Little Studio at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

When Augustus Saint-Gaudens first purchased his house and property in Cornish, New Hampshire, in 1891, he used an existing barn as his personal art studio. In 1903 he decided to upgrade, tearing down the barn and building a new studio on the same spot. It was called the Little Studio because a larger studio used by his assistants stood elsewhere on the property. Today it is one of two studios that house a collection of his works. Guests of Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park can visit the Little Studio on their own whenever the park is open. See the National Park Service’s Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the current schedule.

Fountain and sculpture next to the Little Studio at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

The centerpiece of the Little Studio collection is the six-foot Diana, Saint-Gaudens’ only female nude sculpture. This is a reduction of the original 13-foot statue. Reductions, though smaller, are exact copies of the originals that are made using a machine called a pantograph. Pantographs are also used to turn small sculptures into large ones.

Inside the Little Studio at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

Diana was commissioned by architect Stanford White—one of Saint-Gaudens’ frequent collaborators—to be used as a weather vane on the tower of the second Madison Square Garden, which opened in 1890 (White was the architect). The original sculpture was 18 feet tall and was installed in 1891. This addition made the Garden, previously the second tallest building in New York City, the tallest. However, the statue was too heavy to rotate in the wind and was subsequently removed and sent to the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. It remained at the Fair after it closed and was destroyed in an 1894 fire along with many of the buildings.

Realizing that the original statue was too large, Saint-Gaudens created a new 13-foot version of Diana—one different from the first, not a reduction—and this was placed atop the tower in 1893. It is noted as being the first statue ever lit by electric light. It remained a New York landmark until being removed in 1925 before the building was torn down to make way for the New York Life Insurance building. It is now part of the collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Augustus Saint Gaudens’ Diana sculpture on display in the Little Studio at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

The body of the Diana sculpture was modeled by Julia Baird. The face is that of Davida Clark, Saint-Gaudens’ mistress. The two had a son together, Louis. A plaster bas-relief portrait of the boy is on display. Many other privately commissioned bas-relief portraits and busts adorn the room.

Bas-relief sculpture of Louis Paul Clark on display in the Little Studio at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

Busts and bas-relief portraits by Augustus Saint-Gaudens on display in the Little Studio at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

In the Plaster Room are some of Saint-Gaudens’ original sketches and plaster castings. The smaller items are changed out periodically, but the larger works such as the horse for his General Sherman Memorial (now in Manhattan’s Grand Army Plaza) are always on display.

Plaster Room in the Little Studio at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

Clay model created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens for this General Sherman Memorial on display in the Little Studio at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

The Little Studio also serves as a concert venue throughout the season. Those who arrive early are seated inside. Latecomers relegated to sitting on the patio and lawn can listen to the concert thanks to a speaker system that is set up outside.

Concert held inside the Little Studio at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

Guests on the patio and lawn listen to the music being played inside the Little Studio at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

Depending on your interest in art, allow 15 to 30 minutes for a self-guided visit to the Little Studio at Saint Gaudens National Historical Park.

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