Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, born Ireland, 1848–1907)
Amor Caritas
INV-1070
Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, born Ireland, 1848–1907)Modeled 1897, cast after 1899
Realismsculptureamerican arts
Date
Modeled 1897, cast after 1899
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
131.4 × 80.7 cm (51 3/4 × 31 3/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Roger McCormick Fund
This angelic figure by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a foremost sculptor of the Gilded Age, is the culmination of his portrayals of allegorical women. He made similar designs for the tomb of Edwin D. Morgan in Hartford, Connecticut, and the mantelpiece in the house of Cornelius Vanderbilt II in New York. Like many other late 19th-century artists, Saint-Gaudens often modeled angels to symbolize the traditional virtues of women. Amor Caritas (Love [and] Charity) probably depicts Davida Clark, the artist’s mistress. Saint-Gaudens brought a level of naturalism to his ideal figure, particularizing the facial features and rendering the drapery so that it suggests the human form beneath.
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