National Republican., 1873-02-25
ABOUT THE FARRAGrT STATUE.


The Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds within day or two will he called
upon to select the best Of the models for the
proposed Farragut statue that have hcen
submitted for examination. All Of these de-
signs have been on public exhibition In the
Senate wing Of the Capitol for weeks past,
and have been inspected and contrasted by
the hundreds of persons who visit there
daily Now we cannot be accused Of being
art-critical, though perhaps possessed OF as
much information and taste respecting
snch matters as many who write quite
glbly about them, for we have noticed that
most Of the newspaper letters and articles
claiming to lie criticisms on the art nf WASH
| ington are nothing more than humorous de-
scriptlons Of and witty hits at the statues and
paintings at the Capitol. This Ia very easy
Of performance as easy as II Ia to poke
fun at anything which In Its nature calls
forth praise or ccnsurc and In no wise indi-
Gates that the humOrist can lay wOrthier
claims to the part Of critic than any other
sensible BODY.
1t Is freely admitted that, as general prin-
ciple, the country has not received a fair
equivalent for the money she has expended
for specimens OF art, which fact seems to he
due as much toa natural and commendablc de-
sire on the part Of Congress todevelop, cncour-
age or establish native talent as to the igno-
rance lack Of taste or carelessncss Of the gentle
men whose duty II was to make the selections.
Governments, large or small, are always more
or less swiudlcd when they undertake the pur-
chase Of art specimens, because, for one
thing, their cost was not earned by and does
not come directly from the pockets OF those
Who rs agents, buy them. Yet there can Ie
found at the Capitol to-day and In nearly all
Of our larger cities, statues and paintings
which honestly represent the amounts paid
for them, and from the sale Of which the
artists derived but trihing profit.
: We have taken more interest In this Farra-
gut statue than has been our want, simply
, because the service Of the gallant old sailor
, deserves the very hest monument obtainahle
at this time, and 1t Is to be hoped that the
committee have made q thorough cvamina-
tlon Of all the models, and will impartially
; decide upon the artistic merit they rcspec-
lively possess. Al In all they are not very
attractive specimens Of proposed workman
ship, and all Of them would present an i'm
measurahly better appearance were they life
-lEe-at least by means Of such a one a trucr
facial likeness of the dead admiral could he
, more easily presented, and we suspect II
would make q more favorable impression
upon Judges who will not claim for them,
selves the full measure Of competency.
= There Is one life-siZe model-,hc Others
being mere sketches, illustrating only the
idea, and for the most part pretending to nc
likeness Of the subject which represents the
generous Farragut In the act Of presenting q
big telescope to the visitors; and his face
wears a tired expression, as though he were
weary Of holding the Instrument In such an
awkward position. This model, by lts Size
presents a rather truthful likeness, and chiefly
on that account has had high encomlum'
passed upon Il. Another represents the brave
old Admiral In an attitude likely to he as
sumed only by the old-tlmc fireman In cas-,
be happened to be upon the top Of a burning
house--bis BODY bent to the left, u trumpet Il
, his mouth, hls right hand thrown wildly
. above hls head, and q general expression
Of the aercely dramatic all over. Still
another shows him holding himself to stake
by means Of rope, which passes but once
, around his body, and gives him tho general
air of a martyr The designer evidently In
n tended au allusion to memorable incident
In the career Of bis subject, but probably for
n got that the admiral was tisd, not TO the mast
A but TO the rigging Of the vessel. Only one o
4. the models, a well-coucelyed one, presents I
, base at all artistic in design. We believe thI
! committee will decide fairly so far as thel
: Judgment goes, and We hope that a complete
8 examination and judiclous comparison hav,
4 enabled them to form one Of which their de
A CisOn need not make them ashamed,