Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-08-05

Cornish, n. H., Aug. 4.-Augustus
Saint Gaudens, LII. D., L. II. d., the
sculptor died at his home in Cornish
at $50 P. M. Saturday, after long
Illness Death was due to general
breaking down of the system, due in
part to a form of nervous dyspepsia
with which he had long been troubled.
Last year Mr. Saint Gaudens was OPP
Grated upon for a minor trouble, and,
although he was temporarily relieved
he continued in poor health. During the
past month his decline had been rap
id and he was unable to walk from his
house to his studio nearby. Until the
first part of July he visited his studio
nearly every day, but as he grew
weaker he had to be assisted to his
work. Gradually his strength failed,
and since the middle of July he had
been obliged to remain in his bed. For
two days before his death he was I'M
conscious the greater part of the time
and his physicians saw that it was
but a question of hours before the end.
If that famous statue of Diana Of the
tower on the Madison Square Garden
should some day, in needing the gentle
south wind, bend her arrow half way
| downward, it would point to the spot
on 23d street, New York, where the
creator, Augustus st. Gaudens passed
20 years of his early life, and where he
| received the inspiration that was to
| make him at his death Americas fore
most sculptor.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, March l,
| 1913. Of a French father and an Irish
| mother, st. Gaudtns was brought to
New York when six months old. At II
years he began life of labor. always
in the field of art, as cameo cutter.
He was given such schooling AS his ia
ther, small shoe dealer, could af-
ford, but he supplemented his practice
in the cameo shop by taking night
courses in the art school at the Cooper
Union. Earnest labor and economy on
his part and help by his father, landed
him in Paris in 1867, the exposition
year and there it became apparent to
the young man that his life work must
be that of a sculptor rather than that
of cameo worker. He began modelling
at Ecole dcs Bcaux Arts under Francis
JoIffrey and after three years of con-
slant application went to Rome where
his first statue, that of Hiawatha. Yves
created and the foundation of his fame
was laid.
Returning to this country in 1872, ST. |
Gaudens' fame increased with the I'M
yelling of every work. |
The master hand and mind is hes.
seen. artists declare, in the Lincoln |
statue in Chicago. the Farragut Sher- |
man and Cooper figures i'll New York |
that of Garfield in Philadelphia. the |
puritan in Springfield and in the in |
spring Shaw memorial in Boston
THESE are generally held to shed the |
best light on the fame Of ST. Gaudcns |
but the figure of Grief in the Rock |
Creek cemetery in Washington, the |
equestrian statue of Logan in Chica go, |
the figures on the facade Of the Boston |
Public Library. and Diana on the Mad |
ison Square Garden tower arc ALWAYS |
called to mind as sharing in the glory |
shed by the masterpieces.
st. GaudenS gave up life in New
York in 1898, but more than 10 years |
afte" he established residence i'm this |
town and built himself hCmc among |
the Connecticut river hills. Here on |
June -. 1903, his friends produced a |
sylvan masque in his honor and at the |
conclusion the entire company on the |
stage swept DOWN into the audience and |
surrounding the master, presented him |
with golden bowl.
The October before, fire had de- |
stroyed many of his efforts including !
the models Ct a statue of Charles Stew
art Farrell for his native city, and |
Marcus A. DAILY. the Montana mining |
king, but the work was taken UP again |
with new vigor and both finally COM
pleted.
In his life in this town, st. Gaudens 1
drew around him many friends of art
istic and literary repute and his beauti-
full home, Aspect, with his numerous
little studies, has for many years been
the Mecca of the world of sculpture in
America. And that it should be here
that the hand which touched the clay
and the marble into life, became still.
was the wish of ST. Gaudens.