The monumental seated figure of Abraham Lincoln, installed in 1920 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., stands as the defining accomplishment of Daniel Chester French. A central figure in the American Renaissance, he produced large-scale public sculpture that shaped the visual landscape of the United States throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Early Development and Training
Born in 1850 in Exeter, New Hampshire, French moved to Concord, Massachusetts, in 1867. Influenced by Abigail May Alcott to pursue sculpture, he received foundational training in anatomy from William Rimmer and drawing from William Morris Hunt. He supplemented this education with a year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and several years in the Kingdom of Italy, working within the studio of Thomas Ball.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Rise to National Recognition
French earned his first significant acclaim with the 1874 creation of The Minute Man. Commissioned by the town of Concord, the work was unveiled in 1875 to commemorate the centenary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. In 1893, his reputation expanded further with the Statue of the Republic, a colossal centerpiece for the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago.
Professional Appointments and Collaboration
Throughout his career, French maintained studios in Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York City. He held a position as chairperson of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts between 1912 and 1915. He was an active member of numerous organizations, including the National Academy of Design, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Accademia di San Luca. In 1917, he collaborated with Henry Augustus Lukeman to design the Pulitzer Prize gold medal.
Extensive Public Commissions
His output included the equestrian statue of George Washington and works such as the John Harvard statue in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Four Continents at the U.S. Custom House in New York. He frequently partnered with architect Henry Bacon, who also designed Chesterwood, French’s summer home and studio in Stockbridge. French died in 1931 and is interred at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1850, Exeter, New Hampshire
- Died: 1931, Stockbridge, Massachusetts
- Education: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Movement: American Renaissance
- Notable Work: Statue of Abraham Lincoln
- Notable Work: Statue of the Republic
- Notable Work: Equestrian statue of George Washington
- Burial: Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was Daniel Chester French's most significant role in government commissions?
He served as the chairperson of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts from 1912 to 1915.
Where is the artist's studio located today?
His former home and studio, known as Chesterwood, is located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and is operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Achievements
- Notable work: Statue of the Republic
- Notable work: equestrian statue of George Washington
- Notable work: Statue of Abraham Lincoln
- Notable work: Statue of Abraham Lincoln
- Movement: American Renaissance
.jpg)
