Your National Park for the Arts preserves the home and studio of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907). Here stories flow through a landscape of inspiration. Discover the history behind the captivating bronze sculptures and enjoy the beauty...
Like all great artists, St. Gaudens held up the mirror and no more.
Audio Description (i.e., a Physical Description of the Location)We refer to this work as “The Adams Memorial”. It has also been called the “Mystery of the Hereafter and The Peace of God that Passeth Understanding.” Others have used the succinct title “Grief.” The artist is Augustus Saint-Gaudens. It is a bronze sculpture. The sculpture is 6 feet in height and mounted on a 10-inch-tall granite pedestal. A 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide granite slab stands just behind the bronze figure adding presence and weightiness to the work overall. As people approach this work, they’re immediately struck by the intense emotion and mystery that surrounds the figure. The heavy, hooded cloak falls across the figure’s lap and covers their legs and feet. The features of their face are obscured by the dark shadow of the hood. One arm is raised toward their face in a pensive gesture. As you come nearer, their features are clearer. Their eyes are cast downward, and their expression is marked by pain, resignation, and peace. Their facial features are notably androgenous. That’s because this figure is not meant to represent a human man or woman. Rather, the sculpture was intended to be an allegorical representation of a Nirvana-like afterlife, or as Saint-Gaudens put it, “The Peace of God that Passeth Understanding.”
Augustus Saint-Gaudens crafted a stoic and idealized hero that brought new energy to American public sculpture
The title of the sculpture is the Farragut Monument. The artist is Augustus Saint-Gaudens. It is a bronze statue on an elaborate stone pedestal. This work depicts Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. The figure is eight feet, three inches tall. Admiral Farragut is wearing a long, double breasted overcoat as part of a naval uniform. One side appears to have been blown open by the wind. There is a sword in its sheath by his hip. He holds a pair of binoculars near the center of his body with his right hand. His left arm falls straight against his side. The elbow is only slightly bent and his fingers make a loose fist. His feet are spread wide as if to gain stability on the deck of a ship. The tip of his left foot hangs over the edge of the six-inch teared bronze platform atop the central pedestal. The words “PARIS 1879 1880 CAST BY ADOLPHE GRUET” are inscribed on the front face of the bronze platform. Admiral Farragut gazes ahead. His brows are slightly burrowed creating vertical wrinkles above his nose. He wears a tight military cap with an eagle insignia on the front. The tops of his ears are covered by patches of hair emerging from under the hat’s brim. The statue is installed on a central stone pedestal about 7 feet high. Wings extends from each side of the central pedestal about 8 feet and curve inward. There are three steps with small lips to reach a peddle-covered platform, also known as an exedra. A sweeping bench is built into each wing atop the platform. You are welcome to sit on the benches, touch the carved pedestal, and feel its elaborate designs. The pedestal is carved from Blue Stone. It is a greyish color with a slight blue tint. A rippling design is carved in the central pedestal below the feet of the bronze figure. An upward sword is carved on the viewer’s right. The words “David” and “Farragut” are visible in capital letters at the top of the pedestal. The stone has mostly deteriorated around what originally read “Glasgow.” There is a relief of a seated woman carved in each of the two wings. Their backs are to the central pedestal. Their stoic faces are turned towards the viewer and they wear long, flowing dresses. The chest of the figure to the viewer’s right is covered with loose armor. Her shoulders are bare. Her arms extend straight outward and rest on her knees. She represents Courage. The female figure on the opposite side of the central pedestal is seated in a similar pose. Her right arm extends straight away from her body while her left arm bends slightly more than ninety degrees at the elbow. The left lower arm is parallel to the right arm. Fabric appears to drape over her left shoulder and exposes her right breast. This allegorical figure represents Loyalty. Carved ornamental fish form the ends of the curved architectural