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Cornish Celebration Presentation Plaque

Founder Cast by Roman Bronze Works
1905–6; cast ca. 1913
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 769
In commemoration of Saint-Gaudens’s twenty years in Cornish, New Hampshire, residents wrote, organized, and acted in the allegorical play "A Masque of ‘Ours,' the Gods and the Golden Bowl." It was performed on June 22, 1905, on the grounds of the sculptor’s house, Aspet, with the participants dressed as ancient mythological figures. Soon thereafter, Saint-Gaudens modeled a plaque to express his gratitude to the players and musicians. The text painstakingly records their names, while a classical temple framed by pine trees draped with stage curtains and masks recalls the setting. This large gilded version was a gift to the playwright, Louis Shipman, who wrote and directed the masque. Saint-Gaudens also distributed small silvered-bronze plaquettes that were individually inscribed to the participants, including one in The Met’s collection (08.216) presented to the painter Kenyon Cox.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cornish Celebration Presentation Plaque
  • Artist: Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, Dublin 1848–1907 Cornish, New Hampshire)
  • Founder: Cast by Roman Bronze Works
  • Date: 1905–6; cast ca. 1913
  • Geography: Made in New York, New York, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Bronze, gilt
  • Dimensions: 32 1/2 × 18 7/8 in. (82.6 × 48 cm)
  • Credit Line: Marguerite and Frank A. Cosgrove Jr. Fund, 2017
  • Object Number: 2017.155
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

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Amor Caritas, Augustus Saint-Gaudens American, Bronze, gilt, American
Amor Caritas
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
1880–98, cast 1918
The North Country, Willard Metcalf American, Oil on canvas, American
The North Country
Willard Metcalf
1923
Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Kenyon Cox American, Oil on canvas, American
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Kenyon Cox
1887, replica 1908
Cornish Celebration Presentation Plaquette, Augustus Saint-Gaudens American, Bronze and silver, American
Cornish Celebration Presentation Plaquette
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
1905–6
Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Ellen Emmet Rand American, Oil on canvas, American
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Ellen Emmet Rand
1905

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