Vanderbilt Mantelpiece
Augustus Saint-Gaudens American
This mantelpiece originally dominated the entrance hall of the residence of Cornelius Vanderbilt II on Fifth Avenue at 57th Street (demolished 1925-27). Working for the architect George B. Post, the artist John La Farge (1835-1910) created a lavish decorative program, to which Saint-Gaudens contributed many of the sculptural elements. Two classical caryatids, Amor (Love) and Pax (Peace), support the expansive entablature with bowed heads and upraised arms. The overmantel mosaic depicts a classically dressed woman holding a garland. The Latin phrase of hospitality flanking her head may be translated as “the house at its threshold gives evidence of the master’s good will. Welcome to the guest who arrives; farewell and helpfulness to him who departs.”
#3835. Vanderbilt Mantelpiece
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3835. Vanderbilt Mantelpiece
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1127. Kids: The American Wing
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