North Light Studios

The Four Continents was commissioned to Daniel Chester French in 1899. Originally it was supposed to be a collaborative work with August Saint-Guadens, who turned the project down due to time constraints. French therefore took on all four sculptures; Asia, America, Europe, and Africa. Today we will tackle Asia, the sculpture at the far left of the entrance of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in New York City. We begin with a young woman, looking serene with her eyes closed, with several things in her lap, including a small diety statue, a flower (there is some argument as to whether this is a poppy, representing the opium trade the U.S. had with Asia at the time, or whether it is a lotus flower), and a coiling snake. There is also a cross behind her, which symbolizes the beginnings of Christianity in Asia. Those creepy skulls beneath her feet represent the slave trade and labor. Think slavery has only been a problem in the U.S.? It has been prevalent everywhere. A tige...

Wow, what a title. That’s the first thing I thought when I saw the title to this piece. So many things could be said by the title or by the piece itself. And what a beautiful sculpture! There’s something fantastic about French’s sculptures, something alive and haunting. Just stare at the picture for a moment. Can you imagine the impact if you were actually standing in front of the real sculpture? Imagine it. It’s fantastic. Eager to find out the why behind this sculpture, I started browsing. Martin Milmore, was another sculptor who immigrated to the United States from Ireland at the age of seven. He learned how to carve in wood and stone from his brother, Joseph. On an interesting side note, he carved a bust of Henry Wordsworth Longfellow at the age of nineteen. He died early, at thirty-eight, and his brother died three years later. This sculpture is a monument to them, and marks their gravestone in its bronze form in the Forest Hills Cemetery, Jamaica Plains, Massachusett...

O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done; The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won; The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring: But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead -Walt Whitman The familiar lines have long been what I think of when I remember Abraham Lincoln and what he did. This first stanza is still my favorite; maybe because it has that same captivation that all good beginnings have. It draws you in. Daniel Chester French completed this monumental sculpture in 1922. It is fantastically done! French included every emotion he had about the man in his work on this piece. The expression on Lincoln’s face is one of contemplation; not too heavy, hinted at peaceful. Personally, I think this statue is another example of how beautiful ...

After the long delay, next week I will feature a sculpture of Michaelangelo's. I am excited, especially for the research and all the pictures I might find. Stay tuned!