wings. The creatures’ tails arch above their open mouths and form a curved edge inward. They are parallel to the front face of the central pedestal. Ripples surround the fish evoking waves in the ocean. There is text engraved on each wing. The lettering is elaborate but has deteriorated in some places. The text on the viewer’s left states: “THAT THE MEMORY OF A DARING AND SAGACIOUS COMMANDER AND GENTLE GREAT-SOULED MAN WHOSE LIFE FROM CHILDHOOD WAS GIVEN TO HIS COUNTRY BUT WHO SERVED HER SUPREMELY IN THE WAR FOR THE UNION 1860 -1865 MAY BE PRESERVED AND HONORED AND THAT THEY WHO COME AFTER HIM AND WHO WILL OWE HIM SO MUCH MAY SEE HIM AS HE WAS SEEN BY FRIEND AND FOE HIS COUNTRYMEN HAVE SET UP THIS MONUMENT AD 1881.” The text on the viewer’s right states: “BORN NEAR KNOXVILLE TENNESSEE JULY 5 1801 MID-SHIPMAN 1810 BATTLE OF ESSEX AND PHOEBE MARCH 28 1814 LIEUTENANT 1825 COMMANDER 1841 CAPTAIN 1855 BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS APRIL 25 1862 REAR ADMIRAL 1862 BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY AUGUST 5 1864 VICE ADMIRAL DECEMBER 23 1864 FIRST ADMIRAL OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA JULY 26 1866 DIED AT PORTSMOUTH NEW HAMPSHIRE AUGUST 14 1870.”
The home had been empty when Augustus and Augusta Saint-Gaudens arrived in 1885. Soon they filled the home with their eclectic taste and artistic guests. Greek-styled columns, Italian-inspired gardens, and their own personal touch soon adorned this home in the rolling hills of the New England landscape
Aspet sits on a raised terrace with cultivated lawns sloping away to the north, south, and west. The house faces south and overlooks a formal garden on its north side. The house is a three story, symmetrical, brick building with cedar shingles on the roof. There is one dormer in the center on each of the two sloped roofs. The vertical walls between the edges of the intersecting slopped roof are also constructed of brick and project above the roof on the east and west sides of the house. The rabbit ear shape of these symmetrical gable parapets consists of four steps and a tall chimney on each side. The walls are constructed of brick and painted white. S-shaped iron anchor ties are intact on the east and west sides. The windows have simple wood sills and are flanked by very dark green shutters on all sides of the house. The main entrance to the house is centered on the south facade and consists of a paneled door with eight rectangular windows in the top half. A tall, wooden arch or arbor further accents the main entrance. Above the door is a semi-circular window. On both sides of the door are narrow windows. The front door is accessed from an open wood deck about 6 inches off the ground. The deck has two built-in wooden benches with attached planted boxes on either side of the front door. The west piazza or porch extends the full-width of the west side of the building and frames views toward Mt. Ascutney. Ten Ionic or simple columns support a wood pergola roof consisting of rafters with decoratively cut ends. Sculpted ram's heads ornament the ends of the carrying beams that extend from the north and south sides of the piazza. The piazza floor consists of a wood plank deck that is painted red. A wood balustrade or ornamental railing wraps around the piazza and is attached to long, built-in benches that extend around the interior of the space. Wood posts frame doorways centered in the north and south ends of the piazza. These doorways are ornamented with classical moldings and are accessed by two wood steps. Dark green painted trellises mounted above the balustrade enclose the side walls of the piazza. Grape vines grow along the three open sides of the west piazza. Leaves and grapes hang overhead during the summer and fall. A less formal entrance to the house is accessed from the west piazza. It consists of a paneled door, screen door in the summer, and semi-recessed columns on either side. Enter through this door when the interior of the space is open for visitation.
The arts are alive at Blow-Me-Down Farm. Charles Beaman, Jr., a wealthy New York City lawyer and avid supporter of the arts, drew many creatives to this area including the renowned sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Visit a special event at Beaman’s breathtaking former estate or attend a musical production by our partner, Opera North.
The Blow-Me-Down Farm consists of about 43 acres of historic landscapes, forests, and agricultural fields. Mt. Ascutney can be seen rising from the flat landscape across the Connecticut River.
