The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-27

appreciated. and they especially admired
the bringing of water into the grounds"
Ibid many Frenchmen visit the fair?"
mot many. The French are not travel
ers"
but Americans by the hundred thousand
visited their exposition. Was there not a
feeling that courtesy required comity?''
''Oh. no. The French take all homage and
admiration like a beautiful woman-having
a feeling that it belongs TO them naturally.
And they are right. in a way. They have
done more than any other people to make
their capital a city of exceeding beauty and
attractiveness. Paris. as a city, Is a mas
terpiece. 1t is a great achievement. of
which they feel proud, and is type of their
art"
How does modern art compare with that
in the period of Phidias?'
There have been in all ages in my opin-
ion, men as great in art as Phidias was in
his Phidias lived in an age. however. of
tremendous opportunity. The Greeks worked
for beauty of the line, and without limita-
tons as to expression and the nude. 1t
was not necessary. in their estimation, for
sculpture to give expression TO anything.
But the tone OF modern art must have
literary note, must mean something. must
express an idea. The Greeks. perhaps.
were nearer right than we are, for sculp
ture is sensuous. 1t is to the eye what
music is TO the That is it's true pur-
pose, and sentiment should be left to its
own province OF literature"
FUTURE OF AMERICAN ART.
'Are you hopeful of the future of art in
American
Absolutely So Just now it is true, our
| people only beginning to realize the
beauty and power of sculpture, and In
| time our parks, themselves more numer-
| Gus and spacious, will be embellished with
| high type Of statuary and monumental
| art. In painting. America has. perhaps.
| made greater progress than in sculpture.
] Good and even great painters are numer-
| Gus. but there are fewer successful Ameri-
| can scuptors. But sculptor has to reach
| higher degree of art before his work be-
( comes meritorious, whereas, the require
ments of the brush are not so exacting be-
| fore success is achieved. American art
in few years. at our present
| rate of progress. will be foremost of all.
| American artists have made great strides
| in Paris and are found in the front ranks,
| while there many no less successful now
| living in their native land. Let me as
| sure young men and women that it is nc
/ longer necessary 10 go 10 Far1S 10 STUDY
| art. There are American schools which are
all that the schools of Paris are, and there
| are. perhaps better influences here than
| there. Models are as easy to obtain, and
| have beauty of new and striking type
/ due to the amalgamation of races under
] fresh and happy conditions / note with
| much pleasure, also. that we are rapidly
reaching the point where we appreciate thai
there is no necessary suggestion between
the nude and the lewd.'
Mr.. MacMonnies went from here to Chi
cago to view the celebrated fountain il
the Court of Honor. whose creation
fiedged the wings of his soaring fame
It's story was one of joyous holiday, ant
aroused sympathy and admiration in tn
hearts even of those who could not begin
to tell why. 1t was MacMonnies's creates
work. He said it the original inten
ton to reproduce 1t in bronze, but sine
the fair he does not know what will b.
done with it. His stay in America in
cludes a week in New York. where he ha
half-finished contract for the statuary OIL
the Washington arch of triumph, a weel
in Brooklyn his native city, where h
has been invited to undertake the contrac
for some colossal war groups, and thir
week with his intimate friend and fellow
sculptor the famous ST. Gaudens at tn
: latter's summer home in Vermont. The
he goes back to Paris to set about prepare
tons for the greatest masterpieces OF hi
life, the Peace and War groups of tn
Indiana monument.
CHARLES r. LANE.