As Rector of Trinity Church, Phillips Brooks oversaw the construction of one of Boston’s greatest architectural landmarks. Trinity Church was founded in 1733, but a fire in 1872 destroyed the original building, allowing Brooks to commission this iconic Romanesque-style structure. In this work, the sculptors depict him as a man of great moral and physical stature, and as an impassioned speaker. The cloaked figure of Christ stands behind Brooks and places a hand on his left shoulder, lending him additional authority. Augustus Saint-Gaudens and his assistant Frances Grimes designed the sculpture while the notable architects Stanford White and Charles McKim designed the domed niche. Such collaboration between artists and architects is common in the realm of public art, where works often blur the boundaries between art, architecture, and landscape design.