Daniel Chester French

Daniel Chester French (1850–1931) was one of the most important American sculptors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for designing the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., which has become an iconic American image.

Born in Exeter, New Hampshire, French displayed artistic talent at an early age. His family moved to Concord, Massachusetts, where he grew up in a community rich with literary and philosophical influences, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

Without formal training in sculpture, French learned basics from Abigail May Alcott (Louisa May Alcott's sister) and later from William Rimmer and William Morris Hunt. His first important commission was "The Minute Man," in 1875, for the centennial of the Battle of Lexington. The statue, still standing in Concord, Massachusetts, established French as a notable sculptor at a national level.

In 1888, French opened his studio in Washington, D.C., and was commissioned for various works around the country. In 1893, his statue of the Republic was a central feature at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, a grand neoclassical sculpture towering over 60 feet high.

However, the apex of French's career came when he was chosen to create the statue of Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial. Unveiled in 1922, the seated figure of Lincoln is massive, measuring 19 feet from head to toe, and yet is also remarkably intimate, capturing the sense of weight and responsibility Lincoln carried during his presidency. The sculpture's blend of grandeur and humanity, combined with its national significance, solidified French's reputation as one of America's foremost sculptors.

In addition to his public monuments, French also produced a wide variety of work ranging from busts and medallions to garden sculptures. Throughout his career, he continued to refine his style, balancing realism with an idealized representation drawn from classical traditions.

French was a founding member of the National Sculpture Society and a longtime trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His home and studio, Chesterwood, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, is now a museum dedicated to his life and work.

Daniel Chester French died in 1931, leaving behind a substantial body of work that has become an integral part of the American visual landscape. His contributions to American sculpture, particularly public monuments, are still appreciated for their artistic value and their significance in commemorating American history.