Located in the scenic Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, Chesterwood was the summer home, studio, and gardens of the American sculptor Daniel Chester French (1850–1931), best known for his Seated Lincoln in Washington, D.C. The site has just completed a
four-year renovation of the French family residence, designed by architect Henry Bacon and completed in 1901. At last, visitors are able to see the house’s second floor, which currently features a three-room exhibition titled “Modeling Women: Female Artists and Models at Chesterwood.”
Curator Dana Pilson has selected 37 sculptures and paintings—many never exhibited—that highlight the key roles played by French’s female models. They included Hettie Anderson (a pioneering African American model), Julia Swift Gilbert, and Audrey Munson (considered America’s first “supermodel”).
The project casts particularly strong light on two female artists active at Chesterwood: French’s protégée Evelyn Beatrice Longman (1874–1954) and his daughter Margaret French Cresson (1889–1973).
Details at a Glance:
“Modeling Women”
Chesterwood, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts
chesterwood.org
through October 31, 2025
