Theodore RoszakRectilinear Space Construction (Large)
Art Bridges Collection
Augustus Saint-GaudensThe Puritan
About
Striding from the wilderness with an oversized Bible and dramatic costume, this impressive figure encapsulates contrary nineteenth century opinions regarding colonial Puritans. This statuette is a reduced version of an 1887 bronze monument commissioned in Springfield, Massachusetts by Chester W. Chapin to honor his ancestor, the Deacon Samuel Chapin (1595-1675).
Saint-Gaudens cleverly crafted a sculpture with dual meaning. The figure’s imposing form and implements allowed Saint-Gaudens’s patrons to accept the sculpture as a tribute. However, progressive intellectuals saw these same elements as a menacing cudgel, pompous swagger, and burdensome Bible, revealing the self-importance and intolerance of Puritans, and their resultant persecution of Native Americans.
Artist
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Dimensions
30 1/2 × 19 1/2 × 12 3/4 in. (77.5 × 49.5 × 32.4 cm)
Credit Line
Art Bridges
Date
1883-1886
Medium
Bronze
Object Number
AB.2020.1
Inscriptions
Rear of base, etched: AVGVSTVS SAINT GAVDENS Base, marked: THE PURITAN Rear of base, marked: Copyright by / Avgvstvs Saint Gavdens / MDCCCXCIX
Provenance
Private Collection, NJ, ca. 1980-2010; (Art Market, FL), ca. 2010-2011; Private Collection, Washington, D.C., 2011-2019; (Conner-Rosenkranz, New York, NY); purchased by Art Bridges, TX, 2020
Artwork Gallery
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