Robert Louis Stevenson

Public Domain

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Artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, born Ireland, 1848–1907)American, born Ireland, 1848–1907

CultureAmerican

Titles

Robert Louis Stevenson

Datec. 1889

MediumBronze with brown patina

Dimensions17 15/16 × 17 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (45.5 × 44.5 × 3.8 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Friends of American Arts

Object number2025.728

Not on view

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Department

American Art

Object Type

METALWORK

ProvenanceKennedy Galleries, Inc., New York; Private collection, New York, circa 1970-75; By descent from the above to private collection, New York; [Bonhams New York, American Art, 18 November 2025, lot 58]; Purchased at the above sale by the MFAH, 2025.
Exhibition HistoryN/A
Published References R. Cortissoz, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, New York, 1907, p. 25, another example illustrated. C.L. Hind, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, New York, 1908, pp. 18, 40-41, another example illustrated. The American Institute of Architects, Augustus Saint-Gaudens: Biography Exhibition of His Works and Memorial Meeting, Washington, D.C., 1908, pp. 5, 15, 44-46, 80, 93, nos. 50-52, 127, another example illustrated. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Catalogue of a Memorial Exhibition of the Works of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, exhibition catalogue, New York, 1908, pp. 25-28, 62, 82, nos. 50-1A, 119, other examples listed. C.H. Caffin, American Masters of Sculpture: Being Brief Appreciations of Some American Sculptors and of Some Phases of Sculpture in America, New York, 1913, p. 16, another example illustrated. (as Relief Portrait of Robert Louis Stevenson). H. Saint-Gaudens, The Reminiscences of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, New York, 1913, vol. 1, n.p., another example illustrated. H. Saint-Gaudens, The Reminiscences of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, New York, 1913, vol. 2, pp. 297, 363, another example illustrated. B. Hollingsworth, D. Ward, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., The National Sculpture Society, American Sculptors Series: 8, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, New York, 1948, pp. 23-25, other examples illustrated. J.H. Dryfhout, B. Fox, Augustus Saint-Gaudens: The Portrait Reliefs, exhibition catalogue, New York, 1969, no. 40, another example illustrated. L.H. Tharp, Saint-Gaudens and the Gilded Era, Boston, 1969, pp. 211, 217-18, 302-03, 331, another example illustrated. C.A. Cibulka, Marble and Bronze: 100 Years of American Sculpture, 1840-1940, exhibition catalogue, Washington, D.C., 1984, p. 15, no. 10, another example illustrated. K. Greenthal, Augustus Saint-Gaudens: Master Sculptor, exhibition catalogue, New York, 1985, pp. 119-21, figs. 114-18, other examples illustrated. B. Wilkinson, D. Finn, Uncommon Clay: The Life and Works of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, San Diego, 1985, n.p., another example illustrated. M.A. Goley, B. Wilkinson, Augustus Saint-Gaudens: American Sculptor, From the Collection of the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, exhibition catalogue, Washington, D.C., 1992, pp. II, VIII, no. 31, another example listed. T. Tolles, ed., L. Dimmick, D.J. Hassler, J.L. Thompson, American Sculpture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Volume I. A Catalogue of Works by Artists Born before 1865, New York, 1999, vol. I, pp. 288-92, nos. 124-25, other examples illustrated. H.J. Duffy, J.H. Dryfhout, Augustus Saint-Gaudens: American Sculptor of the Gilded Age, exhibition catalogue, Washington, D.C., 2003, pp. 105-07, nos. 66-68, other examples illustrated. T. Tolles, Augustus Saint-Gaudens in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, exhibition catalogue, New York, 2009, p. 29, fig. 34, another example illustrated. Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Recto: Dedication in hammered broze, upper left: TO ROBERT LOUIS • / STEVENSON;

Recto: Inscribed in hammered bronze, upper center with the poem "To Will H. Low": YOUTH • NOW • FLEES ON FEATHERED FOOT / FAINT AND FAINTER SOUNDS THE FLUTE / RARER SONGS OF GODS AND STILL / SOMEWHERE ON THE SUNNY HILL / OR ALONG THE WINDING STREAM / THROUGH THE WILLOWS FLITS A DREAM / FLITS BUT SHOWS A SMILING FACE / FLEES BUT WITH SO QUAINT A GRACE / NONE CAN CHOOSE TO STAY AT HOME / ALL MUST FOLLO[W] ALL MUST ROAM /

THIS IS UNBORN BEAUTY SHE / NOW IN AIR FLOATS HIGH AND FREE / TAKES THE SUN AND BREAKS THE BLUE / LATE WITH STOOPING PINION FLEW / RAKING HEDGEROW TREES AND WET / HER WINGS IN SILVER DREAMS AND SET / SHINING FOOT ON TEMPLE ROOF / NOW AGAIN SHE FLIES ALOOF / COASTING MOUNTAINS CLOUDS AND KISS'T / BY THE EVENING'S AMETHYST /

IN WET WOOD AND MIRY LANE / STILL WE PANT AND POUND IN VAIN / STILL WITH LEADEN FOOT WE CHASE / WANING PINION FAINTING FACE / STILL WITH GREY HAIR WE STUMBLE ON / TILL BEHOLD THE VISION GONE /

WHERE HATH FLEETING BEAUTY LED / TO THE DOORWAY OF THE DEAD /

LIFE IS OVER LIFE WAS GAY / WE HAVE COME THE PRIMROSE WAY/

M•D•C•C•C•LXXXVII

Recto: Artist name inscribed in hammered bronze, upper right: AUGUSTUS • / SAINT GAUDENS

Recto: Inscribed in hammered bronze, lower center: COPYRIGHT BY A SAINT GAVDENS / MDCCCLXXXVII

Verso: Inscribed in black wax pen: ECB#1

Verso: Gallery label adhered to back panel: Kennedy Galleries, Inc.; Auction label adhered to back panel: Bonhams, "American Art" New York, 18 November 2025; two circular stickers adhered to back panel, one inscribed: B / 9-22

Catalogue raisonnéJ.H. Dryfhout, The Work of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Hanover, New Hampshire, 1982, pp. 174-76, no. 133, other examples illustrated.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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