**6**

**MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS** continued

**from Index screen,**

**click on [The Art Works]{.underline}**

**Relief Portraits:** about three quarters of all Saint-Gaudens\' work
are *portraits*

modeled in very low relief. Relief has been defined as \"drawing in
clay.\" Most of

these portraits were *commissioned* by private citizens. Saint-Gaudens
liked to

model children and animals. Can you find some examples?

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ (1884-85),
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ (1882), or Saint-

Gaudens\' dog \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ (1884).

**Coins and Medals:** Saint-Gaudens was the first sculptor to design an
American

coin. His one cent piece was never minted, but in 1905-07 both the

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and the
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ were

produced. The twenty dollar coin has been called \"the most beautiful
coin ever

minted in the United States.\" It is very valuable and is sought after
by collectors.

> **7**

**MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS** continued

**A Bust** is a portrait of a person, shown from the shoulders up.
Saint-Gaudens

modeled his father \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ in
1867. This work was his very

first sculpture, done when he was only 19 years old.

**Cameos** are relief portraits cut from shell or stone. They were a
popular form of

jewelry and could be made into earrings, pins or necklaces. Cutting
cameos was an

important skill for the young sculptor when he began creating
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

**Vocabulary:** (words to look up and understand)

**portrait**

The End