Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-05-20
alatiernI AepnbIltan.
ART IN TnR DISTRICT oFcoLUNIDIA,
Prepared BY GAYS. y. q. Adams for the BH'
rcau ofNntisunl RducRiion.


ART IN THE DISTRICT oFiCoI.UprBIA.
Prepared BY tiapt. y. 4. Adams for the Bu~
rcAu ofNatieunl RducRtisn.
a,,,.o,,o,,, !e ssTIls ~ !, ,su,,soyoS.
No. 10. The undraped colossal STATE Of
Washington, sitting clhmsily on broad, low
pedestal In the Green Park, east ri the Capt.
iol, IL by Horatlo Grcenough, m american,
and has been the subject Of more ridlcule and
adverse criticism than any other work Of art
in the Capitol, perhaps In The world. The
question which naturally suggests Itself 70 the
stranger Il as 10 what The artist Intended 70
express through a. The history Of this work
Of art IA alike ctfious, interesting and insuuc-
tive instructive we say, Tor u deaTly-bought
experience had any weight with us, or dld
anything 10 elape our future relations with
art, the lcason here written would he Of great
value to Ne. II would teach W. that art has
certain fixed rules which cannot be violated
except at heavy coat Ia money and reputation.
IL Will not be denied that Mr.. GreenOugh was
man Of genius, capable Of doing something
really good, hut his mind ran 70 exagEerationi
aud his ruin was the result OF too lihefM
Government patronage, which permitted him
10 indulge HE fancles rather than correct and
Improve his Judgment. Grecnough was
man Of generous HyInpathles, but OF m i'm
pulslyc nature. An exciting critic himself,
WNANh W pun Ohh NAAN AAAAANa "a bNANAef ANANAg
always 10 instruct Congress In lts duty 10
American artists, he was slngularly uniortt-
nate In what he did for the Government. He
had number Of plans he was always ready
10 urge on Congress for decorating the Capt.
tol, knew exactly what works Of art should
be executed and where they should be placed,
But none Of hls plans were practicable and
It Is only generous to say that his oxccution
was not equal 10 his conception. In short, we
had In Horatio urccnough another forciblc
example Of the fact that q very good critic
may be an indifferent artist. Aud yet Mr..
GreenOugh had given ia several examples Of
artistic taste Of a very high order, as well Us
delicate appreciation OF the beautiful.
In proceeding 70 design his "washington'
Il Is evident that Mr.. Greenough departed from
the ordinary rules 81 ART and got out TO indulge
his fancy and 10 give tho world n statue Of
Washington such as i had never seen lefore.
IN that he Succeeded admirably. But his
Washington was 50 different from the accepted
IDEAL Of the people and 80 at Variance with
what they conceived to be correct taste rs 10
bring down upon II very general coudemna-
ton. The effect Of this was 10 Tetard rather
than advance the Interests Of American art at
the capital. Il might be bold, striking-and
undoubtedly L was original, the people said
but II was a Washington Of the artists fancy
only. They preferred something approxlmat-
Ing a. near as possible to the original, rs seen
by their fathers. a..
Il must be borne In mind, however, that 80
colossal a statue, and In such posture, IL
seen 10 very great disadvantage on 80 low q
pedestal IL should be elevated at least twenty
1--WE feet from the ground. Then its lines
would assume o morO graceful and delicate
outline, and the whole effect be more In har-
mony TO the eye. It's defects are made too
apparent 10 the uye where Il stands. Elevated
ut the distance VIC have described, many Of
them would disappear. Il had been the am
bition Of Mr.. 0reenOughs life 70 receive from
Congress an order for statue Of Washington,
so that he conld give freedom to some of his
peculiar conceptions and embOdy them In
marble. This desire was gratiaed by clause
introduced into the civil and diplomatic SER
vice bill, July IA, 1882, ITO enable the Prcsi-
dent Of the United States 10 contract with a
skilful artist, an American, to execute. In
marble, a Pedestrian statue OF George Wash
lngton, 20 be placed In the centre Of the ro-
tnnda Of the Capitol"
This led to the contract with GreenouRh for
his Washington. Five thousand dollars was
appropriated for carrying the contract into
effect. II will DO observed that the wording
Of this contract IA, to-say the least not very
clear, II was even then question as to what
constituted pedestrian statue. and various
opinions weregiven. II the Government con-
tractcd for a pedestrian statue, the question
arises a. to what and how the changes were
effected that found Ii accepting Warrington
In sitting posture. There Is no record owl
denoe showing why this change was made;
and Il Is 10 be presumed that the artist follow
ed the bent Of bis own will and took a
liberty not warranted by the contract. Ger
tain II Is that Mr.. Grcengugh put the most
liberal construction he could on the contract,
and proceeded In excess Of It's limitations, as
well In regard TO the amount OF money to be
paid as the design Of the work.
