The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-21
ST. GAUDENS'S MAN CLOTHED.
A FRoCK CozT WAS sUeGEsTED BT a
sCORNFUL ARTIST,

Rot the Figure on Espositiou Medals VIII
ne veiIed More Simply The sculptor
Disgusted-Tsik of suina so-e People
who Copied = Drawing or the FiEure.
When Augustus Sc Gsudens learned yester-
day that his design for the m edal to be given
20 the successful competitors at the Chicago
Exposition had been pronounced indecent and
immoral he was disguised aud angry. Other
sculptors and artists in this city were inclined
10 take humorous view OF the Senate's criti-
cism OF this design. but Mr.. St Gaudens didn't
look at II in that way.
When it was decided to give 27.0Oo medals
to those exhibitors at the Worlds Fair whose
exhibits were OF surprising excellence. Secre-
tary Carlisle had II In his power to offer re-
ward Of 81. 900 for the best design for such
a medal Mr.. St Gaudens was one OF the
competitors. and his design was accepted.
model three feet high was submitted for APP
proval. aud this was reduced in scale. and the
dies for the medal are now making In Phila-
delphia. The historical side OF this medal
represents Columbus Just stepping upon the
shores Of America. with his hand raised on
high giving thanks to the Almighty. On the
reverse Ia a shield bearing the words "
Pluribus Unum." and on the right Of It IL
tall. stalwart young man. nude. and typifyinR
America
When proof OF this m edal was struck of
TWO ubD = hkO anu lhhcu W One VI No CtuhNo
committee rooms for inspection, some OF the
Senators declined to believe that this proof
was genuine. The nudity OF the figure shocked
them. Senators Wilson. Pugh. and Villas were
more shocked than the others. and a protest
against issuing this design was sent to secre-
tHry tarlislc. A despatch from Washington
yesterday afternoon stated that secretary
arlisle had decided to suppress the 1T. eau
dens design. MIR. st. Gaudens said at his studio
This trouble began some time aGo. A New
Hampshire ilrm wanted the design OF tho
medal Tor advertising purposes and In some
way obtained permission to look at the model
A man skilled in drawing then reproduced It
Director.t,eneraI Davis Of the Worlds Fair
cav tho reproducton Of the design. and lie
certainly Is had and it was nm outrage TO ut
tempt to make copy before the design be-
cane EGOilc; Imfa pr9Geeii1G rs I.snSIor
young man in the flush Of manhood. Tho fig
ure is nude, but there really is nothing oiIen-
But said TIE suN reporter. tho proof OF
your design has been criticised IN the senate.
says the artist should be lined. senator al
lon SAYS that the model is unfit for exhibition.
MIR. ST. Gnudens shrugged his shoulders.
"Uf course, can say nothing about that" lie
said. hui assure you that the design is not
Mr. Philip Mar,cny. who designed the statu.
AIRY in the Agricultural Hall at the Worlds
tIon had been made to Mr.. st. Gaud"ns's de-
si-.u. " | cannot understand he said. &" how
uuv one can see anything improper in this de-
s,gn. 1t is simply a nude figure. and is proba-
'ly one Of the best ana strongest that Mr. ~.
Gaudrus has done. Moreover. the design was
submitted and accepted before he did the
IN lcl.'
Another artist said: This is q very anus.
ing state OF affairs. The men who crticise
this medal have no sense OF tho altsti' They
would probably suggest that trock cOut
should be placed on this figure Such crtl-
cism, to my mind reflects seriously on the men
who, maEelt. WHY. the Whole affair is too alb
suTd t. discuss seriously
several other artists who commented on the
subject Expressed the same opinion. IL has !
been stated that Mr.. 81 Gaudens proposed t.
sue the New hampshire iITm for taking copy
OF his design. and that he had placed the case
in tue hands - warts. thUnte * Heaman. MIR.
IT. Gaudens himself refused to say whether or
not h" had egun such al action. and his law
ysIs said that they knew nothing OF such a suit
MA-IifNuTrS. Jan 2u.-lh" Worlds Fair
m edal designed by -. GHudsns which repre-
scented on une side a robust nude male figure.
and against which protests were made on the
ground OF inde"snry. will he modified by plac-
ing a loin cloth about the figure. This change
Secretary Carlisle has directed to be made to
observe the UTopTieties. With this change the
medals will be struck of as rapidly as possible.