It was a few weeks ago that I journeyed to the August St. Gaudens home and studio in New Hampshire. It is beautifully situated with mountain views and meadows of little blue stem swaying in the consistent breezes that give the landscape a feeling of an easy, perpetual motion.
He sculpted in bronze – famous pieces like the memorial to the 54th Massachusetts infantry in front of the Massachusetts State house, and the memorial to Farragut, a Civil war admiral. These pieces, like the painters of the time did, democratized the art world through choosing the quotidian, instead of the heroic. I finally looked at the the 54th sculpture in detail, and was astounded by the detail of each face, the poetry of the bedrolls, and the expression of these men in their march. I love the dignity that comes through this piece and the gravitas of the mission before these men – a reminder for me as a viewer of the the efforts we all must make to sustain our freedoms and how the power of the everyday is a force for change in our lives.
The setting and crafting of the landscape into outdoor galleries through plant materials and earthwork integrated the pieces into the landscape and created a harmonious continuity that inspired me with every step. As an artist and landscape designer, I am attuned to the power that comes from being connected to a place, and it was magnificent to see that so clearly come through at the Gaudens home and studio.
