Detail, Bryant bust

Silverplated copper electrotype, 33 by 14 by 11 1/4 inches (83.8 by 35.6 by 28.5 cm.),
The Century Association, New York, NY

Detail, allegorical figures of Poetry and Nature

Bryant Vase, 1875

William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878) was a poet famed for his nature-centered poems. He was also editor and publisher of the New York Evening Post. Following his eightieth birthday in 1874, a special committee commissioned the silver vase, which was presented to Bryant on June 20, 1876. Five of the medallions which surround the upper surface of the vase were done by Saint-Gaudens, including the portrait bust of Bryant and the scenes from his life. The general design of the vase was by James H. Whitehouse, designer for Tiffany & Company.