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Death and the Sculptor

Death and the Sculptor, also known as the Milmore Monument and The Angel of Death and the Young Sculptor, is a bronze sculpture by Daniel Chester French. It is considered one of his most important and influential works. The piece was commissioned to mark the tomb of the Milmore brothers—Joseph, James, and Martin—at Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts. The composition includes two figures in the round joined to a relief background. On the right is a sculptor holding a chisel, while on the left Death appears as a winged woman gently holding back his hand.

Death and the Sculptor marble relief showing a winged female figure restraining a sculptor beside a bust.
Death and the Sculptor, a marble relief depicting a winged figure restraining the sculptor as he works on a bust.
1893 © Френч Деніел Честер · Public domain
White marble relief sculpture showing a winged female figure reaching toward a sculptor carving a bust.
Death and the Sculptor in white marble relief, with a winged female figure interrupting a sculptor at work.
© · CC0
Relief sculpture of Death and the Sculptor showing a winged female figure in a hat restraining a sculptor beside a draped bust.
Death and the Sculptor, a relief sculpture depicting a winged female figure restraining a sculptor at work.
1900 © · No restrictions
Death and the Sculptor bronze relief showing a winged woman reaching toward a sculptor with an implement.
Death and the Sculptor, a bronze relief by Daniel Chester French, shown inset in a stone wall.
1889 © · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleDeath and the Sculptor
Alternative titlesLa muerte y el escultor; Milmore Monument; The Angel of Death and the Young Sculptor
TypeSculpture; memorial

Creator

ArtistDaniel Chester French

Historical context

Creation date1889–1893
Commissioned1889
Dedicated1893
Commissioned forTo mark the tomb of the Milmore brothers

Discovery and provenance

Related work by the Milmore brothersGranite sphinx, 1872/1873, at Mount Auburn Cemetery
Milmore brothers' collaborationThey frequently collaborated on commissions
Milmore brothers' originImmigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1851
People commemoratedJoseph Milmore (1841–1886), James Milmore, and Martin Milmore (1844–1883)
Milmore brothers' occupationsJoseph Milmore was a stone carver; Martin Milmore was a sculptor

Location and ownership

Current location of main versionForest Hills Cemetery, Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
LocationForest Hills Cemetery, Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Burial siteForest Hills Cemetery

Physical characteristics

CompositionTwo figures in the round attached to a background relief
Main version materialBronze
Model materialPlaster
Replica materialMarble

Technique

Bronze foundryGruet Foundry, Paris
Replica carversPiccirilli Brothers

Appearance

Subject depictedAn allegorical Death gently restrains a young sculptor who is carving a sphinx
GestureDeath gently grasps the sculptor's hand holding a chisel and interrupts his work
AttributeDeath holds a poppy in her right hand
Sphinx referenceThe sphinx being carved is very similar to one created by the Milmore brothers
StyleCombination of allegory and realism in the memorial sculpture tradition
Figures depictedDeath as a winged young woman; a realistically rendered young sculptor

History and restoration

Chicago castShown at the World's Columbian Exposition; received favorable reviews; destroyed in 1949
TabletA bronze tablet at the foot of the memorial bears an epitaph written by Milmore's sister
Original monument designDesigned by S. Howard Walker, redesigned in 1914 by Henry Bacon, and replaced in 1945 by Andrews, Jones Boscoe and Whitmore of Boston; the monument's location changed with the 1945 replacement
Marble versionA marble version was made in 1917 for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
AwardThird-class medal at the Salon du Champ-de-Mars
Additional cast locationsChicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and St. Louis
Copies madeFour additional casts were made by agreement of French and the Milmore family
Historical noteThis was the second time a work by an American artist received this honor in Paris
Exhibition historyShown at several Paris salons, including the Salon du Champ-de-Mars, and at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago

Significance

ImportanceOne of the most important and influential works of art created by Daniel Chester French