The Portland daily press., 1882-10-11
Arc do Triomphe Statuary.

Paris Dispatch to the London Daily Telegraph.
For some three months past English tourists
and provincial visitors have been surprised to
find the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile sur
mounted by huge scaffolding of irregular
shape and rough construction which effeotual-
~ destroyed the beauty and symmetry of the
magnificent pile at the top Of the Champs Ely
see. The ordinary guide books being silent on
the subject OF this enormous excrescence, trav-
eiers have had to question the guardians at the
bottom of the stairs, who must since Hast June ,
have given many thousand answers to the
question: "What are they building on the top
of the Arc de Triomphe9" The unfortunate
man who has been INTERCEPTED from morning
till night by visitors from every cline and with
every known kind of foreign &C cent, is himself
rather vague on the subject, and usually only
volunteers the information that "they are put
ting up group OF statuary." The fact is that
the scheme, often proposed since tie erection
Of the gigantic archway, Of surrounding it
with an allegorical group, is at last being car
ried into execution, and the work in its ele-
mentary stage is fast approaching completion.
When first erected the triumphal arch, with
its rich bss-reliefs and bold groups Of statuary
commemorative of the glories OF the First EN-
pire, as intended to form the basis for Crowd
ing decoration of sculptor's work. This fact
is proved by the turtle back" platform which
has all along spoiled the outline OF the magnif-
icent parapet running round the top OF the
erection. Various designs were offered during
the first half of the century, but most were re-
jected on account of their absurdity or want of
~
mount the arch with bronze eagle of gigantic
dimensions, using the platform as perch. An
other genius, more patriotic. wished to see q
huge France" sitting on a lion, receiving the
submission OF the other four great powers, in
Guiding of course .'perfide Albion This plan
was discarded, possibly BECAUSE even in the
pages OF French historians, no occasion could
] be found on which England had to bow down
to her amiable and glory-loving neighbor. M.
Falguiere It is who has at last prevailed upon
the authorities to allow his design to grace the
| Arc de Triomphe. As far as one can Judge
| from its present unfinished state, the group will
| turn out decided success and an Important
addition to the many beauties OF the capital.
The difficulties Of the task were obvious, for
| 1t must be remembered that, in addition to the
IL roads leading directly to the Arc de Tri-
| omphe, and each Offering different point Of
aspect, the huge pile can be seen from almost
| any spot in the western environs OF Paris. A
| group had to be imagined, therefore. which
would look ell from every point Of the COM
| pass-a considerable OF infinitely moro impor-
| tance than the choice Of . subject. Whether
| al. Falguiere has been successful in forming .
striking and harmonious outline for his group
VIII not be quite apparent until all the Scaffold
ing has been removed, but at present there
is no reason to doubt this. The design
itself consists of female figure OF France
standing erect in a Roman chariot and
holding a halffurled flag in hor left
hand. -Four horses abreast, msjestically
throwing out their fore legs toward the front
corners OF the are, draw the car, each outside
| pair being led by female figure Of progress
| In the foreground is group representing lib
| erty overcoming official tyranny the back of
| the platform facing the Avenue de Ia Grande
Armee being occupied BY two allsgorical
groups OF figures illustrating tho defense Of the
| country. These latter are not yet commenced.
| The figures now erected arc, OF course, only
| the models serving to show the general design
of the artist, which, If accepted, will be dsfni-
| lively carried out in bronze. The cost of tho
| temporary erection-about E2, coos very low,
| and the economy with which the group il be-
ing constructed reflects great credit on the in
genuity OF tho artist Horses, figures, and
| chariot are. in fact, simply made of old planks
| OF wood nailed together, the intervening spaces
| being filled in with wire netting, and the
| whole covered with coArse canvas stepped in
liquid plaster, and subsequently painted brown
! to represent new bronze. Anything cheaper
than this it would be impossible to devise; yet
| the effect is very good and the model will full
| ~ answer its purpose. Thirty-6vs workmen
are employed by M. Falguiere, who would
| have completed his gigantic task some weeks
| ago but for the stormy wet weather which at
| times made work at such an altitude not only
difficult, bat very dangerous. When fully ex-
| posed to view tho group will doubtless encoun-
| ter much opposition, especially from old Pa
| risians who love their great monument fol its
| own sake, and are not unnaturally averse to
| what they term an innovation. 1t is certain,
however, that the arch when designed early in
| this century was intended to receive a final
at present think that impartial observers will
give M. Falguiere the credit of having achieved
great artistic success.