Aspire Auctions - Augustus Saint-Gaudens

Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American 1848- 1907)

Augustus Saint-Gaudens is considered, along with Daniel Chester French one of the top sculptors of American Art. His family emigrated to NY when he was only an infant. He studied at Cooper Union, the National Academy of Design and in Paris the Ecole des Beaux Arts. His moved his family to Cornish, NH in 1885. Among his great works are the Abraham Lincoln statue in Chicago, the Puritan in Springfield, MA, the Shaw Memorial in Boston, the Sherman Monument in NY and the Diana in Madison Square Garden. He designed the famous Twenty dollar gold piece for this country and was the founder of the National Sculpture Society. His friend Daniel Chester French was instrumental in getting Saint-Gaudens work accepted in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum. He died in Cornish in 1907

September 2006 Fine Arts and Antiques Auction
Lot 266. A cast bronze relief plaque commemorating Robert Louis Stevenson, 17-3/4" in diameter, with loops and wire for hanging attached to the back, with the image of the writer seated on cushions in profile above which is the text of his verses in relief, the upper half rimmed by a meandering floral border in relief, below "copyright by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and three small flower blossoms in relief, all finished in a rich brown patina. There are three round screw sockets on the back that may have at one time mounted the piece onto another plaque.
7000.00/9000.00 Sold $29,037.50