Five different appropriations for the pay
ment Of this work were made, as follows:
July IA isl1 statue Of washinKton Ssnoo
MaTes rs, ~ siatao q M.5ha,inston 40
sspS si ststas y &..Sin asf IN Riiiso Ao
Thelast amount OF 5000 was made through
joint resolution Of Copgress, authoTizing
''that the accounts Of Horaflo Gncenoush, for
expenses Incurred in the cxecudm 81 the
pedcstridH statno Of Wasllngion,r a viii be
seen thsi cor'gro.a still deslIpatcd q 2 Pedes.
oongre-s February IS, iss, AMI tSe &C.
counts and Charges for freinht Of tho same tn
the United States, be settied, under the dire
ton Of the Secretary Of State, according To
tho rights Of the claimants under their sew
Tint not more than 60, 500 shall be allowed
the said GreenOngh, In the event that the
Secretary Of State, under such construction as
aforesaid, shall consider him entitled TO
charge the same; and not more than n. 900
for the freight aforesaid, and detention of The
ship, and for an Iron railing around the
statue, including the sum Of ~ 500 assumed
TO be paid by the said Grecnough, In addition
10 the original contract, rs made by CommO-
dore Hull; and the sum Of els, 100, or as much
thereof as may be necessary, Is hereby appTo-
priAted for the purposes aforesaid"
Five thousand dollars was also appro-
pTiated for the purpose of removing the said
statue from The navy yard at Washington.
Eight Year, has passed since the making Of
the contract and we were notified that the
statue Of Washington by GrecnOugh, of
which We had hoard so much from travellers
abroad, was ready. But Il was in Florence,
an unwieldy mass, weighing nearly twenty
were 10 get IL 10 this country.
Congress passed q resolution on the 9th of
May, 1910, authorizing the Secretary Of the
Navy TO take Immediate measures for the i'm
portatlon and erection Of the statue Of Wash
ington by Greenough. ship Of war was
sent TO take Il on board, but IL was found that
her Matches more than ordinarily large, were
not sufficient 10 admit Il Into her hold without
the c0amings being Knocked away and her
decks ripped up, nj operation Commodore
Hull was not willing she should be subjected
TO. A merchantman Qhe American ship Sea,
Captain Delanol was at length chartered har
matches enlarged, and The deck otherwise pre-
pared TO receive the unwieldy pedestrian
statue. The danger 10 u ship with such n
solid mass In her hold, la case Of q gale, will
very reauliy pe appreciated by any one having
the least knowledge oi nautical Affairs. We
had paid for tho statue; and now the great
responsibility Of getting Il home safe, 10 say
nothing Of the expense, began 10 loom up II
all lis magnificent proportions. The statue,
however, reached here Ia the spring of 1871;
and here q now series Of troubles began. The
labor, expense and time required to move 10
heavy mass, pedestrian though Il was, even
for so short distance, was very great, and
the feeling Of relief caused by Its safe arrival
at the Capitol Is expressed In fOrciblG Lam
guage In an article In the columns Of the
National IHtelligeHoer al the time. ..g
The statue when uncovered, instead Of ex-
citing admiration, created feeling of very
general disappointment Then IL was found
that the doors ut the east front Of the Capitol
were not large enough 10 admit II, and inca
alres had 20 be taken To cut awaythe masonry
and increase the space. This Incurred another
heavy expense. The statue was got into the
rotnnda at last and here another serious ditil-
Guilty arose, II was found That It's great weight,
nearly n tone might acllously damalse the
door OF he rOtpnda, % avoid whluh an abut-
mcnt Of solid masonry was built between the
hrst and second stories, lncurring another
heavy expense. y.. - ..'