Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-17
GErom the New Orleans Times, Feb. 9Th
Art at the CaDitaI-


Under this caption we spoke some DAYS ago of
the statue OF President Lincoln, by Miss Winnie
| Ream, then standing in the capitol Totunda,
awaiting the honor of its unwilling.
We then argued in advance that this young
| person could not have achieved an artistic sue.
cess in her work because, Whatever might be
| her natural gifts, it was impossible at her age
and with her lack OF education, training aud
opportunities, that she could produce a Statue
worthy of the nation. We have now received
full account Of the ceremony OF the unwilling,
and although the Washington correspondents
wax eloquent and ornate over the description of
the scene, there is not a word about the statue,
except the statement often repeated in an apollo
gene sort of way, that it does look like Lincoln.
II would go hard, indeed, if we had picked up a
chld VINO could not make even recognizable
likeness.
No doubt the whole thing is humbug. A
clever, anscrupulous young girl has lobbied the
commission from the careless, ignorant and
plant senators, men who could not see the diff
ference between the Apollo BelVidere and the
carved Scotchman at the tobacconist's. The
statement that the "masses" like the work is an
argument againStit. Almost anybody is a BET
ter Judge than member of CONGRESS-, we adj
init; bat The taste of the masses has been form
ed by the contemplation of such monstrous OBJ
jects as Clark Mills jackson and the hideous eff
h5les that now startle the unwary visitor in the
dim halls of the capitol. 1t is quietly stated in
one report that cultivated people hesitate about
seeing it, and the character of the whole dis
graceful job may be gathered from the report
OF the proceedings at the unwilling, OF course
the assembly was brllliant-tair women and
brave men-but the most is said of the charming
appearance of Winnie herself who wore "a black
velvet robe, with an overdress of white poplin.
and tasty white hat, under which the bright
eyes and brown curls, which have undoubtedly
| aided her in this her first public work, were
quite noticeable"
This is the argument of the play, and gives
the Exquisite reason" of the Young woman'S
| success. Very TASTY" truly. We shudder at
the allusion TO this as her first 1cork as it would
| imply that her ambition is unsatisied, and that
| She intends to 90 on with the business. If the
| statesmen and warriors who assisted at this
| show had the wit TO know it, they stand in
jeopardy OF dreadful immortality at Vinnies
hands. They may be
Fixed figures for..relentless scorn,
To point bis slow unmoving finger at
A possibility which may well appal even Grant,
and add new terrors to death ITSELF In this
critical and eloquent assembly who gathered
| under 1.-THE brilliant frescoes of Brumidi" (said
| trescOes consist of half naked figure of Wash
llnilgton, surrounded by nude gods and goddesses,
nke olympus on grand drunk, or Brigham
~ Lou%g ana ms hareml were, the president and
bis family-his immediate family, for the capi.
tai would hardly hold the collateral branches;
| distinguished residents of Washington topether
| with the usual members of congress selected to
| talh WHICH notnlng Is 10 ne sad, among whom
| the some time iconoclastic Sherman smoothed
| bis wTlnkled front, and capered nimbly to the
| pleasing of Miss Vinne's lutte.
| After the Marine band had PLAYED the "Groyes
Of Barney" Senator Morrill,, of Vermont, in.
formed the assembly that four years ago a little
| girl was employed in The post office at six hun
dred dollars year, but she felt she could do
better, so congress set her up as d sculptor; her
| work was there, and it looked like Lincoln. Cul.
| ION, OF Illinois, the man who burst in tears
| when Winnie gave him "private view" then
| oyelttowed in passionate western eloQueuce in
| which broad pararas, mighty lakes saPior3,
| Justice and liberty, crumbling into dust ETC.,
were the happy flowers of rhetoric; and he
thought it did look like Lincoln. Gen Elijah
| Pogram Banks took up the swelling tb me, and
| naturally dwelt on virtue, devotion, character,
sincerity. and succeSs-and he thought it looked
| like Lincoln.
Brooks, of New York, who represents the
aesthetic population, that child,like and bland
| Hn8er 10 arcadian simplicity, amid the classic
retreat of Mackerevlle, gracefully reverted to
Greece and Rome, They had Phidias and Prax-
iteles sure enough, but they were unconscious Of
Winnie Ream. We have ia this work not only
Lincoln, but woman's rights; we have "the bus
man form DIVINE, perpetuated ny woman With
artistic instruments. Mr. Brooks was delicately
critical; he said the tit of the trousers was an
| inspiration, the necktie was instinct with life
and The button-holes seemed 10 breathe He
also thought it looked like Lincoln.
Senator Matt Carpenter then, with impatient
hand, seized the torch and waved 1t high In air,
His contempt for the ancients could hardly find
expression. We must look to modern times and
| to the bonndless west for genius and art. Not
to Athens but 10 Oshkosh not to Rome but to