The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-30
THE DORE VASE.
Greatest Work of Art at the
Exposition.
Z NOTABLE CASTING IN BRONZE.


vantage Visitors to the Worlds Fair
Should Seek 1t Ont and study Its Beauty
The Sportive Cupids and the venomous
Serpent.
WORLDS FAIR, June o. Especial =
Ii were asked to name the greatest work
OF art to be found in the exposition
shouid unhesitatingly say the Dore vase.
1t is to be seen in the French section of the
Manufactures building. Unfortunately
1t Is not displayed to the best advantage,
and many visitors pass it by without SO
much as look at it. But let me advise
you not to make this mistake; for this
great bronze, probably the most ambitious
and notable casting ever made in that
metal, is well worth your time. 1t is an
| attraction which has the more fascination
for you the better you are acquainted
| with it.
| You would not think it possible for q
man TO make q vase in cold, dull bronze in
which You could always find some new
beauty. no matter how many times you
visited it, would your Yet that is just
what Gustaye Dore did in this marvellous
creation. The Dcre vase is called lie
VIM" or Wine" and is the apotheosis of
bacchanalian revel. But no hideous, de-
formed, gluttonous, disgusting god OF
wine, this. Instead, all that is light,
graceful, poetic and beautiful. The vase
stands some fifteen feet high, and weighs
| about 4 .Oo0 pounds. It's shape is that sof
an oriental water bottle or cara1fe, and
upon it are hundreds of figures from the
animal and vegetable kingdoms and the
world Of mythology. The vine trails all
| round, with flowers and clusters of grapes.
Among its shoots and tendrils q horde OF
cupids and nymphs play gay pran],s.
All Of Oore's cupids are brownies in
their love Of fun. Nothing solemn or SEN
sstional about them, save that serio-co,nic
solemnity with which Palmer Cox has en-
dowed his now famous little men, The
wine is in these little cupids, and ideally
sportive they are. They Chamber and race
and wiggle about on the face Of the great
vase like SO many beautiful little MONKEYS
Here is one hanging by his toes to bit Of
vine, and the expression On his face is that
hence. Another is helping 4 companion
up difficult ascent, and you can see The
little rogue push with all his might. A
third, having reached the summit, leans
from the top and beckons his fellows up-
ward. Still another is having battle
royal with a big beetle, whose two horns
he has boldly grasped.
There are cupids asleep, cup;Gs rolling
stones down upon other cupids, cupids
proddiRg lizards with sticks, cupids chas-
ing butterflies, cupids pouring wine upon
the heads OF Venuses, cupids playing hide
snd-seek, cupids in all the vagaries and
varieties OF q bacchanalian revel. Of course
there are nude women on this vase. It
would not be the work of Frenchman
II there were not. Venuses are every
where, and such Venuses! One is prepared
to believe the story that Dore ransacked
Paris for his models, and the wonder is
that he found them, even at that. Two
figures, to MY mind, form together the
piece de resistance of the work. Stretched
out at full length, her back following the
curve OF the vase at it's thickest part, lies
a glorious Venus. Her arms are extended
above her head as far as she can reach. In
hep hands she holds chalice, and into
this from his perch above sweet little
cupid is squeezing the juice from a bunch
OF luscious grapes. 1t is figure to be
seen, and TO be seen again and again.
| have not seriously attempted a de-
scription of this noble work of art, for t is
Undesirable. Ii were to write OF all the
figures, of all the groupings, Of all the
fancies so sl1illfully worked out by the
great artist, should need more time and
space than are at my command. I know
men who are 80 much in love with this
vase that they go three or four times a
week to see it. They escort their friends
for view OF it, they sing its praises in and
out of season. Every time they stand by
its side they see some new beauty in the
amazing cluster OF figures with which it is
covered. 1t must be indeed great work
OF art that is able to inspire this enthusi-
astic worship.
While thus idealizing wine Dore was
artist enough not to forget its sting. A
single yenomous serpent, near the base of
the creation, is seen insidiously crawling
among the Tevelers toward the summit of
the fairy landscape. With this gentle
yet expressive touch-without surfeit Of
hideousness or brutalzation-did the
great sculptor remind US that gay as may
De the revel, roguish and prankish the
jewellers, beautiful and alluring the
feminine devotees, rich in color and mad
with abandon all the bacchanalians, the
serpent turks in tho vine and will. ulti-
mately victinlize them all.
1t is a remarkable thing that the man
who created this, now one Of the most IA
nous seulptors in the world, should have
had ambition in another direction. Dore
was sublime in modelling, but he wanted
to paint in oil. Most of his artistic efforts
during the last years of his life were with
the brush Il is not given TO man to be
great genius ia many lines, and Dores
pictures, while meritorious, never touched
the hight which he had reached in paoriel-
ing. In his own field of effort, the field in
which he had gifts almost divine, the /
world was at his feet. Yet because the /
world would not bow down and wo-- /
ship his canyases-this is the story, and of /
course I do not know If it is true-he felt /
the sting OF defeat in his greatest but /
mistaken ambition, and died Of broken |
heart.
But one cast was ever made from the /
plaster moulds for this vase. and no other
VIII De made This masterpiece in bronze !
Is for sale, and twenty thousand dollars Il /
the price. Doubtless the heirs OF the dead |
artist could realize much more money !
from the moulds by permitting number .
OF casts - be mace and sold for smaller /
sums, Uut following the traditions O. az, i
and cut OF respect 10 the memory Of tie 4
creator, they are determined this work 4
shall be UNIQUE I predict that this great 4