Margaret French Cresson at Chesterwood

Abstract

Margaret French Cresson (1889-1973) was the daughter of famed American sculptor Daniel Chester French (1850-1931), who is well-known for his Minute Man in Concord, Massachusetts, and his seated figure of Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Cresson was also a sculptor—she studied with her father, collaborated with him on works, and later became successful in the area of portraiture. Both father and daughter were active members of the National Sculpture Society, serving in leadership positions and contributing works to exhibitions. French and his family lived in New York City and spent their summers at Chesterwood, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Here, French built a modern studio and a comfortable residence, and he designed lush gardens and paths through the woods. After his death, Cresson inherited the site, and she worked to preserve her father’s legacy by preserving his Studio, amassing a collection of his works, and creating a museum at Chesterwood, now a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Many of her works are in the Chesterwood collection as well. To honor Cresson’s preservation efforts and her talent as a sculptor, this season Chesterwood will exhibit some of her most successful portraits in the Studio. Next year, a full-scale exhibition of her work will be presented throughout the site.