The Amor Caritas is the culmination of a recurrent theme in the art of Saint-Gaudens: the funerary stela. Commissioned in 1899 by France, the high relief of the Amor Caritas is inspired by one of the angels modelled for the tomb of the Morgan family around 1880. This commission was never terminated. The tunic is pulled in at the waist by a garland of flowers and billows out over the breast, reminiscent of ancient Greek draperies. The long and delicate figure is similar to those found in the English pre-Raphaelite paintings, particularly those by Burne-Jones whom Saint-Gaudens admired. Bought by the museum of Luxembourg in 1899, it was presented at the 1900 Exposition next to the General Sherman.
From a very different source of inspiration, the Memorial to Adams remains an outstanding and unique work by Saint-Gaudens. Commissioned by Henry Adams, in memory of his wife Marian Hooper, who committed suicide in 1885, the memorial was intended for the Rock Creek cemetery in Washington. Hidden in a grove, the statue is conducive to contemplation. Just in front of the statue is a hexagonal bench in pink marble, designed by Stanford White. The work is massive, the drapery heavy and thick covering the head and the body. Of Saint-Gaudens' and White's collaboration, it constitutes the most successful of their accomplishments. The site itself and the architecture set off the work well and give it a richly symbolic dimension.
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