Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-29

UlA8xlC COA1BNI.
Secretary Proctor has given 70 TEE stan for
publication the letters from the art critics who
recently examined the Lafayette monument in
Paris. prior to it acceptance by the American
minister on behalf Of this government They
are accompanied BY private latter from Min
lister Reid, explaining his choice Of men to do
this work. He says: ~ tried first to get w. W.
Story, chiefly because thought that of our
American sculptors now in Rome he
was the best known in the United States,
and that therefore his name would carry
the greatest weight He was greatly pleased
with the offer, but found it impossible to come
Then asked Mr.. Simmons, who has recently
completed his plaster cast for the great war
monument at POrtland-thought by our friends
at Rome, as we'll Is by the Italian artists, to be
one OF the finest things American sculptors
promptly responded by telegram and came on
at once. Henri Taine won his early laurels in
discussions Of art, and his works are 30 we'll
known in the United States and his reputation
is 80 high that thought perhaps an opinion
from him would also be usefu. Both Lafayette
and Rochambeau have expressed themselves to
me as greatly pleased with the representation
OF their grandfather"
MINISTER Reds LETTER.
The minister's letter Of transmittal is dated
the 14th Of March and contains these words:
Convinced, both from my own observation
and from the report of these two competent
authorities, that the monument has been exc
cuted in conformity with the contract and will
be found satisfactory to the commission,
have advised Messrs. Falguiere and Mercie that
am ready to accept the policy of insurance
as provided. They explain that it will require
three weeks or more to complete tho packing
and shipment. Holding myself subject to your
call for any further service that may be needed
in connection with the monument and congrat-
ulating you on the completion Of work which
will, trust be found creditable to our coun-
try, as well as most agreeable to the French
people, have the honor to be, &C."
Mr.. SIMMONS REPORT.
Mr.. Simmons letter IL as follows: "In
response to the invitation ] had the honor to
receive from you I have to say that have
examined the monument just completed to the
memory of Lafayette and his compatriots by
the eminent French sculptors Falguiere and
Mercie, in accordance with the contract made
by them with the commission appointed by the
government of the United States. After
carefully reading the contract IL appears to me
that they have conformed to all its require
ments, not only as to the general design, the
modelling of the figures and the casting Of
the bronze, but also in the quality of the
material and the execution of the
architectural part 1 am assured by
the artists that in the statues Of
Lafayette and his associates they have followed
the most authentic portraits that have been
preserved, both in painting and sculpture.
The various parts Of the monument have
not yet been all united, but / am informed by
the architects that they viii be put together in
few days, and care will be taken that all Of
them properly join before the work is trans
ported to Washington. 1t seems to me, there
fore. that there 10 no reason why this work
should not be accepted by the government Of
the United States. ! am not aware that am
called upon to express my opinion of this mon
ument as a work Of art but will venture to re-
mark that 1t appears to me to be good repre-
sentative work of the present French school of
monumental sculpture. 1t will for that reason
be interesting to some aside from that general
interest it will possess for all our people as a
representation Of Lafayette and his compa-
triots.'
NJ TAINE's VIEWS.
The letter Of M. Taine to the minister il in
French, but the latter sends with it transla-
ton, as follows: ''The honor you do me is very
great and might have been extended to more
competent judges than myself. l am not q
special critic, and have no technical knowl-
edge. Please consider my opinion, therefore,
simply a. the personal sentiment of an amateur
who has seen great many statues and to whom
day, as you requested, l examined attentively
the work Of Messrs. Falguiere and Mercie; 1t is
very fine, worthy of its object and of its au-
thors. The correspondence and contrast pre-
sented by the two groups of men at the base
are admirable. The youthful figure of
Duportailie is charming. These two
artists have solved very diff
fcult problem, the great problem of art, that
of keeping figures true to the peculiar charac-
ter of their epoch and at the same time pro-
ducing types for all epochs. As to the young
Victory offering . sword, this figure is Of the
greatest merit-at once real and ideal Its full
beauty cannot be appreciated by regarding it
near by and from the ground. was able to
ascend into the gallery running around the
atelier and, looking down upon it, study from
several points Of view every aspect Of this
form, so supple and SO we'll displayed, so re-
fined, SO full of life and 30 animated. 1t would
be we'll to have seven or eight different pho
tographs taken from it; to artists they would
serve as lessons and examples, while the public
would learn from the IN what variety andwhat
poetry may be found in one single figure.
statue like this is worth dozen pictures"
Go TO LINCOLN PosT FAIR and see some skill
fnl DANCING