Louise Adele Gould

Augustus Saint-Gaudens

1904 · Marble · The American Wing

In his final of three portraits of Louise Adele Gould (1856-1883), Saint-Gaudens extended the sitter’s shoulders and terminated the bust with a horizontal line in the manner of quattrocento portraits by the likes of Francesco Laurana and Mino da Fiesole. The bust is mounted on a variegated yellow marble base of Italian origin. Gould believed this likeness of his late wife was "the most beautiful of the three designs," and lent it to the Saint-Gaudens memorial exhibition held at the Metropolitan in 1908 (he served on the exhibition organizing committee). When Gould became a trustee of the Museum in 1915, he donated the other two marble portraits of Louise Gould (15.105.1; 15.105.2), but retained this one until his death in 1931.

Artist

Augustus Saint-Gaudens

Date

1904

Medium

Marble

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Bequest of Charles W. Gould, 1931