This is a companion book to a 2009 exhibition of the work of Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Tolles, a curator or American art has written an artistic biography of Saint-Gaudens that blends his life and art into a unity rare in museum exhibition books. She follows Saint-Gaudens through his early life, obligatory years in Paris and his growing fame as a sculptor and relief artist. Tolles examines the art and the circumstances of the compositions, such as the public art statues of Lincoln and Sherman. She also give a reflection of the man himself and how his personal charm led to friendships that put him in a position to demonstrate his undoubted talent. He designed a mantelpiece for Cornelius Vanderbilt and also the ten and twenty dollar gold pieces for the US mint. The book is replete with color photos of the works along with many pictures of Saint-Gaudens, both photographs and impressions of him by other artists of the time. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)