Cornish Celebration Presentation Plaque

Augustus Saint-Gaudens

1905–6; cast ca. 1913 · Bronze, gilt · The American Wing

In commemoration of Saint-Gaudens’s twenty years in Cornish, New Hampshire, residents wrote, organized, and acted in the allegorical play "A Masque of ‘Ours,' the Gods and the Golden Bowl." It was performed on June 22, 1905, on the grounds of the sculptor’s house, Aspet, with the participants dressed as ancient mythological figures. Soon thereafter, Saint-Gaudens modeled a plaque to express his gratitude to the players and musicians. The text painstakingly records their names, while a classical temple framed by pine trees draped with stage curtains and masks recalls the setting. This large gilded version was a gift to the playwright, Louis Shipman, who wrote and directed the masque. Saint-Gaudens also distributed small silvered-bronze plaquettes that were individually inscribed to the participants, including one in The Met’s collection (08.216) presented to the painter Kenyon Cox.

Artist

Augustus Saint-Gaudens

Date

1905–6; cast ca. 1913

Medium

Bronze, gilt

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Marguerite and Frank A. Cosgrove Jr. Fund, 2017