Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-12-20
"LovE N LIFE"
The Famous Painting That May Not Hang
In the Executive Mansion.

The Famous Painting That May Not Hang
In the Executive Mansion.
To be hung or not TO be hung is the
question just at present in Washington.
Those in favor OF hanging say that
the allegorical painting Love and
Life" presented to the American people
by the distinguished English artist,
George Frederick Watts, r. A., ought
TO grace the walls of the executive man
sion in Washington. These who oppose
The hanging claim THAT Love and
Life" is immoral; that representations
of what Trilby called ''the altogether
ought never u be seen anywhere, but
least of all in the District of Columbia,
and seem to think that the proposition
to hang the painting in the east room
of the White House is nothing less than
q deep laid scheme to entrap the gov
eminent into a quasi official approval
of indecent art.
So that the great painters generous
gift has stirred up a greater commotion,
If that were possible, than the famous
controversy which arose about the fig
nres ON the ST. Gaudens medal.
1t is at the door of Colonel John NJ.
Wilson, superintendent of public build
ings, that the responsibility is said to
lie. No one supposes for an instant that
Watts presented the painting to Ameri-
Ga for it to be carefully boxed up and
slowed away in an inaccessible room in
the White House. 1t is hardly likely
that the subject of Love and Life
was altogether unknown to the mem
bers Of congress, who, last session, ac-
cepted the gift in the name of the
American people. The painting was ex-
Inhibited here for several months nine
years ago in the Metropolitan Museum
of Art. 1t was among the pictures
placed on exhibition last year at the
Worlds fair, and it has been reproduc-
ed often enough to warrant the assump-
tion that we are a very immoral people
IL the influence of the picture is as cor
rupting as is said.
In addition, the people Of the United
States, through Secretary Gresham,
pledged their word after congress had
accepted the gift that 1t would be hung
in the White House, a letter to that
effect being written to the artist.
Bnt the picture, according to Colonel
Wilson, is not q fit one 20 be exhibited
in the executive mansion. He simply
ignored the claims of Mr.. Watts to be
regarded as one of the first among living
painters and stated that until the presi-
dent gave instructions to that effect he
could not think of allowing such a work
TO be exposed to public view in the
rooms of the White House, even though
the work in question were intended to
form the nucleus of q future national
art gallery and would consequently
only remain there until more fitting
quarters could be secured for it.
The painting which has brought
about this discussion is one of the most
important works from the brush of the
British artist and is a companion pic
lure to his Love and Death" 1t rep
resents the figures Of q winged youth
and a maiden climbing a steep and pre-
cipitous ascent. Both figures are nude;
but, it is an a~fsurdity TO say II, there
is not the slightess suggestion of indel-
icacy about them. Love, exemplMied by
the youth, stoops, tenderly helping his
companion upon tfseir toilsome journey.
His half extended wings protect her
slight form from the suns fierce rays.
The picture is an illustration of the
truth that love raises life; THAI an ideal
existence is possible Gully with the PRO
tecting care OF love. In the picture,
where loves feet have trod, flowers
spring on the hard, rocky ground, and
as the figures ascend the atmosphere be-
comes more and more refulgent and
pure. New York Herald.