Light from a wall of windows illuminates this place of creativity, inspiration, and exhibition. Enter the private studio of the artist creating distinctly American art
The Little Studio is a long, east-west oriented, one-and-one half-story, wood-frame building on a slightly raised terrace designed to ground the building in the landscape. The studio is rectangular and has a wide gable roof. The main roof has wood shingle cladding. A flat, rectangular raised section with four windows on each side rises from the spine of the roof. It runs along about three quarters of the gable roof. The façade is accented by a full-length Classical loggia – or covered exterior area – that wraps around the south and west elevations. The loggia consists of simple or Doric columns that rest on a low concrete block wall that is capped with grey marble and flanked by a linear flower bed on the façade. Bricks set in a decorative basket-weave pattern comprise the loggia floor. Smooth stucco, painted red, covers the exterior wall. There are multiple scenic views of the surrounding meadows, gardens, Mt. Ascutney, and forest. Overhead, grapes cover a black wooden pergola the length of the loggia. The grapes turn from green to purple in late summer and continue growing until fall. The Little Studio is a long, east-west oriented, one-and-one half-story, wood-frame building on a slightly raised terrace designed to ground the building in the landscape. The studio is rectangular and has a wide gable roof. The main roof has wood shingle cladding. A flat, rectangular raised section with four windows on each side rises from the spine of the roof. It runs along about three quarters of the gable roof. The façade is accented by a full-length Classical loggia – or covered exterior area – that wraps around the south and west elevations. The loggia consists of simple or Doric columns that rest on a low concrete block wall that is capped with grey marble and flanked by a linear flower bed on the façade. Bricks set in a decorative basket-weave pattern comprise the loggia floor. Smooth stucco, painted red, covers the exterior wall. There are multiple scenic views of the surrounding meadows, gardens, Mt. Ascutney, and forest. Overhead, grapes cover a black wooden pergola the length of the loggia. The grapes turn from green to purple in late summer and continue growing until fall. A cast plaster frieze modeled after those found on the Greek Parthenon extends along the top of the studio's south wall, within the loggia. The artwork depicts about 40 semi-dressed Greek individuals in sandals covered with faded paint. The horizontal piece consists generally of three section. From left to right, they include a group of figures walking and holding vases, a group of figures on horseback, and figures seated at tables. A wide doorway with a sliding wood door that replicates a barn door is centered on the facade and serves as the main entrance to the studio. The interior of the building contains a main floor with an open, light-filled studio. The room has a long rectangular plan and opens to a ceiling height of approximately two stories. Built-in benches, cabinets, shelves, and bookcases line the perimeter of the room. These features form a seating area flanking a central fireplace on the west wall and define a study on the east wall. Tongue-and-groove boards, finished with black paint, comprise the floor. Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ piece, Diana, is displayed in the center of the room. This statue depicts a slender, nude woman drawing a bow and arrow. One arm is affixed straight away from her body and holds the bow. The other hand bends sharply at the elbow as she pulls the string back past her ear. Her weight is on left foot while her right foot is above the ground. The figure gazes softly forward. A wide doorway in the northeast comer of the studio opens into a hallway leading from the east side of the piazza into the modeling room. The wood floors continue throughout the main floor but the walls in the modeling room are simpler and finished with plaster. A pull-down ladder in the room provides access to an enclosed loft above a portion of the space.
