The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-09
SHOCKS WESTERN PEOPLE
abundance of Figures at the Fair
Clothed Only in Their
Compilations
Savages in Gee Strings and Civil
ICED People Guiltless Evon
OF That.
Mora Severe Test Awaits the West in the
Art GRllery-In the German de.
pnrtment.

CHICAGO, May S.-One OF the most start
ling consequences of the opening of the
fair is that the west is brought face to face
with the art work of the nineteenth CEN
fury. The west, so progressive in all
things else. has been slow in its at prog
ress. and the jump by which it now con-
fronts tho most Parisian conditions ID such
that il 10 no wonder the populaos holds its
breath. The exposition 10 fairly Uttered
with examples of the nude, and especially
of the nude masculine. This Is a great and
startling novelty to the west. telegraphs
the correspondent OF the New York Sun.
1t 10 true that there arc now art leagues in
Chicago. Denver. Minneapolis aud ST. Paul,
md within q year Glasses have been formed
IN these cities for the study of the nude,
but they are small GLASSES, mere handfuls
compared to the great bodies of young
mon and women wbo crowd the primary
grades. Most Of the fifty or seventy
five girls who are now drawing
and painting the undraped human
figure west of tho Alleghanies have
been abroad. In Europe they have taken
up the within for reproducing the beautiful
outlines Of the human figure, and have
gone miles past the great majority who stay
at home. The great mass OF western homes
still display the most sober English
chromos, ii not those ,old-fashioned stand
bye best exemplifed by the motto: God
bless our happy home," done in mothers
hair.
With what seems to tho west a brutal sud-
dsnness the exposition has thrust tho nude
on its great public. All around the lower
end of the magnificent court Of honor, the
roofs of the casino, the peristyle, the music
hall, and machinery hall are fringed with
figures of nude men. They stand clear of
the roof against the sky. They are of
heroic size and very boldly executed; not a
detail has escaped the loving care OF the
fn-de-siecle seulptors, who learned their
calling in Europe.
The majority OF the figures are Of civil
lied men, and a few are OF savaPes. The
few savages are soulptured with regard for
the feeling of the west. for each wears a
tiny piece of covering, just rs our rod In
dams do. This badge Of modesty is what
the cowboys call q "Ree string" and what
in the east is known as a breech cloth.
But the civilized or white men are guilt
less of all covering except their COM
plexions. They are forty feet up in the air,
but are so large that they might as we'll be
on q level with the public for all the con-
cealment they make.
Their effect on the people from the inte-
calculated to exotic comrassion for the
people. Some are visibly panied and
shocked and some are plainly indignant.
Wives drag their husbands away. and moth
ers and sisters, after one startled glance.
tug at their children to lead them out of
49, A~-> n~~ h1 kkrnr
and it is too late.
Some of those who are more SOPHISTICATED.
and others who arc more sensible. keep
right on. regardless of their feelings; but
they must think that q veritable diabolism
is in the hearts of the managers, for as they
progress they find a Number of these enor-
NOUS naked statues OF mon down on the
ground under the peristyle, where they can
touch them with their hands. Some of
these figures are ready to 90 up. some have
workmen laboring to finish them, and some
are dismembered and in pieces.
Elsewhere the examples of the nude rep
resent both sexes. The statues On the roof
Of the woman's building are draped, and SO
is Frenoh's colossal statue of the republic,
but scores of the graceful and truly beautl-
full figures which one sees scattered about
the grounds are suoh as meet the gaze OF
visitors to the galleries and palace gardens
of Europe.
All the figures in MacMonie's beautiful
fountain are nude, and none Ia stranger
and more surprising to the western eye than
that of the goddess who ia driving the
chariot and who sits bolt upright in an
armchair with not q stitch on her above her
waist.
A much more severe test of the patience
of the western people will come when the
art palace Is open. 1t is unquestionably the
shelter of the greatest number OF the beau
tlful objects in the exposition and Of the
finest collection of paintings ever seen in
this country. But here again a truly Euro
pean abundance of undressed female fig
ures will confront the visitor.
The artists Of this country in the United
States galleries present more nude figures
than would have been expected, n even
the English collection. unlike the reputa-
ton that such collections have earned, is
full of studies OF undraped human beings,
What must be seen in the German, tho
French and the Spanish galleries can be
imagined as we'll as described.
In the German gallery, for instance, ono
large and most striking picture represents a
ferocious giant who has cast a net into the
sea and drags out a dozen sea nymphs.
They are simply females of our race, wholly
unencumbered with raiment. One of these
he has taken from the net and is holding
high above his head, pinchiuQ her between
his gigantic finpers az an eutomologist
pinches "a bug that he captures.
hta private VieW gwen TO u rev favored
persons ut the Palace of Art this afternoon,
there happened a strange thing, which
showed how unused the innocent and pro-
vincial people of the west nre to such beauti-
full works. A man with two women. who
might have been taken for his wife and
sister. had come in front of this queer fancy
of tho German artist. and all had reiterated
from the gallery as il they had suddenly
found themselves in the cholera ward Of s
hospital.
The faces of the women were scarlet, and
the mans eyes snapped with indignation.
Presently he advanced to Mr.. Charles j.
Taylor. Puck's clever artist, who was visit
ing there, and spoke to him.
Sir" said he. lean you tell ms whether
this next gallery is for gentlemen or fol
both sexes? Upon my word. l can't toll
which place to SO with my lady friends ant
which places to keep ont Of. l just got in o
f'ightful sc.ape taking them In that hal
over there"
The treatment tho people arc getting Il
drastic md cruel. but it will work wonders
in cuitivatinR and refining them. and the,
will learn to love the beautiful in art JUS
as tina whole country learned to use rug
and interior hnnRinGs after seeing the Philn
delph'a Worlds fair seventeen years ago.