Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1894-08-31

DEbLOHeu, ILLS up MS sabre dnu ScdD-
bard to show the wreath Of peace
which hangs from the guard OF the
sword. The dominant idea in these
figures which Rohl-Smith shows by the
sketches, is peace. victory without tri-
umph, and the happiness of the home
coming.
The base proper from the level Of the
stone dias will stand trife less than
thirty feet high, and on this level will
be placed the equestrian statues of
Gen. Crocker, Gen. Curtis, Gen. Dodge
and Gen. Corse, each from nine to ten
feet high. In each of the four pedi-
ments will be placed medallion three
feet in diameter. The medallion in
the pediment which will face the capitol
will contain the coat of arms OF Iowa;
the others bas-reliefs of General Bel
KNAPP, General Winslow and General
Hatch. Smaller medallions, foot z
inches in diameter, and thirty-two in
number, will form a series of bronze
portraits in the architrave below the
pediments. The citizen soldiers who
will be honored in having their faces
in this historical portrait gallery have
not all been selected, but the following
names have been given to Rohl-Smith:
Colonel Shaw, Colonel Trimble, Colonel
Geddes, Colonel Mills, General Mat
thias, Sergeant Hartman, Lieutenant
Duffin, General Weaver, r. p. Clark
son, Thomas S. Wright, Lieutenant +.
C. Haynes, Colonel Merritt, General +.
M. Drake, Colonel d. B. Henderson and
General James A. Williamson.
Two bas-reliefs, each II feet inches
by feet, win occupy two of the sides
of the base. One will be a bas-relief
of the battle of Fort Donnelson, the
other Of Shiloh. In the Fort Donnel-.
son panel, General futile, General Ba-
ker and Capt. Twombly will be the
principal figures
The 2o-foot statue of Victory. with its
palm leaves in it's outstretched hands,
is too large for Rohl-Smith's gable stu
do, and he is modelling it in a studio
he built for the purpose on the lake
shore north Of Jackson park. This, of
course, is a female figure, full of dig
nifty, and with its drapery in graceful
folds.
The salient feature of the monument
and the one which will be formed in
the plastic clay with the sculptor's
heart at his fingers end, will be the
statue OF Iowa. 1t will be semi-nude,
representing Iowa as a nourishing
mother, seated on the plow, with corn
and fruits at her feet. The beautiful
face, strong in character, will look to-
ward the gilded dome of the capitol,
every lineament expressive of the
mother, longing for her children to
come to her, that she may nourish
them. While waiting, her hands are,
will look in the chaste. lovely idealiza-
- o. f1yy
understanding the beautiful idea
which will be wrought in the lasting
bronze. The statue will be Z feet high
On the opposite side of the base will be
a group representing Iowa presenting
parchment to History Here Iowa is
STRIPPING, slip of boy, emblematic
of Iowa's youthful statehood. History
is stern-faced, aged woman, immov-
ably listening to the story the world is
ever telling; the crown and tire scep-
tire are pushed,to one side and the book
of Iowa S war history lies at her feet.
In representing Iowa as young
mother and History as an aged woman,
Rohl-Smith has again demonstrated his
versatility and originality.
In selecting Carl Rohl-Smith as the
sculptor of the monument, the com
mission chose man whose fame is in
ternational. The worlds fair brought
him to Chicago, and his statue of Ben
jamin Franklin which stood in the
main entrance to the electricity build
ing attracted a great deal of attention.
His bronze group commemorative OF
the Fort Dearborn massacre which
stands just south of George M. Pull
mans mansion on Eighteenth street
placed him in the fore ranks of Amer
lean sculptors, for though born a Dane,
he. is now an American. Others of his
notable works are the "a Hermes in
the Vienna parliament building,
figures in the royal castle near Copen-
hagen, II medallions in the public
library building, Springfield, H., the
Alamo group, San Antonio. the Judge
Reid monumental Mt. Sterling, KY, and
the bas-reliefs in the Schiller theater
in Chicago. In 1878 he received honor
able mention in the Paris Salon for his
Ajax, and ten years ago he made the
marble bust of the'empress of Russia,
which is now in the Oagmar theater in
Copenhagen. While making the bust
his studio was in the palace of the king,
and as he modelled from photographs,
the king and queen of Denmark were
ever in the studio aiding RohlSmith in
his work of portraying the features of
their august daughter.