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Next Epsiode: #101
Tue, Dec. 29 at 3 a.m.
Augustus Saint-Gaudens: Master of American Sculpture is a new feature documentary film on the life and work of the great American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907). Trained in Paris and Rome, Saint-Gaudens is considered America's premier sculptor of the 19th and early 20th Centuries. During a career that spanned three decades, Saint-Gaudens created nearly one hundred and fifty works of art including a number of major public monuments to heroes of the Civil War. While many passersby stop to admire his sculpture, few know of the life and times that created these incredible works of art. A major goal of the film is to reintroduce Saint-Gaudens to the American public and to make people aware of his significant contributions to American art and culture. Master of American Sculpture traces Saint-Gaudens' life, both personally and professionally, from his birth in Dublin, Ireland to his work in New York City and Paris to his death in Cornish, New Hampshire. The film discusses how Saint-Gaudens' projects ranged in scope from large public monuments and portraits in relief to cameos and gold coins. The story of his personal life is woven around in-depth studies of six of his major works of art including the contemplative Standing Lincoln in Lincoln Park Chicago, the intensely moving Shaw Memorial on Boston Common, the powerful Sherman Monument in Central Park, the serenely beautiful Diana now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the stirring Adams Memorial in Washington DC. The film tells Saint-Gaudens' story through narration and the voices of art historians by means of on-camera observations of the man and his times. Interviews include the well-known Yale professor Vincent Scully and Princeton University's John Wilmerding as well as former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell. A treasure-trove of historic photos and documents as well as contemporary photography on location at the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire complement the words and enhance the storytelling. Music from the period as well as original music arrangements are used to carry the emotional thread of the story. Dramatic reenactments are used sparingly to give the viewer a flavor of life in 19th century America. The film reveals Saint-Gaudens as a leader among artists who was one of the first to integrate architecture, landscape design and monumental sculpture as well as becoming the pre-eminent creator of bas-relief. Often compared to the great artists of the Italian Renaissance, he invigorated sculpture in the United States and raised it to new heights during his lifetime. He stands apart in 19th Century art as a sculptor who created his own style, a style that was inspired by classical tradition yet was uniquely American. Produced in High Definition television, Augustus Saint-Gaudens: Master of American Sculpture captures Saint-Gaudens' artwork in ways never seen before as many of his monuments have recently been fully restored and maintained by parks commissions in major cities throughout the United States.
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