The evening times., 1896-06-04

A great fight is being made to overturn
the decision OF the commission which Sc
lccted the model OF Mr. Carl Rohl-smiEh
for the Sherman statue. to be placed Just
south OF the Treasury.
IL is asse rtcd that the sefectiou was in
flueuced by favori1ism and worse things
are limited at. An attempt will be made
to secure an investigation by Congress If
the facts connected with the award Of
| the commission for executing the work.
The attack was begun by a protest from
the National Society or Anne rlcan Sculptors.
| This has been sent to Secretary Lamont and
is based in'p IT upon the fact thatth COM
| mittee of artists. st. Gaudcns, Warner,
Price aud Post, placed Mr.. RohESmth's
| design tenth in the list at the original COM
| petition. so that really in their Judgment it
| ought never to have been entered in that
| which has Just closed.
The executive committee of the society
| say the choice OF Mr.. Rohl- Smiths work IS
| nothing short of a crime against American
| art"
| Previous TO this formal protest there had
been much criticism by the artists here OF
| the action of the commission. The artists
were represented by public expression from
tile president of the Washington society,
| Mr.. L. S. Dunbar.
| APPEALED TO CONGRESS.
The society met yesterday afternoon and
| passed resolution appealing to Congress
Ito save the American public from this
| unfair fayoritism." Those present ut the
| meeting were President Dunbar, Robert
Hinckley, E. C. Andrews. Jules Dieudonne,
S. b. Nichols, W. H. taiandiec, Edward
siebert, Amateis, q. Gibbs. L. Bru-
midi. W. NJ. Sawyer, Miss j. b. Curtis and
| Prof Amateis said I'D understood that
! Secretary Lamont and Gen. Miles Were
| not satisfied with the selection made, and
would re willing to- see il changed. AfteI
| considerable discussion, Il committee. con
sisting of p resident Dunbar, Prof. AmHteis
aud Mr. G. +. Gibbs, vcre appointed i com
Congress at . meeting OF the society, to he
held ut No. $50 seventeenth streetnorth.
| west, at 4:30 p m today.
This committee met soon after the so
| cicty adjourned, and made n rough draf,
OF resolutions to he presented Mr.. Dunbar
| went over these this morning, and vii
meet the committee about O'Clock this
| afternoon, to give them the finishing
touches before submitting them to the meet
ing half an hour later. They will probably
include request that Congress act 1t once
in providing for an investigation, as delay
will hoth allow evidence now ut hand Il
be lost and Mr.. RohlSmith will be givef
work upon his contract.
| 1t is understood he already has bids fol-
the building OF the pedestal.
THE BARTLETT DESIGN.
Mr.. Dunbar said this morning that the
| Bartlett design especially deserved com
mendatioD, from an artists standpoint
lie considered either OF the others, how
ever, superior to that selected. He pointed
out that anyone can make such figurc
| and medallions as adorn the pedestal pre-
sented by Mr.. Rohl-SnIith, aud claimed tha
they are realistic rather than artistic
He urged that the true artist does no
strive to reach the public by mere realism
but by ailegorieal designs. This was trB
of every great work of art in Europe In tn,
Bartlett design there were the ailegorica
figures OF Courage and Thought, represent
ing Gen. Sbernap's S chief qualities OF great
ness
Mr.. Rohl-Smith had attempted to repre-
sent these by what Mr. Dunbar consider
absurd figures of soldiers and sailors oI
separate pedestals and a trivial bronz
plate in relief let into the side OF the pede:
tal. representing the hero standing owe
the camp fire thinking over the next day
plans.
Again. Mr.. Dunbar said it had beel
claimed that the portrait face of the statu
ought to be decisive. This was not true
The face would be far aho-e tn
observer and its features could 10
be seen clearly. The likeness O
course. ought to be good hut was not 6
important as the general appearance O
the work and its fitness to symbolize tn
character of the man honored.
Mr.. Dunbar is heartily in favor of tn
movement to establish an art commssio
for the choice of such works for the goy
ernment. and said the people of European
countries never think of deciding sue
matters for themselves