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The Angel of Death and the Sculptor from the Milmore Memorial

1889–93, carved 1921–26
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 700
The Milmore Memorial was a funerary commission from the family of the Boston sculptor Martin Milmore (1844–1883) to honor his memory and that of his brother, Joseph (1841–1886). The original bronze was erected in Forest Hills Cemetery, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, in 1893; this marble version was commissioned by the Metropolitan. The memorial represents the moment when the Angel of Death interrupts the sculptor’s work, staying the chisel in his left hand. She also holds a bunch of poppies, symbolizing eternal sleep. The poetic content of the sculpture, as well as French’s successful integration of real and ideal elements, makes the memorial a profound statement on the creation of art and the cessation of life.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Angel of Death and the Sculptor from the Milmore Memorial
  • Artist: Daniel Chester French (American, Exeter, New Hampshire 1850–1931 Stockbridge, Massachusetts)
  • Carver: Carved by Piccirilli Brothers Marble Carving Studio (active 1893–1946)
  • Date: 1889–93, carved 1921–26
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Marble
  • Dimensions: 93 1/2 x 100 1/2 x 32 1/2 in. (237.5 x 255.3 x 82.6 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of a group of Museum trustees, 1926
  • Object Number: 26.120
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

Audio

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4512. The Angel of Death and the Sculptor from the Milmore Memorial

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