Augustus Saint-Gaudens

Where America's pre-eminent sculptor lived, worked, and played

Jigsaw for May 3, 2026: St.-Gauden’s Little Studio

After my Maxfield Parrish post, I wanted to turn to his friend and Cornish Colony inspiration, Augustus St.-Gaudens.

I have visited his home Aspet many times. Like many of Parrish’s works, it always seems like a place with its own reality.

I first chose one of his famous works as the puzzle subject. Then I found the photo of his studio, which works perfectly for a jigsaw puzzle: striking individual pieces that combine to become a work of art in itself. No expanses of sky, vegetation, or background.

In 1885, Saint-Gaudens first rented what had been the Blow-Me-Down Farm. Seven years later he purchased the property, naming it after his father’s birthplace in France. Over the next 15 years, he transformed it into a thriving estate with gardens, a swimming pool, bowling green, and studio spaces where he created major works. He even developed a 9-hole, "cow-pasture" style golf course.

His year-round residence began in 1900.

Augustus Saint-Gaudens died in 1907, just after finishing the designs for the $20 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle coin. His widow, Augusta (!) Saint-Gaudens, established the Saint-Gaudens Memorial to maintain the site. It opened to the public in 1926.

Discover more: Interactive Map of Saint-Gaudenswork
and Visitors' Photos, a sampling from TripAdvisor

Thanks for reading…

Cameron Cross