Date : 1910
Material : Bronze
Acquisition : Lent by City of Newport, Rhode Island (1985)
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American Art
Sculpture (Statue)
Area related
New York City (USA)
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| Description |  |
This statue of August Belmont, the renowned New York banker, diplomat, patron of the arts, and namesake of Belmont Park Racetrack, was the last work of Ward. When the financier passed away, the Belmont family asked Ward to make a death mask, which later served as the model for this larger-than-life statue, as well as for several busts. Belmont wearing a fur-lined overcoat and holding his chin with his left thumb and forefinger, sits in a corner chair, apparently lost in reverie. His candide pose and the subtly textured surface of the bronze reveal the influence of French Beaux-Arts sculpture in Ward's mature work. The oxidized green surface of this statue, in contrast to the polished finish of the other bronzes in Ther Charles Angelhard Court, has resulted from the sculpture being exhibited outdoors for over seventy years.
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