New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-27
POPULAR OBSERVATIONS.
opposFD TO SCULPTORS AS JUDGES OF
SCULPTURE.

,be Editor Of The Tribune.
s,,. The following appeared part Of an article
-, hod sculpture In Central Park IN "Tile New York
Herald:
arhercforc bad sculpture. which Is rampant In
81. civ and notably in Central Park must for the
-. 90 tbc reope be removed. The Park Board,
,bo nation OF Commissioner Henry Winthrop Gray.
,so has thus done great service to the public has
,o,ntcd committee of sculptors of distinguished
osion consisting Of Augustus It. Gaudens. J. z. a.
I'd and Daniel {. French TO examine and report
'non the character of al the statues except their
orn IN the public parks OF tue city.
Now let this committee not alone d, eide upon
ho, is lad or mediocre that Is stapdlns but have
4, repacc the lark Boards Advisory Committee,
h,ch examines and reports upon the works offered,
ond let lis decision be found not to Ne set aside by
,bs board itself And II tic three sculp,ors report
that an existing statue group OF sculpture is dcri-
mental TO the public taste let it be removed"
ANY one with the slightest knowledge Of artistic
affairs would that TO give Such power to three
rsn who have shown their utter incapacty Judge,
rbou personal motives. would be TO erect a barrier
AGAINST the influx of possibly good In the future
that might be beyond these gentlemen All OF these
are good artists IN their way. Reasoning hui
rsnity must acknowledge that art Is broad and covers
a. many varieties OF thought individuality itself.
This combine would no doubt work TO splendid advan-
,are for the combine but. as in tie case OF judg-
or their pupils friends would be at all sure of any
measure Of success. no matter how excellent the
rnrk Boston has but one sculptor and one painter
IN the advisory committee for its public monuments
ono can do liltl, harm and may be able to give good
advice to other men who have IL knowledge Of art
outside It's technique
The committee should be not all sculptors; but
me and that Mr. Ward, the rest Of the commtte &c
10 be men we'll known in the circles Of the city who
are not artists themselves.
There can b. little question that this committee would
10 glad 10 be in Il position to show how much they
oye their cllOw-artiSts but this should not he per
m,ted-neithcr for them for the unfortunates.
Would il not be better plan TO remove the obIcc-
nonslle statues TO more retired part Of the parks
and replace them by some OF the works OF the
urcsent committee. This. sure. would be quite
acceptable TO the public and to the committee them
selves.
4 case in point-when some w0uldbc bencfactOr
wished to remove the Jackson statue in Washington
vould be well TO remember. This statue marks a
perod in orr history that could not well be lost.
This equestrian may not be up to modern artistic
measure. but for its time 1t was splendid at
tempt and proad and noble thing for an
American 10 do.
In another decade the works OF ST. Gaudens. Ward
md French may be regarded worthless. and some
one NAV appear on the scene who will want 10
remove the works Of these men. The Robert Burns
Is bad bu; not worse than the pedestal OF the Far
rsgu The Dodge Is disgrace. The Chicago
artist D. c. French. has nothing here, so II is i'm
possible TO Judge OF his work.
II would seem that wise course in this matter
would De- to have but sculptor on the committee.
for the good OF scuporS in general ana The pun
Nc who are TO be benefited by the removal OF these
works that we're erected in good faith and at Their
lime represented the knowledge OF the pubic, II
Gauccns las done much to open the way for good ar
tjlc sculpture in this country, but his nature J.,
sucl that he could not be trusted with an lnpoTlah,
,uflic fapiS without
opinion ~ may II be said Of all true artl.S lh'N
are oesded and incapactatcd for public WORK because
Of their artistic natures. which ore day may pc Ju't
ard reasonable and another absolutely WIZ! lou
reason it least IT will be wiSc TO think wen min
l4iore We drive out OF New York City the splehuiu
material that will make great sculptors. ana riN"
II 10 this trio, who have somehow got loe''heI
lately as IA sort OF trinity. 1850, rr,srrc
New-York, Feb. 90, 1893.