Historian Henry Wiencek's Stan and Gus brings to life the Gilded Age relationship between architect Stanford White and sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Both men were instrumental in creating iconic works in a period that became known as the American Renaissance, 1880 to 1920. White and Saint-Gaudens had a 30-year relationship, and their creative and often sexual partnership changed the face of New York City.
Wiecek (Master of the Mountain) discusses grand designs of Fifth Avenue mansions and public monuments such as the Washington Square Arch, as well as intimate details of the men's personal lives and creative struggles. He meticulously chronicles how White and Saint-Gaudens's collaborative exchanges, artistic debates, and shared pursuit of beauty--often alongside copious amounts of Champagne and spirited debauchery--defined an era of unparalleled artistic patronage and ambition, sometimes at great personal cost: "They struggled to reconcile the contradictions of the era, contending forces that they themselves embodied--wretched, bloated excess and a search for transcendence."
Their friendship continued through both of their marriages, and endless affairs and dalliances, until White's shocking, notorious 1906 murder, at age 52, at the rooftop theater of Madison Square Garden, a building he'd designed.
There's plenty here to engage readers of all persuasions, but those with a keen interest in American art history, the Gilded Age, and scandal among the talented and successful will find Stan and Gus an absolute delight. It will also appeal to readers interested in the social history of New York City during its most transformative period. --Elizabeth DeNoma, executive editor, DeNoma Literary Services, Seattle, Wash.