Daniel Chester French

Daniel Chester French (1850-1931), American sculptor, one of the best known of his time. Born in Exeter, New Hampshire, he studied sculpture in New York City and Florence, Italy. His bronze statues of American historical and allegorical figures are characterized by grace, poetic feeling, dignified emotion, and masterful technique. He established his reputation with his first major work, the Minute Man (1875, Concord, Massachusetts), commemorating the American Revolution. His most-celebrated sculpture is the over-life-size marble statue of a seated Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., which was dedicated in 1922. Other works by French include the equestrian statues General Grant (1899, Philadelphia) and General Washington (1900, Paris), the Four Continents (1907, Customs House, New York City), and portrait busts.