That They Were Fair

Memory by Daniel Chester French (Photo by Douglas Yeo)

Daniel Chest French was born on April 20, 1850. He was a classic American sculptor. His most famous work is of Abraham Lincoln at at Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

I have mixed feelings about his work. On a technical level, it's manifestly exquisite. The forms are beautiful. The compositions are balanced with classical harmony and stability. The craftsmanship is without flaw. Yet, as gorgeous as these works are, they seem diminished their very Neoclassical style. By being so obviously dependant upon a derivative and emulationist image vocabulary, the end result is a stale aesthetic statement.

Let me offer an analogy to explain this criticism. Consider the sonnets of Shakespeare. There are literary masterpieces. Moreover, the literary form of the sonnet is a viable platform for poetic expression, even in the contemporary era. However, if a poet were to write a sonnet utilizing Shakespearean imagery and language, we would probably be dismissive of the result. That's not because we think Shakespearean poetry is irrelevant or "so four centuries ago" but rather because we don't consider emulationist techniques to be conducive to Authenticity. The stylistics and mannerisms of Shakespeare's poetry were authentic within his historical context. For the contemporary poet, they feel unoriginal and, inauthentic.

And so it is with the works of Daniel Chester French. They are wonderful sculptures embodying classical Beauty. However, by utilizing such a comprehensively emulationist style, his works feel inauthentic and superficial.

Here's a link to Daniel Chester French's Wikipedia page.

And check out Douglas Yeo's page dedicated to French's work. It has a wonderful collection of photographs showing various works from multiple vantage points and distances. Good stuff!!!

Enjoy!!!