Augustus St Gaudens, Designer Of Gold Coins
When Agustus St. Gaudens was only 6 months old, his parents immigrated to America in search of a better life for their family. At age 19, Agustus traveled to Paris, France and then subsequently to Rome, where he worked on his first few commissioned works.
In 1877, he met Augusta Homer, an American art student studying in Rome, and they were married. In 1876, Augustus landed his first big commission, which was the monument in Madison Square that paid tribute to David Farragut, a Civil War Admiral. It was unveiled in 1881, setting a precedent for the famed artist and creating a reputation that would long outlive the man himself.
In the time following that first commission, St. Gaudens was commissioned for many more monuments and statues throughout the country, mostly of Civil War-era heroes. In 1909, he was asked to create a seated figure of President Lincoln, which is located in Grant Park in Chicago.
The man who is most famously known for creating the St. Gaudens $20 double eagle gold coin is also famed for many other works around the country, a few of which are still standing in their original locations today. In tribute to Agustus St Gaudens, the original design of his ultra high relief gold $20 coin was issued as a commemorative double eagle in early 2009.
Comments
Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!