The Washington critic., 1890-02-20
HIS RIGHT EYE GOUGED.
GEORGE WAsHlNGToN'S COUNTER
FELT IN A BAD CONDITION.


Artist Eisinger indignant at the Box
ing Up of Greenough's Statue-Ie
Expresses Very Strong Views on
other Acts of Vandalism.
While strolling about the Capitol
grounds yesterday a CRITIC man found
Frank Eisinger, the artist, gazing with
great Indignation at the boXed-up
statue of Greenough's s Washington on
the eastern plaza.
Good Heavensl What vandalism
exclaimed the artist Here this clear
cut crystal work of art, so thoroughly
in accord with the Corinthian archi-
lecture of the Capitol and of which
Pbidias himself might have been proud,
is ruined beyond redemption. The
right eye of Washington has been
gouged out since the statue was boxed
mp, and the Father of His Country now
looks cock.eyed.
After moving It about like cigar
store Indian, and breaking IL to pieces
they have now boxed it, apparently for
good Why do not these wiseacrcs also
box up Crawford's Progress of Civil
ization,' or the pedimcnt. Persico' $
Discovery of America by Columbus, "
and the Peace Monument? Why not
box up both wings Of the Capitol? Such
things are fast making us the laughing
stock of the world.
What they should box up is those
moustrous terraces and stairways, hut
who in Christendom or heathendom
ever heard before of public statue be.
! ing boxed, even in Kamskatka or any
other half civilized country? This fine
statue would have stood for thousand
years II 1t had been spared such treat
| ment. We are undoing what was wei
begun, and history win Judge the cuI
ture of this generation by such acts Il,
these.
owe are progressing with rapid
strides" continued Mr.. Eisinger, who
is severe critic of much of the art ant
architecture of the city.
% It is now proposed that the entire
south front of our grandest boulevard il
to disappear. Magnificent vistas arr
promised to our wondering eyes. Have
past promises been fulfilled Let mi
say right here that nothing is too grand
No public improvement too magniti
cent for Washington, but once com
menced it should be carried out with
out stint or hindrance, even though
fabulous sums are required.
"Let us review some of our posses
sions from the past. That shaft OF
yonder sky, the Washington Monu
ment is feat of engineering skill
was it not intended for monumental
structure? Per CONTRA the Peace Mon
ument is not cemeterial decadence, a
it has been called, but a grandilc
quent work of art, of magnifi3en
proportions and an exception I
the general rule. In pstheti
conception and finish it is to me an oh
iect of admiration and worship, whic
demands the grandest surrounding:
The proposition to remove it to the ou
skirts OF the city, OF to Arlington,
unwarranted and sacrilegious, as is th
proposed duplication OF the Whit
House, which has been again and agai
advanced.
Tom, Dick and Harry have In
license to erect monuments, and job
and Peter have placed them here an
there throughout the city where
! suited their fancy or convenience.
am using plain language, and for a pu
pose. We have no system and II
, foundation in our art work, no seal
J nor measure. Things so by fits an
; starts, and hence the consequences.
: ''rhe Pension Office Is blot upo
the fair topo graphy of out city. TIL
!, grounds of the Smithsonian 1nstitu
,, have become q building mart, and no
! it is proposed to stud Pennsylvania av
| nue. with governmental structure
G Perish that monstrous scheme in its il
: ccption.
"The Capital is the experiment
ground for every crank and every III
. farious plot that is devised Ever
demagogue and fanatic comes to Ia
: his nest-egg in the District, and, Ill
S serfs, we take the knout without a mu
mur. Once more, | object"