Experience the work of Augustus Saint-Gaudens that ranged from the minuscule to the monumental. View the cameos that launched the artist’s career, statuary that brought fame, and gold coins that cemented his legacy. Walk amongst portrait relief of friends, family, and clients. Gaze at his gilded angel in the reflection of a peaceful pool
The New Gallery is a rectangular, one story building oriented east-west. It has a metal-clad gable roof, stuccoed walls, and a fieldstone foundation. Outside the south wall of the New Gallery is a walled, central courtyard known as the Atrium. There are identical sets of blue double doors on all three sides of the Atrium. Inside, a one-story roof structure covers a walkway that spans the three sides of the Atrium. This portico is supported by wooden columns painted white. Light-colored stucco coats the walls. The semi-outdoor area is lined by portrait reliefs created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Most are bronze with wooden frames and depict slightly raised silhouettes of the faces or upper bodies of serious subject. A marble relief of Violent Sargent is installed in the northwest corner of the Atrium. It depicts a woman seated on an elaborate bench with her legs crossed playing the guitar. In the opposite northeast corner, there is a large portrait of the Schiff children. The piece depicts a boy and girl facing the right. The girl is slightly taller, and the boy’s foot extends several inches over the edge of the frame towards the viewer. The children stand in front of a tall, slender dog with wiry fur. An approximately ten-foot-tall gilded sculpture of an angel is affixed to the north wall of the New Gallery. Long, smooth wings extend from her back and overhead she holds a tablet inscribed with the words Amor Caritas. The gold figure is reflected in a rectangular pool that is centered in the courtyard and surrounded by a grassy lawn. The structure mirrors the geometry of the Atrium. Two gilded sculptures of turtles are attached to the north and south ends of the pool. Water sprays out of the figure’s mouth into the pool. Frogs are often sitting in or near the pool. Low planters, benches, and lilac bushes line the perimeter of the portico. An entrance to the New Gallery is located under each side of the portico where it meets the Atrium walls. Both consist of glazed wood doors. The building is lit by a large, fixed octagonal window in the west gable end and three 12-light fixed windows in the east gable. A larger-than-life sculpture of a Puritan man is on display inside the gallery. The representation of Samuel Chapin holds a large Bible close to his body and wears a long, billowing cape. The imposing figure has a flat brimmed hat of its head and a stern look on its face. Directly across the room, a reduction of the Seated Lincoln is on display. The statue depicts Abraham Lincoln confidently seated in a chair. A plaster relief of Robert Louis Stevenson is also affixed to the wall of the New Gallery. It depicts a man reclined on a couch with blankets covering his lower body and a pen in his hand.
This memorial was distinct among public commemoration of the American Civil War
The title of the sculpture is the “Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts Fifty-Fourth Infantry Regiment Memorial”. The artist is Augustus Saint-Gaudens. It is a bronze relief mounted on a granite base and decorative concrete slab. The relief is 11 feet tall and 14 feet wide. The bottom and side edges are straight. The top edges arch slightly inward. The memorial sits atop a granite platform about two feet above the ground. It is framed by two flat concrete columns connected by a stylized concrete arch. A figure of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw is at the center of the sculpture. He is seated on a horse with a straight back. This portion is almost entirely three dimensional. The equestrian figure is standing in front of rows of African American soldiers marching in unison. Shaw is riding by their side. A young man is at the front of the group playing a drum. The others rest their guns on their shoulders. They carry packs with rolled blankets on their back. A strap crosses their bodies to secure a water canteen at their hips. The solders appear to emerge out of the vertical plan of bronze. The individuals closest to the viewer are almost entirely three dimensional. There are about 20 visible faces in the sculpture. Each is different. One has a complete beard and appears older than the rest. They all look resolutely ahead. Glimpses of more shoes, pant legs, and rifles give the appearance of additional soldiers beyond the visible faces. There is a floating woman above the heads of Colonel Shaw and the soldiers. Her eyes are cast down with a sympathetic gaze. One arm is outstretched. She holds an olive branch in the other arm. There are poppy flowers close to her body. The entire sculpture produces the effect of forward movement from the viewer’s left to right. All the figures face the right. To mimic the stance of the soldiers, take a step forward with your right foot. Shift your upper body over the right leg. Allow the heel of your left foot to come off the ground. Lean your entire body forward a couple more inches. This is the stance of the soldiers marching forward. The drapery of the angelic figure flows to the left as if she too appears to be moving forward with the mass of troops. The words “omnia relinquit servare rempublicam” are inscribed in the upper right corner as you face the memorial. This Latin message translates roughly to “he gave all to serve the republic”. Text also runs along the bottom of the sculpture. It read “ROBERT GOULD SHAW KILLED WHILE LEADING THE ASSAULT ON FORT WAGNER JULY TWENTY THIRD EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE.” It also states “AUGUSTUS SAINT-GAUDENS 1898” in smaller letters on the far right. Archibald Grimke was an African American activist, lawyer, and orator. This is how he described the soldiers in the memorial at an event in 1901: “They are not afraid. A high courage looks from their stern faces, lives in the martial motion of their supple bodies, flashes from the barrels of their guns. Whilst gazing at the heroic group, one is almost able to catch the firm and regular beat of their iron heels on the stones of the street, almost able to see the cloud of fine dust rising and whirling backward in their swift tracks.”
