New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-11
WHAT THE VANDERBILT BRONZES ARE
AND WHAT THEY ARE NOT.
R1e0i Monumei'ium ere perm


AND WHAT THEY ARE NOT.
Eregi Monuaentum p,r,anirG
We read in Daniel that Nebuchadnezzar the
king gather together the princes the governors
and the captains the judges the reasurers the counsel
ors shers, and all the rulers OF the provinces TO
come TO the dedication OF the image which Nebuchad-
nezzar tho king had up. Yesterday no seven wise
men OF Gotham times the seventy tunes seven
wise and and women thereof wero gathered
together TO behold the brazen handwOrk which some
one who sgneh himself Ciris AmerieanuS hath caused
to be set up
Notable men and notable deeds have from the very
ries ages called upon the exercise OF the Plastic Art
In its highestkuOwn excellence TO transmit them to
remote poserity Generally the legends most prominent
in historical Importance reserved for representa-
ton in the Tynpani of the Pedments OF the Temples OF
Ancient Greece and Rome The world OF Art familiar
with the forcibe eurythmcay groups In the
Pedments Of tho Parhenon ony partially bequeathed
TO sl OF the temple Fgna OF the Temple OF Zeus at
Olympia and those OF the Temples OF the sun. and OF
Jupter Capitolnus, and the Tomb of Norchia
nj Rome Coming down recent days, the groups
on the TownHs OF Amsterdam, on the Pedment OF the
Nalhalla at Munich. of the Chamber OF Deputies ana
Madeleine at Paris OF the north and south facades OF
sempers famous theater at Berlin, and. stn later In
date the magnificent composition on the front OF ST.
Georges Hall, Liverpool may be cited. In our
own country. the Pediments OF the Capitol
at Washington, and OF tho State-House at Column
bia g. C., are notable illustrations. In the production
Of all these famous works, the talent and genius OF the
most eminent scupors and Architects OF the day have
been enlisted. The group tho Rath haus at Amster-
dam bears the Seventeenth Century and Is the
production of one Arthur Quelnus is NEUROLOGICAL
compression representing Holland, personifed by
huNom female surrounded by a mixed multitude OF
dolphins, nereids. mermen, mermaidens, seahorses,
alligators, seals, and whales-a doing her homage.
Judged by the classic standards OF antiquity.
mat ha igma fiT pd AZ
a very nagrant violation Of the unities OF
the sculptural drama; but well-mOdeled. well
OughtOut example OF the Romantic School Of Art, II
onors alike the and the community that commits
oned him to execute IT, Schwanhalers renowned COM
position OF the "Hermannsschlacht" the victory OF
and his Goihs over the Romans, comes far more
closely within the bounds and canons Of classical art
Iueecd, the uammes OF the "casso" standard
seem 20 have fettered the artist, and given
an awkward measured Stiffness here and there,
instead of the sweep spirit should characterize
the "pomp and circumstance OF glorious war" The
same classical feeling evident but much more to the
purpose Re,sChes famous groups adjoining Professor
sempors magnificent theater representing Orestes tor
mented by the Furles and Music Tragedy and Comedy.
The gn the Pedment of the Chamber OF Deputies.
by Corto depicts the granting the Charter OF $780, and Is
marred 10y that ST assump On OF casscality, rather
Roman Imperialism redriruS, which prevails through.
and ruins most French Art Of that period. Nnchons
genial aud pleasing arrangement Of forms but the PALM
in all modern works OF this class must be given to the
weknown pedimeAt OF 81. Georges Hall, Liverpool;
tho composition mainly of tho late Prof. Cockerel r. A.
who succeeded 70 the charge OF completing that noble
pile ON the early death OF Its lamented designer Harvey
onsdac Emes The drawing Of this composition exhib
ted some twenty years ago the London Roy Academy
will be- well remembered Its peculiarly eurythmic com
bnaons have been surpassed and 1t reveals not
only profound knowledge OF soul pture but also Of that
far understood subject, the relative harmony OF
Sculpture 70 Architecture.
Here tho most credable effort made. is on the front
OF the state at Columbia, South Carolina designed
ana executed by the wellknown H.. X Browne OF New
burgh whose admirable statue OF Lincoln was but the
other day nsuguaed at Prospect Park In the center
stands female. typying the State, hanked on either
side by Justice and by Liberty the extreme angles being
led In with representations OF the Industrial resources
~ the section negroes picking and balenR tho cotton,
and reaping and stacking The skill with which the
romantic element group OF this nature ia tempered
and restrained by classical severity of modelling and
composition cannot be too highly extolled Indeed, the
work one of the few really credtable contributions TO
the meager catalogue Of genuine American Art.
We these many sequent instances from the
earliest ages up OF "how TO do this thing because the
result st. Johnssquare turns out thorough exemplar
how rot do It," IL Is true the composition does not
nj the tympanum Of u Pediment nor can we md any
term I'm architectural technology which Will convey an
idea Of the nondescript form or space TOR gable IL
assuredy is mott which on the commonplace. II not
ugly, building fronting on Hudsonst does duty
for a Pediment A bronze statue OF Mr.. Vanderbilt,
somewhat larger than mere heroic scale, stands
within bronze semiolrcuar niche upon granite cor
bel anked right aud left by two enormous basreeis
in some alloy and copper the zinc Iement largely
preponderatnR As likeness, tho statue sgnaly ialis
10 do Justice that physognomy. ono OK the nnest IN
America which, IA We yesterday remarked has never yet
been rendered worthly by any photograph bronze OF
picture that wo have He stands with the conVen
tonal foot thrust forward, clad In huge great coat
trimmed with Astrakhan fur, very ungraeefui ana sun
I'm its folds. all tho drapery being clumAlly and
coarsely arranged. Even were the statue ITSELF
possessed of greater merit the absurd position |
and immense hight at which it placed |
oblene the spectator TO look up at 1t under the coat
tails would ruin any figure. As workiof Art. this
ate Keeps 10 the dead level Of what has mostly hher
20 bcen youcsafed To being about ON par with the
arb,e females outside the Park Bank. and but shade
hetter than that noteworthy group In brown stone with
the sacred precinct of tho Cooper Institute Reading
Room ....
But how shah wo proceed in anJ seriousness to discuss