Art in the Architecture: Ornamental sculptures spotlight the Great Eras of Art History

“Art in the Architecture” is a 1 Fine Arts Blog series dedicated to the ornamental details on the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Main Building, which was designed by Cass Gilbert for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. In 1904, it was flanked by sprawling temporary wings that together formed the Palace of Fine Arts, which presented fairgoers with approximately 11,000 works of art from 26 countries. It is the sole surviving building from the World’s Fair. 

Standing atop Art Hill, the grandiose Palace of Fine Arts was an elaborate and imposing presence during the 1904 World’s Fair, and it remains such today.

The Main Building of the Saint Louis Art Museum was designed by Cass Gilbert as the Palace of Fine Arts for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The façade of the Beaux Arts-style building is ornamented with numerous architectural elements and sculptures, including six figures across the top of the north entrance that represent the “Great Eras of Art History.” 

Although uncommon today, sculpture was often found on important buildings at the turn of the century, a practice that dates to ancient Greek and Roman times. The Palace of Fine Arts was one of very few permanent structures built for the World’s Fair, so its sculptures were made of stone. Many of the other World’s Fair buildings were also adorned with allegorical, classically derived figures symbolizing themes such as transportation by rail, truth, or the wonders of lightning—though they were made from plaster.   

The six limestone figures above the architrave (the area above the pillars) are titled, from east to west: Egyptian Art, Classic Art, Gothic Art, Renaissance Art, Oriental Art, and Modern Art.  

Egyptian Art  

One of two male figures in the group, the Egyptian Art sculpture was carved by Albert Jaegers (1868-1925). The piece is recognizable by the small sphinx he’s carrying. Jaegers came to Ohio from Germany as a child and made a name for himself as a creator of large-scale sculptural works.  

Classic Art 

The creator of Classic Art, Frank Edwin Elwell (1858-1922), was the best known of the six sculptors. At the time, he was curator of ancient and modern sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum. Classic Art is based loosely on Greco-Roman figures of the muses, or goddesses of the arts, though the transparent clothing, the addition of a dramatic mask, and the use of a statuette are modern in style.  

Gothic Art 

The least known of the group, Danish-American artist John (Johannes) Gelert (1852-1923) created Gothic Art. The piece shows a knowledge of early 13th-century style in the drapery and sway of the figure. 

Renaissance Art 

The second male form, Renaissance Art, was created by Carl Tefft (1874-1951) who worked on a number of commissions before becoming director of sculpture for Philadelphia’s Sesquicentennial Expo of 1926. He said Renaissance Art was designed “to depict in limestone the earnestness that characterized the art of the Renaissance.” 

Oriental Art 

With an ornate costume and Buddha statuette, Oriental Art was the only public work ever made by American sculptor Henry Linder (1854-1910). Though lauded by contemporaries, Linder’s bronze medal at the 1904 World’s Fair for Oriental Art was the pinnacle of a long struggle to establish himself.