Monuments and Myths

Vibrant exploration of the public art that has defined ideas of American identity

Monuments and Myths is the first publication to examine the intersecting careers of Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French, the leading American sculptors of the Gilded Age. With rich new thinking and stunning photographs, the catalogue examines the role America’s most iconic public sculptures in the complex negotiation of national identity.

Featuring essays by leading scholars and impressive new photography of highlights of the collections of two treasured historic sites, Aspet and Chesterwood, the book re-examines public monuments that have defined and defied notions of American identity. Focused on Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French, the beautiful catalogue offers a critical look at the artists’ public and private works in the context of evolving ideas about race and representation, Indigeneity, gender, civic space, memory, and American history.