The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-15

THUsSDh1 s..s.sssss : t ~ 80 's'. =.
FLOR the Dispstch.l ~
rae Zee Monument. "a r.
rho views OF q Stratford" and 81. d.
;n.reeard to the proposed monument to Lee
ahonld have the approval Of all interested
In This sacred cause. Although they nave
weil.nigh established their positions, u may
not be agniss to add few reflections partly
nut not altogether, in the same difections
Without intending, therefore, 70 op1su slI
unon the counsels Of those whose speG -.
duty it is 10 carry out the Wisnes 9, .os
southern people In this matter, Tue VIZ :
hereby desires to enter protest as": :s;.,"
TOO hasty action on their part ~ uecu.ns
without appeal chiefly as to the style OF rn =,
moral intended to be erected III no"o' "
the great Virgtiian:. ,n,h .,;ke
., many RESPECTS, and il often becomes as
;n,naSsih,e to resist successfully the tyranny
~. the former as ii is difficult to escape the
tnrrors az the latter. Some such influence
seems to have possessed the. art world IN
.hese modern days, and the equine passion
,,svsr rored with more unbridied fury than
OF This time amongst the sculptors and pa.
irons OF the chisei. No hero, be he smais
or preaf. is considered to have been appro-
nriately Dersonated in bronze unless he be
seem astride q horse The reason ispiain.
This stylc OF monument or statue Appeals
tn the grosser tastes OF the masses, and Is
the instructive outgrowth OF that meretrl-
cious desire for display which is as captlVa,
ting to the senses as it Is deficient IN real
merit. It is for this reason that whenever
q newly-crected equestrian statue Is
for the first time unveiled before
the multitude they at once 60 INTO rap
lures over the beast, quite forgetting lof Tue
time him who sits upon his back. Al once
are to be heard characteristic crlticlsms, IN
which the general effect and contour OF the
animal are involved, while between breeder
and Jockey learned discussions arise upon
Doints the merits OF which are unappre-
ciated except by those versed in the mystic
ries of horse-flesh and the vernacular OF the
stable. Indeed, it has occurred that an UNI
pire has been found necessary to the decl-
sion OF some one OF the important issues
arising out OF such discussions. During all
this, however, that part OF the work which
the artist and the public should be expected
to regard rs especially worthy OF their Mt.
tention is looked upon virtually as sort OF
accessory or accompaniment necessary to a
gratifying and successful equine display.
In q word. the horse is considered TO be on
exhibition, the rider merely being expected
to show him off to the best advantage.
And here, in the opinion OF the writer,
il Is that lower and coarser standard OF
taste in this, branch Of art has been gradu-
ally created, in which the materia!istic has
too much predominated over the ideal and
esthetic. It found its origin far back IN tue
past, when the knight was the typical hero
aud the horse his necessary appendase. we
do not wish to be understood as undertaking
the peculiar merits OF the equestrian style.
Statues Of this sort should only be made to
commemorate some special attribute OF the
hero, or some particular incident IN his ca
reer whereby he had been made famous.
The world abounds in them. and in most
cases this rule has been observed.
From the earliest days OF revived art
from the time Of Peter the Great and Henry
of Navarro down to the era OF the Great
Frederick, and on to our own time-heroes
OF all sorts seem to have been considered
worthy only OF equestrian honors. But
this does not establish principle in art. 1t
has merely entaiied 4 custom, to depart
from the observance Of which is perfectly
legitimate. There is propriety and har-
mony in art which cannot be violated except
at the expense of good taste. We should
not hesitate, for instance, to select as sub
ject for an equestrian statue the successful
leader of an army corps or some noted
cavalry officer. 1t was as eminently proper
to have mounted the Archduke Charles or
Sir James Outrantas it would be now to
make such a statue to our own Stuart.
But when great representative man Is
to be transmitted to posterity, in statue
or by monument, the dignity OF the sub
iect should not be detracted from by what
is really mere accessory, and which we
have seen is too apt to be unduly magnife6
in importance, to the detriment Of the true
object Of our veneration. The violation Of
this principle has been prolific OF evil con-
sequences in these latter days. Artists have
made signal failures in their attempts al
originality by departing from the simple
but memorable laws Of taste. Their ambi
ton to excel all predecessors in this branch
of sculpture has in some instances caused
them to choose violent and eccentric pose;
or attitudes for their horses, thinking there
by alto astonish the natives" with new
wonders in equine statuary. In so doing
they seem to have forgotten that it is safer
in the main to observe with fidelity tina
happy medium between extremes OF every
kind, which at all times and in every agt
has been recognized us the real exponent o.
the beautiful and true in every department
of art.
Gross and disgusting plumbers have been
the consequence, as may be seen in some
examples Of this kind not very far from
where we live. This is entirely due to thu
unnecessary Importance given to the inevi
table horse. ~
For these.and other reasons, which cannot
be dwelt upon in SO short and hurried {
way as Is here necessary, we assert that tho
equestrian is not the highest type OF monu.
mental memorial. The ancients had not
many Of them. Whether this was due to
the fact that they were not possessed Of the
facilities which are now so abundant, by
which anything may be cast in metal,
from the petite but charming "Puck' y
Of Ezekiel to the Bayarian Colossus
herself, we cannot say; but in those
.theyE have left for our inspection it is
evident that no effort was made in ma.
nipulating the horse other than was neces
sary tothe truth OF nature or to avoid a VIC
lation OF good taste. The genius OF theil
artists seems to have been expended witt
the sole desire OF transmitting to posterity
in the efEgies they made the attributes o.
career OF those they thereby intended t
honor. Hence the figure OF Marcus Azure
Illus can never lose anything Of its dignit!
or grace by reason Of any distinctive charac
teristic OF the animal upon which it i
mounted. This would have been the case
however, had the horse been made to assume