Catskill Aqueduct
French undertook his first numismatic commissions in the mid-1890s, paralleling a flowering of interest in commemorative medals by Beaux-Arts-trained American sculptors. He earned the order for the Catskill Aqueduct Medal through Robert de Forest, president of the board of trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art upon which French also served (1903–31). De Forest was also president of the Mayor's Catskill Aqueduct Celebration Committee, convened to honor the completion of a 163-mile system to bring fresh drinking water from the Catskill Mountains to New York City. The obverse depicts the profile head of a young woman crowned with laurel, an allegorical head of the City of Greater New York. On the reverse, a naked male youth pours water from a vessel against a faint outline of the Catskill Mountains in the background. French was aided by his former studio assistant Augustus Lukeman in the design and modeling.
Artwork Details
- Title: Catskill Aqueduct
- Artist: Daniel Chester French (American, Exeter, New Hampshire 1850–1931 Stockbridge, Massachusetts)
- Artist: Augustus Lukeman (1871–1935)
- Date: 1917
- Culture: American
- Medium: Bronze
- Dimensions: Diam. 3 in. (7.6 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Robert W. de Forest, 1917
- Object Number: 17.155.1
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Daniel Chester French
1894
Multiple artists/makers
1930
Daniel Chester French
Piccirilli Brothers Marble Carving Studio
1886–87, revised 1909; carved 1917–19
Daniel Chester French
John Williams
1907; cast before 1914
Daniel Chester French
1872–73
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.