New-York tribune., 1896-01-29
THE SHERMAN MONUMENT
RESULT OF THE WASHINGTON 'COM-
PETITION.

HELD-ONE OF THE GREATEST
OPPORTUNITIES FOR AMER
ICAN SCULPTURE IN
MANY YEARS
Washington January %, 1896
There is at present good public monument in
Washington. and that one. the Lafayette statue eX-
ecuted by Faguiere and Mercie is at the best per
formance Of doubtful perfection Lafayette had
certain elegance OF presence which suits the silver
smith better than the sculptor when II comes to the
representation Of the man in metal and the design
OF the big monument here could not quite escape
A nncal and restless effect when they put the ia
nous Frenchman into bronze. Good as the work ls,
IT is not production to which one cares to poln
the crowning artistic glory OF the Nationa! cap
ta The Sherman Statue Committee has endeav-
orcd provide the missing object Of National PRIDE
and number OF models now on exnicltlon In the
War Department bear witness to their efforts ana
the industry of those sculptors VINO last year en-
tered the competition for the monument Decision
In the compettion was rendered last Saturday. when
four models were selected with the understanding
that their designers would go to work In seconl
contest from which one would be chosen TO execute
the commission The four successful men are PAU
Bartlett. or Paris {. Rohl-Smth OF Chicago
Charles Niehaus and J. Massey Rhnd. Of New-iork
Mr. Bartlet's design is the most grandiose. and IN
a merely bulky way the most monumental OF ali
those submitted lie places his pedestal In the ce =
ire OF A great lncosure sunk several feet below the
level OF the surrounding land This pedestal IS Il
massive construction. rectangular in plan. but small
er In length and width at the top than at the bot
tom Th- batter 70 the walls Increases the erect oi
sodity ana strength The two SIDES on the lowest
stage OF the pedestal decorated with bass-Feei
representing the march TO the sea ION the next
stage. front and back. two independent hsuTe'
syrnbolical o. Thought and Courage. ABOVE tho"
the pedestal rises with practically unbroken surfaces
h.i I'm alfg j,
slttrg defiant on his horse sherman has the appear
ance OF some bold commander scorniuly regarding
the field Of battle from the top Of an abruptly Hs.hF
hill His horse stands a. though on the brnk ot
elf There il martial tension in the design ana '"e
picturesque. vigorous Wy IN which Sherman seems
t. bc Mfea into space Is the more striking from the
massive treatment Of the wall .nclosing the spacious
square beneath hin This wall has a break IN each
one o. the four sides two OF the breaks oe.hg W'ui
than the others TIE principal entrances are ahkec
bv crouchlng lions. The American eagle. s'analnS
with nenk upilgteI and wings IN repose guards mo
minor ci.h.s Of steps These steps are only two
or three H. number. bat they signify depFess.o"
IN the ground quit. sufficient to create s'f."ihf
eo.,t ~ p.rtpcctivc and 70 give the monument th'
f..lir- of isolation which II requires at the same
time that t needs inclosed space around H.
s.rlct,v A. A composition. ana as a massive Hohu-
mental scheme this model OF Mr Bartletts II or's
lnal anl strong lie lays great stress upon o''Hl-
,ati,, In hi. programm@ AM on the whole he JUST
acs nj claim 49,,
NJ N.,s.t,s and Nj Rhlnd have both 'c.'. as Mr.
ntrtie.t has the necessity o; pro'hinE some SUI
- -.n,er,ur,l base which would siye the statue o.
,..c-,f sherman A bccomngly dign'hei ana stately
s..,t~, The sirn... PEDESTAL upon which Mr.. Me
bans s.. his hor-enan placed just over the froi'
tt. -, n.,i. court formed hy stone vans on "a"
-- ,t,.e s,i,s TO the right and left these walls
come out as arms 20 partially inclosr U- "'o""
mon, prop and IN the back the arms are Jo'"r -
a higher vail In which A long Dassrei''i "a -"
r,-.h ,o the sea IL to be set At either ehd OF
,.- ,,.t al above the relief. there IS TO b.