This elegant structure honored the Augustus Saint-Gaudens in life and memorialized the renowned sculptor in death.
The Temple is sited at the northwest edge of the meadow. The temple is a Classical style, marble structure. Four Ionic columns set on a stepped base support a small roof that shelters an altar accessed by 5 steps. Carved ram's heads, swags, eagles, and the words “IN MEMORIAM AUGUSTUS SAINT-GAUDENS” ornament the altar. The ashes of Saint-Gaudens and his family are interred inside. Inscriptions are inscribed on the sides of the altar that state using roman numerals: “Augusta Homer Saint-Gaudens, 1848-1926; Louis Saint-Gaudens, 1854-1913; Harold Saint-Gaudens, 1910-1913; Carlota Saint-Gaudens, 1884-1927; Homer Saint-Gaudens, 1880-1958.”
In this work of public art, the noted orator seems ready to personally address the modern viewer
The title of this work is “Abraham Lincoln: The Man”. It is commonly referred to as “The Standing Lincoln”. The artist is Augustus Saint-Gaudens. It is a bronze sculpture mounted on a granite pedestal. This work is a monument to President Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States. It has two distinct parts: the standing figure of Abraham Lincoln and the Chair of State behind him. Both are cast in bronze and connected by a bronze platform. The sculpture is elevated five feet off the ground by a granite pedestal. The name “Abraham Lincoln” is engraved on the front of the pedestal. The president stands at an impressive 12 feet tall. With the added height of the granite base, Lincoln towers above us. I will now describe Lincoln’s posture. If you’d like and are able to, feel free to mimic the stance with your own body as another way to experience the sculpture. Lincoln stands with his left leg in front of his right leg and slightly bent at the knee, as if he has just risen from the Chair. His left arm is bent as he grasps the lapel of his coat, perhaps to smooth it down. His right arm is tucked behind him with a small bend in the elbow. His right hand rests on his lower back. His head is gently bowed in contemplation. We get the sense that Lincoln is immersed in a private moment of deep thought. Maybe he’s preparing to deliver an important speech or message. His strong, open posture and reflective expression imbues many with a sense of calm and quiet. Saint-Gaudens paid close attention to detail. He sculpted all the folds and ripples of Lincoln's clothing, the wrinkles above his brow, and messy waves in his hair. He was not interested in depicting Lincoln as merely the polished Head of State. Rather, he wanted this monument to honor the integrity of Lincoln’s character and basic humanity. Behind Abraham Lincoln, there is the six-and-a-half-foot grand Chair of State. The chair is rigid, ornate, and oversized. It is symbolic of the United States government. Saint-Gaudens chose to exaggerate its size to express that nobody, not even Lincoln, can fill its seat. It stands on four sturdy legs that curve elegantly into a spiraled design at the top. At the bottom, they are each carved as a lion’s paw. The seat of the chair is a large, flat square. We can’t see the top of it. The chair back is wider than it is tall, and curves slightly inward at either end. A huge bald eagle with wings outstretched is emblazoned onto it.
Located next to the statue of Abraham Lincoln, the Visitor Center provides information and restrooms to all visitors. Here you can watch the orientation film, browse the gift store, and learn about available public programs.
Join park educators for daily art activities Monday through Saturday. Activities include watercolor painting, origami, and zine making. Drop-in art activities are free with park entry and open to all ages and experience levels. Reservations are not required.
