The daily gazette., 1880-11-11
From the American Art Journal.
THE STATUE BUSINESS


THE STATUE BUSINESS.
With plenty of money, and little art
culture, the American people are now
largely interested in setting up statues.
1t matters little who is to be honored
or digraced by the memorial "in the
shape of statue" Whether q Scotch
poet, an Antietam soldier, an Ameri-
can admiral or statesman, a dead presi-
dent or living author, the Universal
Yankee speculator gets the job, or
some one on the ''other side" il given
a commission, and sends over work
of art with tremendous flourish of
trumpe.s. In either case. the statue
is apt to prove horribly ugly and mar
tistic, gross caricature, or an idol as
terrible to behold as some of the Chi
nese gods. Recently granite private
soldier at parade rest was unveiled at
Antietam. A critic says "The statue
is probably the "dozenth" duplication
of the original mould, and as far from
work of art as it is possible to con-
ceive." 1t is asserted that when this
ugly piece of granite was exposed to
the public gaze the Southern sympa-
thizers present involuntarily gave
three cheers for jeff Davis. they
were disgusted to think that any peo-
pie would try to honor the memory of
their soldiers with such monument
Bad as are some of The statues in
New York, (and we supposed the eli
max had been reached in this line
when Lincoln was set in Union Square,
and Fitz Greene Halleck was exposed
to the elements in Central Park, it
seems that fate had yet worse things
III store for us, and it came from Edin-
burgh, in the shape of bronze Burns,
by Sir John Steel. Now that the silly
and repulsive things sits staring Wal
ter Scott in the face on the Mall of
Central Park, the wonder is that any
Board of Park Commissioners could
have accepted it, even az a gift from
the Scottish residents of the metropo-
lis.
If Geo. William Curtis, directly after
the unyeiling, had folded mp his manu-
script and said; "Genllemen, In the
presence OF such work OF art | have
nothing to say" and gone back to Frank
lin Square, 1t would have rightly served
all concerned. We have looked upoI
this hunch backed, lackadaisical rect
of brcnze, with all immense pair of leg,
and All army-blanket wrapped aIOunt
the body, with grief and astonishment
Is this the ideal of Robert Burns2 II
this the poet OF humanity, who immor
ialized the humblest flower, and touch
ed all hearts with the pathos and sw ct
ness of his humble rhymesp If TIL.
| of fhinn rt.Ia kaV
TO be established that only busts, know.
to be correct likenesses, will be allowed
place In the Park. Fancy Burns SIT
ting in the crotch of tree, his leg
crossed like a tailor's, his lett arm hang
ing over limb, his lap full Of what til
: poet calls can immense piece OF shee
, iron In folds," and his right hand hold
ing an immense pen II this is tn
best Scotch scnlptors can do, may goo
G fortune preserve us from any more {
D their work. The statue is colossal /
size, and therefore uHsuited for the ey
line upon which it has been placed.
Is wholly wrong to put such monster
D close by the footpath, elevated only
p little above a mans head. Like III
Egyption obelisk, such works as III
u Scott and Burns statues in Central Par
= should be on the TOP OF an elevation
4 the centre of plot of ground so lare
. that the spectator seeing II from dl
tance would obtain the proper effect.
II In any event the present position of ii
j Burns statue is as preposterous as u
q work itself. And it IS only questiC
of time when 1t will be removed TO Il
y top of some hill or melted down al
Is made over into real work of art,
~ once aesthetic and beautiful.
. Two new statues are in imminel
y danger of being set up in New Yor
of for we read that the pedestal for q
I'd statue Of Alexander Hamilton is rea,
"a for shipment from the New Englal
= Granite Company's works, and til
v q very peculiar pedestal, with win
Ir- to it, has been devised for the Farr
a. gut statute, which is to stand in Ma
or son Square. II the Hamilton stat
:, has been made by the Same "Yank
<h spectators" who turn out granite S
or diers at parade rest by the dozen
It's patriotic monuments, we may doubt
IA it should be considered work of a
In any event, it should be exposed
30 the public before it is put up in t
re park. No more stiff, big bellied ST
to ues, like that of Daniel Webster, a
,rt wanted, with which to frighten hors
Nv and alarm German nurse maids. Il
ne pedestal Of the Farragut statute
re said to be monument as well, with
I'M long inscription written by Mr.. Rio
a ard Grant White, famous for his {
0u position to the American comm
ry school system. There is, very pro
ly erly, regulation in the matter of p
,d estals for statues, which requires tt
- they shall be of like material and p
W portions. This is to protect theipu
as lie from advertising and self glorifit
70 tion, otherwise we should be overr
., with such monuments as the late n