Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-03
MONUMENTS IN PUBLIC PLACES.
The Need Of Careful Supervision TO Avoid
Impositions Upon tho Public.

| The Need of Careful Supervision TO Avoid
Impositions Upon tho Public.
From Garden and Forest.
| More and more, ~ the years 60 by. the
| questions involved in the placing Of statues
and other monuments in our parks, streets and
| city squares must attract serious attention
| from all who have the artistic interests of the
community at heart These questions are
three in number: Is the person event to be
concentrated deserving Of such conspicuous
and lasting honor Is the monument suffi-
| ciently excellent as a work of art to be worthy
OF its subject, to satisfy the eyes Of those quail
fled to judge in such matters and to aid in
forming Il correct public taste2 And is 1t so
placed that itsappears to the best advantage
itself and in harmony with its surroundings,
so as to increase the general attractiveness Of
the spot where it stands?
Bad monuments injure both those who look
at them and those whom they profess to honor.
And there are many such in all our cities.
who. Tor example, can be won to admiration
OF the poet by the contorted. ridiculous figure
which, at the entrance Of the mall in the Gen.
trail Park, bears the name of Burns? Or who
can gain a fresh sense of the services that
Seward rendered to the republic by contem-
plating his statue on Madison Square? Farra-
gut Is really commemorated. really honored.
by the figure which stands not far away from
with gratitude and admiration of him, while
we receive never-failing impression of pleas
ure from the sight of the work of art as such.
Nor need it be thought that the humblest
among the populace are blind and deaf to the
difference between the aspect and message of
such works these two. Hundreds of persons
OF all classes daily stop to study the Farragut
statue, while, il one watches at the
other end Of the park, he will find
that scarcely q glance is ever directed
monument on 9th avenue to the passing stranger
and probably few people know even that there
Is bust Of Washington Irving in Bryant Park.
though if these wero really fine works they
would be recognized, like the Farragut, as
among the things every visitor to New York
should see. St. Gauden's statue of Lincoln not
only adorns the city OF Chicago and daily
teaches its people what sculptor's work should
be, but IT helps to interpret our greatest man
TO the rising generation. But what lessons are
lnculcated by the statue Of Lincoln in Union
Square! And who will ever care to inform
himself about Bolivar after seeing his eques-
trlan figure in the Central Park?
The proportion of bad monuments to good
ones in any American city today is probably at
least ten to one. The collective effect of so
many poor ones In deforming our public places
and In Encouraging, If not corrupting the
peoples taste for art can hardly be overes-
timated, and surely the time has come when
more serious sense Of responsibility should be
impressed upon those who have such matters
under their control. Whatever is now ad-
mitted to our parks and streets is almost GER
tain to stand there for centuries. We cannot
hope for many successful efforts like that Of
Gen. Clusters widow, who, a few years ago,
secured the removal of a ridic ulouS statue of
her husband from the government grounds at
West Point. The only sure and sensible way
to avoid bequeathing the monstrosities to our
children Is to prevent their erection.
Adequate means toward this end have been
provided as regards the Central Park at least,
for no monument can be erected there without
the permission of q committee of three per-
sons well qualified to choose among good and
bad works Of art Until lately, it must be
said, this committee has consistently erred on
the side OF leniency. All lovers of art there
fore, were gratifed to learn last spring that it
had refused permission for the erection of
statue already completed, but judged OF INSULT
Gent merit. They may regret that this same
statue has since been set up in one of our small
city squares, but it had better be there than in
the park. and the precedent established by its
rejection will surely work for future good.
There is no danger, We believe, Of over-severity
In the matter. 1t isa painful task to refuse
work which is offered by generous, well-mean-
ing citizens and task certain to bring meas
IRE OF unreasoning public condemnation upon
those who are prominent in its performance.
1t is not likely that our park will ever be de-
prlved OF a WORK of even a reasonable degree of
excellence, while it is likely that for many
years TO come foolish and grOtesque monu-
ments will be offered to it in ever-increasing
numbers. The streets and parks of a great
city ought to be guarded against the intrusion
OF bad works of art even more carefully than
the apartments Of public museum; for while
hundreds or even thousands of persons may
daily visit the museum, tens OF thousands
must, whether they will or not, daily look on
objects set under the open skv