French, Daniel Chester

French, Daniel Chester (1850-1931), American sculptor, one of the best known of his time. Born in Exeter, New Hampshire, he studied sculpture in New York and Florence. His bronze statues of American historical and allegorical figures are characterized by grace, poetic feeling, dignified emotion, and masterful technique. He established his reputation with his first major work, the Minute Man (1875, Concord, Massachusetts), commemorating the American War of Independence. Other works include the famous seated Lincoln (1919, Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.), the equestrian statues General Grant (1899, Philadelphia) and General Washington (1900, Paris), the Four Continents (1907, Customs House, New York), and portrait busts.