The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-08-17

Augustus st. Gaudens. Americas
in Aspect, his home in Cornish. N. IL.
He suffered a nervous breakdown sew
eral months ago and had gradually
failed since, although he kept ur good
courage and worked until he was
obliged to yield to exhaustion, says
the Boston Pilot.
Mr.. st. Gaudens was born in Dublin,
Ire, on March 1, 1s4s. HIS father was
French and his mother Irish. He was
brought to New York when six months
old, and began to draw in the Cooper
Institute in 1861, in the evenings while
working at the trade of cameo cutting
during the day. Within three years
he had gained a reputation as one Of
the best cameo cutters in TIE city.
In 1866 he was studying in the
schools of the National Academy of
Design. His father, who was shoe
: maker saved enough money by rigid
economies to send the lad to Paris to
perfect himself, in cameo-cutting, but
he had already modelled somewhat in
the Academy, and desired TO be
sculptor.
Francois Jouffroy took all interest
in him and gave him help and encour-
agement. st. Gaudens studied under
this noted sculptor in the Ecole des
Beaux Arts, the leading art school Of
Europe at the time, from 1867 to 1870.
At the outbreak of the F'ranco-Prus-
sian war he went to Rome. and there
opened his first studio as an artist.
From that day St. Gaudens was
practically in the hands of his Ameri-
can countrymen and his genius was
dedicated to the enrichment Of Ameri-
can sculpture and to the apotheosiz-
ing in enduring bronze and marble of
some of the great historical characters
and events in the history of the Unit
ed States.
A figure Of ,Hiawatha, modelled in
clay, so much pleased the eyes Of
Joshua Montgomery Sears, of Boston,
that he supplied the money to have it
cast in plaster; anG then Ex-Governor
Morgan, of New York, seeing the cast
in. his studio, commissioned. him to cut
1t in marble. 1t was his first statue.
and success, nor did this fortunate
and richly endowed artist ever exper-
fence failure.
st. Gaudens returned to America in
= 1872. Soon after he was elected presi=
dent of the Society Of American Ar
lists, strong testimonial of the es-
TEEN with which re was regarded by
his brother artists and sculptors.
His first large commission after his
return to America was the Farragut
statue which stands in Madison Square
Garden, New York city. If there were
any doubts as to st. Gaudens' genius
up to that time, this wonderful statue
settled it, 1t was put down by all as
q masterpiece.
This was followed in quick success
sion by the statue of Deacon Samuel
Chaplin, called "1he Puritan" in
stearns' Park, Springfield, Mass. This
will always stand as the Puritan type
Of character-rugged. strong, thought
full and somewhat gloomy
The statue of Lincoln. in Lincoln
Park in Chicago. is another remark
able figure. In fact this monument is
considered the greatest single figure
monument in the world. 1t represents
the martyred president standing before
large arm chair. as if he had just
arisen from it to address an audience.
He executed some exquisite medal
saion portraits, notably those Of Bas-
tien lie Page, the great French artist.
and Robert Louis Stevenson.
Some notable portrait busts are
those of Hon. William NJ. Evarts. The
odore D. Woolsey of Yale University
and Gen. Sherman. Before his death