New-York tribune., 1907-08-04
AUGUSTUS ST. G1UDENS.

Augustus St Gaudens born in Dublin in
1s4S. the son OF a French father and an Irish
mother. He was brought TO this city six months
after his birth. and grew up tho thorough Amer
lean which he remained down to the day Of
his death While he was still lad he ap-
prenticed TO a cameo cutter, and for some six
years he followed craft in striking contrast to
the art OF monumental sculpture. In the practice
OF which he was ultimately to win his fame,
The time was not wasted. however, If we may
Judge from the fact that st Gaudens was never
wont to express any regret over his youthful
training, and. moreover, even in this period.
he was making preparations for his predestined
career. AT night he studied in the drawing
classes at Cooper Union and the Academy Of
Design. When he nineteen he proceeded to
Paris and entered the Ecoie des Beaux Arts.
Joufrroy his master, a man Of mixed aca-
demic and personal traits. perhaps the best
teacher who could have been found at that time
for a student Of st. Gaudens's temperament.
The young American had an original genius and
at the same time instructive sense of re-
straint and balance Jouffroy at once disci-
plined him and fostcred his natural gifts He
set him on the right path. helped him to develop
his technique along sound lines, and did not for
a moment attempt to represS warp his ideas.
In the midst of his studies the Franco German
war broke out and St Gaudcns went to Rome.
He spent three years in the Italian city, and
Gaping the frigld influences which there held
sway The classical tradition fertilized his
taste. but ii did not lure him into imitation Of
classical forms.
The characteristic productions of his time of
pupilage certain small medallions III low
relief, in which he portrayed companions Of his
in Paris Bastien-Lepage, Frank Millet. Matt
land Armstrong and George W. Maynard. These
portraits works of remarkable Vividness and
charm. vivid in their straightforward interpre-
in. .Bn
OF their style. year ago the late Paul Leroi
was talking in Paris with friend OF the sculp
tors and recalled especially the medallion Of
Bastien- -Lepage. He spoke Of 1t with enthusi-
asrn contrasting 1t with the meretricous work
that is put forth in such quantities in France
to-day The incident IS significant Of the gen.
uine qualities which marked st. Gaudens's work
at the outset His early performances wear
astonishingly Wei The 'BaStien-Lepage"
shines to-day it shone when 1t was modelled
thirty years ago. st. tiaudens came home not
merely equipped for his career on the side Of
technique but with note Of his own that i'm
mediately commended him to discerning patrons.
Governor Morgan and Mr.. Evarts gave him
commissions and in 1873 he went back to Paris
with the future all rosy before him. He had two
statues to execute, the Governor Randall for
Sailors Snug Harbor, and the ''Farragut'' for
Madison Square incidentally he had the honor
OF being made a member of the jury of the
Universal Exposition. With the production of
tbe TWO statues just mentioned he began the
long series of great public monuments by which
he is chiefly known but before touching upon
this dominating phase of his art something fur
tber should he said of that other phase, repre-
scented by the early Paris medallions. and cul-
tivated at intervals by the sculptor all his life
long
He achieved especial felicity in his portraits
In relief a felicity hardly rivalled by any of his
contemporaries; in France elsew here. 1t
s.ded largely in the elements already noted in
1I,.,~ tix,
tbe beauty of style, which seemed to flow from
his finger tips. giving a wonderful spontaneity
and bloom to his subtly modelled surfaces