,,s ,, ,,deuendrnt cage executed In bronze as
~. -.e, VIII b. also This architectural sc"e'"e -
a.. t., uart ~ Mr. Niehaus's design the morse ana
IT, r.l., helnc neither impressive nor a. al ~
i,vtiual IN conception. There T. a p0ih' 20 ." "0''
m ,,~-...,on win the design that - especially IN
.c,.s..nr In A comp -titon for a statue 10 az '''
can solder IN second moie s'"''
, g.. rhi.h We refer Mr. Niehaus had pIa'''
General sherman upon a pedesia! oo''""S,,
r,e.I from the monument TO 'o''"'' b"
IT,, t,rr wi..ls rejected y ani th'r'N N"'
hin. .o Mr. Niehaue by which American ''N'''''S
general might profit namely. th" Il" t,A
n.r s hest depicted on the top of p'ie''h' WIZ"
. ,,o. directly suggestive of some particular p'''S
.h-.,l /, IN, desrn which VAS snc''S7'''' MI
Nieh4us has Initiated no one. me '''"
bu, DTS ti.a;men; OF 70 is his own an" ~ 80
, monumental way. He has maHe Ho''
uosi,lon AMI that. II a Work oi ''''S ''' 10 '
an, III. walled cour; has formal character anu
,h. ,r,,o-,i-ns seem nne. The work "ouiI p'oD-
.,. t.,k well u, fhe mass when ronstu'''"'
Mr. Hblud's monument would LOOK wen ~ W
mass II IL w.r. not liii.' oN'i''"".''' 80, ~,
details lie has conceived court s'ii'"' ~
Mr. N.ehaus only lt is mu'n shA''0"'''
-, sherman helng placed on the top OF 'o'''
-, ~, ,, b,.k instead Of being d"tacn'd III
3D. ,-,ro,nd r, the right and leii MY. f'n'''
,lac.s a low scat against his wal. "h''" - -, -
- a., rrea, height. and these 9'"'' 90 =,
r,.e, n erea, congiomcration OF sculpture an"
lecture In the centre framed as j" AZ - - ,,..
hassrei.y depicting the march 10 Tn" -" anu 49,
This tho horseman Is placed with 'h' "''' A.
, ,,, le,, IN right and the rider turning III ''''
soddl. to face the spectator Ihls i'S' Po'"'
is unfortunate since II destroys tn' "'e"'' "a,
thing makes II restless and trivia" h,"'" ,,
man an a level with the bass-reliei "lo'''''''
,ls..1 INDEPENDENTLY al the four angles o. NV
r' s''. ,h. rel,ef ls set and on which Sher-
- has,,ilos hls horse there are fouI S'H""''N
n,,r,s Th,re are the elements of Eoou I'm
position in this but as It exists al p',''''s
sign lacks unity and Is what srusas smith is the
ln' s"i -, ali sherman is placed on d Pyi PcIe1 h,,,
,',ran,jdal In effect In Mr.. 'drtiet,a stanis on
AZ iSs7 -, ,bo nedestal and angel OF war on 'u m
.,hcr The only other omb.nshII'Ht u p.o',rd ,he
series Of twGye twsve Of shermans command
ers This model lacks grandeur IaoNS '''
oI, % n insrc To- the four sculptors who nave h pev
inc,rd Tor further trial In this competition
described briefly their various proaucio'mf H. must be-
description leaves of and criticism pTs',a ,isfvng ir
conf.sssd maj no one of the -four Is sat.sSs ,h
what should be the first and sssrr,n ast Not cor
miDr,ngiv General Dodge. the chairman oi u, ,h nc
statue Committee. says that the menu, ,ha, better
committee were much disappointed IN WA, II, go a % tbs
convention of General Sherman had hot ente h az @
minds OF the sculpors. and adds Lnai Lni,H t, es he
some models which Sherman Is a Tspc'e"d dument nT
US rev.r seen by mortal man ms luusi',eii' .Ii
really applies every model IN he & Iap nnarfment
sherman is made by those models to iooK 6, IKE az az
n,os. arv;hing i'm the word. so that IL Is ho' .IIe
1Jst aJSto ca ,s know from accepted documents one
syrh document s the bust modelled few years ago
Nv Mr. 81 Caudens and most OF the competitors III
10 nresent undertaking must have known that
rnnf0 one