It was a rough morning for me in my head so I had lunch with friends and went to the Met. I think that before any major decisions in life or before wanting to go postal or make a difficult call, one should simply put down the gun and go to the Met.
This is what I did.
And I came across a special exhibit about the work of Augustus Saint-Gaudens. A famous (not to me until today) sculptor of the latter 19th Century. He was born in Ireland to a French father and an Irish mother and moved to the United States as a baby. Raised in New York and trained both in the US and Europe he is most famous for his Civil War monuments and many still stand today.
This is what blew me away. You mean that statue of Sherman at the entrance to Central Park by my old place of employment, the Sherry-Netherland is his!?! What a pretentious snob I plan to be when I pass this statue next accompanied by anyone who will listen.
And he did the statue of David Glasgow Farragut in Madison Square Park which I know well as my sister Eileen and I have a friend Andy who lived next to the guy in Brooklyn who restored the sword and I think Andy touched the original or something. I am SO one degree from David.
Farragut in Madison Square Park (Eileen do you have a photo of Andy by this statue?)So...here I am at this special exhibit and it is full of amazingness about this incredibly gifted man who worked in the city where I live and had his studio here. And my head cleared, I didn't want to shoot anyone or be shot, and I left feeling happiness and hope.
If you feel down, go see art. My two cents. (Speaking of which, he also designed the Double Eagle coin)
The Exhibit runs until 15 November 2009.
"Portrait of Augustus Saint-Gaudens" by Kenyon Cox. But don't be fooled. This is not the original, but a recreation because the original burned in a fire in Saint-Gaudens studio.
The statue of Sherman in Central Park. I see it all the time and now I will say hi to Augustus when I pass.
Diana sits outside the American Wing and Augustus made this too.
