During our little weekend adventure, we also stopped by Chesterwood, the summer home and studio of sculptor Daniel Chester French in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
I don’t know about you, but I love, love, love visiting artists studios. They are fascinating to me.
To be able to walk around someone’s workspace is always inspiring. You never know what is going to catch your eye.
I especially love workspaces that are surrounded by gardens.
Daniel Chester French was the sculptor who designed the gigantic sculpture of Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln memorial in Washington D.C. {among many other pieces}.
A visit to Stockbridge, Massachusetts to visit Chesterwood {and the Normal Rockwell museum} has been on our list of must see museums for at least five years now.
Stockbridge was only 2 hours from where we were staying for the concert. So we decided to make the drive to the studios and I’m so glad we did!
There were “salesman samples” of many of his various sculptors all around the studio, including the one of Abraham Lincoln.
One of the more interesting things we learned was that one side of the studio had 20 foot tall barn doors.
Working in natural light is a must for many artists, and Daniel Chester French’s set up was a little unique. When he was working on larger pieces, he would have them set on a special railroad cart.
When we wanted to get a feel for how the piece would look outside, the cart would be lowered and the barn doors would be opened so the piece would be brought outside.
How wild is that? What a clever idea!
In addition to having a chance to look around his studio, the tour also included a peek at his private {summer} residence.
The upstairs of the home was filled with more small samples of his work on display including coins, statues and various other items.
The home office of Daniel Chester French.
Corn cob columns! Now that’s something you don’t see everyday. 😉
Historic homes and studios {and ordinary ones too}, I could walk though them all day and never get bored.
~Mavis
Nancy Settel says
Oh my this is just beautiful. We have made a gazillion trips to all of New England and never heard of this one. We did one outdoor antique show close to there (I am thinking anyway direction is not one of my specialties) that was at the Todd Lincoln home each summer which was a beautiful places to do an outdoor show. Of course Brimfield in Mass. was our biggest and best shows each year. If you haven’t been there you should go it is a bit overwhelming but so much fun and you can find anything in the world you are looking for there especially the first 2 or 3 days of the show. Looks like you made the very best of going to see John Melencamp. Good for you.
Mandy says
How beautiful! Thank you for sharing. He has such an impressive array of work with breathtaking attention to detail.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks says
The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill has corn cob Corinthian columns too! They are definitely unique.
Ellen says
Next time you’re in the area, go to a concert at Tanglewood and maybe swim in Stockbridge Bowl!
Lesley says
Mavis, have you been to Jardins Quatre Vents in Quebec? There is a documentary about it that made us want to visit, and I think it would be right up your alley. Or maybe you’ve already been and I’m forgetting!
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes!! Loved it. Blog post –> https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/frank-cabot-garden-jardins-de-quatre-vents-charlevoix-quebec/
Video –> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IYADU9KEJc&t=852s
Lesley says
Right! Excellent. Now I remember. 🙂
Cindy Brick says
Thank you, thank you! This was amazing.
Now you need to visit Charlie Russell’s studio in Great Falls, MT. Also an inside look at how he painted, and what his influences were.
Mavis, I would have never thought to tour this man’s studio. Glad you introduced us.
Carolina Cooper says
Thank you for this post. Having been a DC native, I grew up visiting the Lincoln Memorial, but never knew about the sculptor or his other works. Your photos are wonderful and for me the next best thing to seeing his work in person.
sz games says
The clever design of the 20-foot barn doors and railroad cart for moving large sculptures outside was likely a necessity for monumental works, a common solution for many sculptors of that era.