New-York tribune., 1880-06-20
d. C. FRENCH. THE CONCORD SCULPTOR
From Tho Boston Herald.

Five years ago. art lovers III this country and
patrotcally inclined people who took an Interest III
the centenary celebrations then hrgnning, were
surprised to zee sprinGing out Of the s"l on the
field of Concord fight lIthc-lOOklng bronze gure,
by new sculptor, which was instinct WIN r.illnt
This figure was the now well-known Minute Man
and the new sculptor was Daniel Chester French. n
resident Of the of Concord His father the Hon.
H. T. French. Assistant Secretary OF the Treasury Of
the United States. owns a farm here on Which IA Il
comfortable and dignfcd old dwelling house, sur-
rounded by a velvet lawn. The studio also faces
the road a few rods away from the house. and
separated from it by q short stretch OF apple
orchard. 1t is built of wood in specIes OF Queen
Anne style after plan made "S Mr. fn,scG hre%c6
with coating OF gray-green mastic part way
up, the remainder OF the wall beng sheathcd
with round, dark red shingles, which join the pnr-
ple-bTown roof. He does not cOntine himself TO II
altogether having from time to time working
room in Boston, where he rcceivfs sitterS i1r p"r-
pretty much at all times Of the day; one Of the pc
culiaritcs of his craft being that after work ~
once begun it cannot be lett alone OF account OF
the necessity for keeping the clay moist During
the Winters work on the colossal grohp, TOO, hfcH
had to be kept up night and day IN TIE studio, To
avoid the possibility of frost affecting the damp ma
teral and destroying in an hour the result OF
Although identifed with Concord in the pnblc
mind. MIR. French is not native OF the town. He
was horn at Exeter Mass April 90 1850, and after
ward removed TO Cambridge, where his father lived
for number of years. and he himself received his
schooling. 1t was here that he made his first css y
i'm statnary, modelling q lion in snow one Winters
day which attracted crowds of curious people while
it remained unmelted. IL is said that. some wears
later when he went TO study with The greatest OF
American sculptOrs, J. 9. A. Ward Ward said to
him, laughinglv: "Don't model statue III snow,
whatever YOU do" But the advice came too late.
II is a singular fact that Judge French, who has
always had strong taste for ARTISTIC productions,
had setISd Ma, n IN as ms tn S hS osc scunoT and b"d
tried to stimulate in him the desire TO become one
by furnishing him with clay and modelling tools
But William, somehow. was not inclined in that
direction He has since become q painter, and IL
connected with the reOrganzGd Academy OF Fine
Arts at Chicago, in the capacity OF instructor The
father of these two artists appears TO nave gwen up
his plan of mOnldlnR sculptor aftor the hrst hl
ure and accordingly Daniel was not given any clay;
but following the paternal taste, he Interested hm
self in Observing works of sculpture and III reading
hooks on that art. IL not until ho came TO
Concord. some ten years ago, that ihe late
Nav Alcott Nieriker, thinking she detected
genius in him. and having great nsIasm for the
development Of art among her tOwnsfolk, gave the
SSpoeG Sp@G bim " TO try MODELLING. From that moment
his career was settled. Miss May Alcntt was v.ry
fond of owls and made eome good picturcso of which
they were the subjects and il may have been due TO
tins that OF the first attempts OF the young scnip
tor was pair Of owls on reduced scale, perched
on one branch and siding up against each other
with quiZz;cal air. THIS executed in plaster be-
came vory popular and may still be seen IN the shop
His choice of q profession having been made,
younp Mr. French went to New-Y0rk to take in
structiOn from j. Q. A. Ward. Mr.. Ward having at
that time attained celebrity and executed works Of
exceedingly high merit without ever having been to
Europe advised bis pupil to remain In the United
States until he had attained riper growth. After
ward, when he had himself nind6 tour aOrohd ne
returned full of enthusiasm and urged French to
cross the water as speedily possible In the mean
time French had received q commission from the
town of Concord to make q statue for the cell
tenary battle monument. and had completed his
Minute MAN.; thus achieving his first work with
out having exposed himse TO European inillences
One of Mr. French's works In relief is an ideal head
of Elsie Venner giving the artists Of
DR. HOmes's famous heroine. lie has preserved the
nlaster mould from which this relief was made and,
beng cut instead of projecting it serves ms an an
tagIio At a little distance the light and shade
that all the effect of the relief itself is obtahed.
The face is n peculiar one, with slightly retreat
ing, ophIdian forehead, and a strange expression
heoufifuI face The sense of something mysterious
IN It is heightened by the snuous locks of hair fall
inc down to the neck, and q narrow necklace, the
woven scales of which suggest serpent