Spirit of the Waters

Daniel Chester French American
 Cast by Gorham Manufacturing Company American

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 770

Many of French’s public monuments feature allegorical females representing such abstract concepts as life, death, and victory. In 1913 he was commissioned to create a memorial fountain to financier Spencer Trask (1844–1909) for Congress Park in Saratoga Springs, New York. In this small preliminary sketch, the partially draped winged figure serenely symbolizes the fluidity of water. For the final result, French raised the figure’s arms over her head, producing a more buoyant and joyful interpretation titled The Spirit of Life.

Spirit of the Waters, Daniel Chester French (American, Exeter, New Hampshire 1850–1931 Stockbridge, Massachusetts), Bronze, American

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Spirit of the Waters, Daniel Chester French (American, Exeter, New Hampshire 1850–1931 Stockbridge, Massachusetts), Bronze, American
Spirit of the Waters, Daniel Chester French (American, Exeter, New Hampshire 1850–1931 Stockbridge, Massachusetts), Bronze, American

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.