St. Paul daily globe., 1891-03-22
ART IN ARCHITECTURE.

POLITICALLY said, when regarding some
| noble structure. Fine architecture is
frozen music" and it was the brilliant
Col. Tom Nelson, of Indiana, who so
pleasantly and appropriatelysQuoted her
words when standing in admiration be-
fore our last beautiful ice palace.
Architecture in itself is an art, and one
of the grandest and most sublime
expressions of art, but 1t is
an art which is sui gen.
eris. 1t may be connected with
other branches of art, such as
the decorative displayed in statu-
ary, color, and many other expressions,
or it may be absolutely pure, and Sc
verely simple. The cathedral of Milan
may be cited as an example of the dec
Orative style, and the Parthenon as the
other extreme. OF course, artistic
architecture is not to be expected in new
communities, where practical utility is
the end sought after, limited in its eX-
penditureS to actual necessities,
but the gradual advances which
are made in the line of beautify-
ing buildings forms an interesting
study in the progress of art and civili-
zation, and nowhere have greater of
more rapid strides been taken in this di-
rectlon than in St. Paul. All my read
erS who have watched the growth of our
city can recOllect land the evidences
still exist that up to very recent pc
rlod absolutely nothing was done in
the way of beautifying the exterior of
good foundation, solid walls,
and "a presentable front, was
the fulfillment of the endeavor
OF the architect, and the satisfaction or
his employer. The result was very
commonplace-looking city, except in the
residence portion, which has always
been exceptionally pretty and home
like. But, as time progressed, taste
improved and bank accounts became
more reliable, and, with these resources
to draw upon, our people became more
eXacting i'll their ideas of public build
ing. About the first effort in the esthetic
line that | remember was the carving of
number of heads on the kew
stones of the window arches
of the second story of the
new court house. 1t was movement
in the right direction, but cannot be
SAID to be a work that will be a model
for future ages. AS the architect face
tiously remarked, Il endeavored to
place upon the walls the heads of the
leading Democrats of the city, but the
vile smoke has turned them all into
black Republicans" There Will never
be much strife as to whom they belong.
The Minnesota bank, a plain but
handsome building, decorated the arch
over its principal entrance with some
fairly good carvings of mythical sea
monsters, and thus relieved the barren
ness Of its walls.
The GLOBE building. stately and
commanding in its form and height,
only gave us some very small but very
pretty touches of carving on the capitals
of the granite pillars which form its
portal. The Pioneer Press tickled its
imposing entrance with a few flowers
wrought i'll its massive granite. The
New York Life presented a cornice
OF lions heads OH its second story,
which much more reSembled the
benignant expression of the popular
face of the father Of his country, than
the threatening scowl of the savage
king of beasts. No doubt the sculptor
modified his work to correspond with
the gentle and protective purposes of
the founders of the building. The Ger
mania bank displays delicate lace-like
carving in its soft red stone. which re-
lieves the blank surface and pleases the
eye. Then came the Germania
Life Insurance building, which in
my opinion. is the finest architectural
structure in the city. 1t is decorated
with frieZe around the top of the sec
ond story composed of striking and ey-
pressive faces, male and female, which
is an improvement Oh its predecessors:
but all attempts of the kind have mar
rated are little more than the work of
skilled stonecutters, and hardly come
under the name of works of art. But
the original designs of the New York
Life and the Germania Life buildings
did not stop at these imperfect en-
belliShments. They were both in
tended to be crowned with
real work of art. In the market place
in Dresden. SaXony, stands a beautiful
NEUROLOGICAL statue of Germania. cast
i'll bronze. 1t was made and erected
some ten years ago by a celebrated
sculptor named Henel. Of I.eipsic. The
insurance company decided that a du-
plcate of this statute should adorn the
space over the grand entrance to its
building. 1t employed an Amer
lean sculptor named Turner. who
has studio in Florence, to
do the work. 1t was cast in Florence,
Italy, under the directions of Turner.
and that he made a success of it, needs
but passing look. 1t is a very graceful
female figure. with flowing robes, lean
ing OH shield and holding aloft ban
ner. The figure is thirteen and one-half
feet in height, and the banner staff rises
to twenty-one feet, and is crowned at
night with an effective wreath of cleo
trio lights. Its weight is four and one
half tons.
1t is rather curious fact that the
first public display of meritorious art i'm
this town should have been so coolly
and inditferently received. If there
ever was word of notice given to it in
any of the city papers, it was not seen
by the writer, and it is doubtful if
fiftieth part of our people know of its
presence in our midst. am not adver-
tizing the Germania Insurance COM
pany, but think it would be a source
of pleasure and education to good
many of our people if they would make
it visit.
On the 17th of this month the New
York Life insurance building was COM
pleted by placing a pedestal over the
superb entrance of that structure Oh
Minnesota street, magnificent bronze,
representing the seal and legend of that
company. 1t is an immense and beautl-
full eagle, standing on rock with out
spread wings and open beak, clutching
in its talons serpent which has Invaded