History of Outdoor Sculpture in NYC, 1: Animals, Politicians, Folk Art
Henry Frederick Metzler, Atlas Clock, ca. 1853. Tiffany's, Fifth Avenue facade.

History of Outdoor Sculpture in NYC, 1: Animals, Politicians, Folk Art

The occasional series of blog posts that starts this week will highlight the most important of the outdoor sculptures in New York City and provide some historical and art-historical context.…

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Historical Monument of the American Republic
Erastus Salisbury Field, Historical Monument of the American Republic, 1867-1888. Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield Museums, Springfield, MA.

Historical Monument of the American Republic

In my weekly email of Sunday Recommendations, I promise "art-related suggestions meant to  inspire, to provoke wonder or thought, or simply to amaze by sheer beauty." The Historical Monument of…

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The Breakers, Newport, part 2
The second-floor loggia in The Breakers, Newport, R.I. Photo copyright © 2021 Dianne L. Durante

The Breakers, Newport, part 2

On The Breakers and other Gilded Age mansions, see last week's post. Alice Vanderbilt's bedroom Even though this room is decorated in the Louis XVI style, it's much more restful…

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The Breakers, Newport, part 1
Great Hall in The Breakers, Newport, R.I. Photo copyright © 2021 Dianne L. Durante

The Breakers, Newport, part 1

Many Gilded Age mansions have fabulous gardens that remained open during most of the Corona-virus pandemic, even if the mansions were locked up. Since 2020, I've visited Ventfort, Naumkeag, and…

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Lost Central Park – north end
Conservatory in Central Park, 1902. Image: Annual Report of the Board of Commissioners of Central Park, 1902.

Lost Central Park – north end

If you've read any of my books on Alexander Hamilton, you know I'm a fanatic about primary sources. So when I started to research Central Park, one of my first…

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Lost Central Park: south end
Casino in Central Park, 1863. Annual Report of the Board of Commissioners for Central Park, 1864.

Lost Central Park: south end

If you've read any of my books on Alexander Hamilton, you know I'm a fanatic about primary sources. So when I started to research Central Park, one of my first…

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Financial Programs of Alexander Hamilton

Published on September 11, 2021, the 232nd anniversary of Alexander Hamilton's appointment as the first secretary of the Treasury of the United States. Available from Amazon in print or Kindle;…

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MacMonnies’ Princeton Battle Monument
Frederic MacMonnies, Princeton Battle Monument, 1922. Princeton, NJ. Photo copyright © 2021 Dianne L. Durante

MacMonnies’ Princeton Battle Monument

On January 3, 1777, General George Washington and his tattered American forces defeated a British force at Princeton, New Jersey. Coming just a week after the Americans surprised the British…

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A Visit to Chesterwood, part 5
French's studio. Chesterwood, Stockbridge, MA.

A Visit to Chesterwood, part 5

This is the last in my series of posts on a visit to Chesterwood in July 2021. Daniel Chester French is best known as the sculptor of the Lincoln in the Lincoln…

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A Visit to Chesterwood, part 4
Head of Victory, from the First Division Memorial of the American Expeditionary Force (Infantry) that served in World War I. 1924. Chesterwood, Stockbridge, MA

A Visit to Chesterwood, part 4

Daniel Chester French is best known as the sculptor of the Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial. For more, see the first post in this series. In this post: a selection of French’s works…

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