Sketch of Saint Gaudens's Statue of Deacon Samuel Chapin, Springfield, Massachusetts

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, American architect Stanford White, a principal of the renowned firm McKim, Mead White, captured this lively sketch of Augustus Saint-Gaudens's bronze statue of Deacon Samuel Chap. Erected in 1887 in Springfield, Massachusetts, the statue honors the 17th-century Puritan deacon and founder of the city, depicted striding forward with a Bible under his arm. White's *ca. 1887* drawing, rendered in pastel, charcoal, and pencil paper (12 x 18 1/8 in.), reflects the era's fascination with public monuments celebrating colonial heritage amid rapid urbanization. The statue itse...