Francis Davis Millet 1879

Augustus Saint-Gaudens created this bronze relief titled, Francis Davis Millet. Portraits have always been about more than just likeness; they are about the dance between the artist and the sitter, and the stories they tell, and perhaps conceal. Here, the emphasis on Millet’s profile, a classical reference, speaks to the cultural milieu of the late 19th century, where artists often looked to the past to legitimize their present. Yet, there’s a tension: Millet’s gaze is directed away, perhaps indicative of a certain discomfort or introspection. Consider the inscription—Latin phrases and dates, anchoring the work in a tradition of commemoration, yet also hinting at the personal and the specific. How do these formal elements—the bronze, the profile, the inscription—work to create a sense of identity, both for Millet and for the world he inhabited? It’s a poignant reminder of how art immortalizes, but also how it invites us to contemplate the complexities of human existence.