Presented in the galleries of French’s recently renovated residence, the exhibition commemorates the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. It brings together works by French and his colleagues that celebrate notable Americans and address themes of loyalty, freedom, triumph, and grief.
“As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, institutions across the country are grappling with how to address themes of patriotism in a politically charged and divided time,” says Chesterwood’s Curatorial Researcher and Collections Manager Dana Pilson.“By centering the 250th as a constructive moment, the works presented are intended to spark contemplation and conversation, and to foster an understanding of the past and hope for the future.”
French’s iconic Minute Man is a seven-foot-tall statue cast from melted down Confederate canons. It was unveiled in Concord, Massachusetts on April 19, 1875, the centennial of the battles of Lexington and Concord which ignited the American Revolution. French’s Minute Man – the iconic farmer-turned-soldier, ready to fight at a “minute’s notice” – continues to represent freedom, patriotism, and the American spirit.
The west gallery will highlight models and maquettes for some of French’s monuments to war heroes, including the George Washington equestrian for Paris, France, the Lafayette Memorial in Brooklyn, NY, and the standing Abraham Lincoln for Lincoln, Nebraska. Also included are models for monuments commemorating victory, such as the First Division Memorial in Washington, DC, and the figure of Disarmament for the temporary World War I Victory Arch in New York.
The east gallery features works by French and his colleagues that focus on the human cost of conflict and war. French felt that a war memorial should emphasize sacrifice, not glory; the flag-cloaked Mourning Victory laments her dead. Margaret French Cresson’s Unknown Soldier calls attention to the utter heartbreak of young soldiers giving their lives for ideals of patriotism and freedom. As Margaret French Cresson wrote “to French war was the supreme tragedy and every way in which he approached it brought out, not the terror nor the horror nor even the glory and triumph, but always the pain and sense of loss.” French’s models for In Flanders Field, for Milton, Massachusettsand Death and Youth for the St. Paul’s School War Memorial illustrate his belief in the dignity of death and his desire that his works serve as a comfort and a consolation.