ticketsMember | Make a donation

The Children of Jacob H. Schiff

1884–85, carved 1906–7
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 700
Saint-Gaudens excelled at the art of relief sculpture—modeled forms raised in varying degrees from a two-dimensional background. In this ambitious double portrait of Mortimer Leo (1877–1931) and Frieda Fanny (1876–1958) Schiff, the artist’s technical command is evident, from the delicate, sketchy treatment of the Scottish deerhound’s wiry fur to Mortimer’s fully rounded foot extending over the edge of the plinth into the viewer’s space. The three-dimensional illusion is further enhanced by the architectural structure within which the children are framed. Their father, Jacob H. Schiff, was a prominent New York banker and philanthropist, who paid for the carving of this replica for the Metropolitan Museum in 1905.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Children of Jacob H. Schiff
  • Artist: Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, Dublin 1848–1907 Cornish, New Hampshire)
  • Carver: Carved by Piccirilli Brothers Marble Carving Studio (active 1893–1946)
  • Date: 1884–85, carved 1906–7
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Marble
  • Dimensions: 68 7/8 x 51 in. (174.9 x 129.5 cm. )
  • Credit Line: Gift of Jacob H. Schiff, 1905
  • Object Number: 05.15.3
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Robert Louis Stevenson, Augustus Saint-Gaudens American, Bronze, American
Robert Louis Stevenson
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
1887–88; cast 1910
Josephine Shaw Lowell, Augustus Saint-Gaudens American, Marble, American
Josephine Shaw Lowell
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
1899; carved 1901
The Children of Prescott Hall Butler, Augustus Saint-Gaudens American, Marble, American
The Children of Prescott Hall Butler
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Piccirilli Brothers Marble Carving Studio
1880–81; carved 1906–7
Louise Adele Dickerson Gould, Augustus Saint-Gaudens American, Marble, American
Louise Adele Dickerson Gould
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Piccirilli Brothers Marble Carving Studio
1893, carved 1894
Rodman de Kay Gilder, Augustus Saint-Gaudens American, Bronze, American
Rodman de Kay Gilder
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
1879, cast probably 1880

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.