The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-16
THAT "LACED GODDESS, +"
An Apologist Appears for the
Criticized "California
Venus"
HOT SHOT FOR MR.. MATHEWS.
Frona Eunice Wait Imputes Jealousy
as the Cause of His Alleged Lack
of Appreciation.
HOT SHOT FOR MR.. MATHEWS.
The following communication received
yesterday by THE CALL is self-explanatory

y
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec Is, 1895.
To the Editor of the Cdll-DEAR SIR: Permit
me to reply to an article in to-days issue of
your paper in reference to the California Venus
now on exhibition. The ar ticle appeared under
the title OF "a Tight-laced Goddess, and was
signed by Arthur F. Mathews, who painted
''The Sunday Picnic," which was rejected by
the International Gallery of Fine Arts at the
Colum bian Exposition, and which is at present
relegated to one OF the back rooms ON the upper
floor of the Hopkins Institute 1t is generally
conceded that Mr.. Mathews position as teacher
and sometimes director on the board of man
agement accounts for its being in the building
at all as its group of female figures have not
only been criticized but generally condemned
as being true to nothing in nature, or art
is so fond OF prating, will have no trouble in
finding the stringiness which the artist says
was pointed out to him in Paris, and also d
wooden lankiness in the women which gives
the picture about as much animation and life
as an obsolete fashion.pl
knew without Mr.. Mathews saying so that
artists look for fineness and proportion as well
as an ethnologist, so cannot imagine what he
is having such fit over. No great work OF art
ever quarre1ed with truth. And in art an
atomy and race characteristics are some OF Its
phases. Rupert Schmid has made sincere
and painstaking attempt to embOdy in marble
the ideals of modern beauty. That ideal de-
mands intelligence and spirituality as an inte-
grail part of feminine loneliness. The ancients
did not include these, because their women
were not credited with the capacity of think
| ing, and very large part OF the world to-day
denies that q woman has q soul. Mr.. Mathews
! admits that the Greeks gave their statues of
women small heads, and that the quality of
| the brain is of about as much value as its SIZE
| No one could make better argument in favor
of Mr.. Schmid's work.
| Releasing woman from the seclusion OF the
| harem or convent, the gradual change from
! complete subsection TO an honored place in
! the worlds affairs, has done something for
woman as a race, and there is no reason why
| an artist should not try to depict it, The
| painters of female figures have already done
| so, but Mr.. Schmid seems to be the first to
| chsel these effects insmarbie
! As to Mr.. Mathews spleen over the fact that
| Mr.. Schmid's work has been taken up by a
| in New York, London and Paris, that outburst
! is entirely characteristic of the man. Jealousy
1 cannot help thinking that if he would utilize
| the energy in creating ideals OF his own which
| he wastes in trying to tear down the work of
his fellow-artists, he could in time produce
which could be accepted and hung on its
merits-that is to say, by committee OF which
he is not member.
AS to the use OF the word "we," 1 had in
mind Mr.. Mathews rush into print when the
subject OF the models came up at Worlds Fair
time and also the scene he created at the Art
tied in the spring of 1894. The figure was then
called "The Poppy" and this is the only name
any one connected with the statue has ever
given it. The newspapers dubbed it the
s.California Venus" There was no syndicate
involved at that time, but Mr.. Mathews found
it very hard to reconcile himself to It's being
placed in the conservatory, and fatty rebelled
when proper lights were suggested So that in
the history of this effort Mr.. Mathews is in
Guided in the 1--WE
1 humbly apologize to him for referring to
the many discussions among able men as to
what the Venus di Milo was intended to repre-
sent-whether she is goddess, woman, a
separate figure or one of group. Whether she
was always armless or otherwise are mooted
questions which I supposed Mr.. Mathews
knew had been argued warmly for and against.
Neither am l TO blame for his not knowing
that the first embodiment of Love in
female figure is to be found in the Zodiac.
where the sign Virgo is marked by the Cosmic
Virgin. She never personated sensuality until
| phallic worship degraded primitive ideals.
| The senses at all times represent the lowest
phase of love, and whoever creates an embodi-
! ment of this sentiment tor the nineteenth cen
| ception. If Mr.. Schmid has failed to achieve
| the highest ideal he will always be entitled to
| consideration for having taken the first step
| toward it. The public, for whom Mr..
Mathews is solicitous, will be apt to Judge the
work accordingly and also appreciate Mr..
Mathews motives
| AS to Mr.. Mathews attack upon me, am not
| in the least sorry for anything have said or
done in helping Mr. Schmid carry out his
scheme. He has lived up to expectation, and
Mr.. Mathews habit of fault-fnding is too well
known to seriously harm anybody II he
should speak word OF approval of any one
more than one quarter. Don't worry. Mr..
Mathews None OF your work Will ever be
taken up by syndicate-unless they conduct
an auctiOn-hOuSe. FRONA EuNICE WAIT.