The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-11-25
A FORMER NEW HAVEN BOY.
A Bronze Door by Paul Wayland Bart
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 MT. Paul Way1and Bartlett, Ga native of East Haven, son of Truman Bartlett, the sculptor, formerly of this city) has been at work in Paris on a commission for the bronze portal to a tomb in Woodlawn. The New York Times gives an illustration of the portal and adds: The Illustration shows the young sculptor putting the finishing touches on the clay in his studio. To the left is the small model in which be sketched his idea, and above it on stand is a figure in the round, which takes the same pose as the low relief. The figure in the relief is heavily draped, only the face, neck and arms showing, while the tips of the feet are barely indicated un- der the hem of the flowing garment.
 In the two preliminary sketches one perceives the care with which the sculp- tor has approached the work. Nothing Is easier for sculptor who is modelling in very low relief than to lose his sense of values, if one may borrow term from painting, and produce dry, flat effect, when it is necessary to suggest the roundness of a figure. Low re- liefs have in a certain way a likeness to painting in just this particular for whereas the surface is almost fiat, the figure must appear to a reasonable de- gree detached from the background, so that there need be no great effort of the imagination to suppose that the figure has not only lengtn and breadth, but thickness
 The face of the figure expresses the sadness of parting from family and friends, while the abundant draperies and the right hand raised to the breast furnish at once suggestion of modesty and offer a gesture that calls atten- tion to the person represented; in other words, 1t is an appeal to be remem- bered by the living. The gentle droop of the head adds force to the combined suggestions of modesty and appeal. In it's low relief the figure also indicates the other world, the spirit world, but 9 realm considered from the point of view of Greek rather than a modern. It is not, indeed, entirely hopeless, but on the other hand it does not speak of the triumph over death which Chris tianity teaches, the glad certainty of another life imneasurably better than that on earth. There is a touch here of the hopelessness one finds powerful 1y depicted in the draped bronze seated figure by Augustus St. Gaudens at Washington, the "Nirvana," as it is called But this revenante from the bourne whence none returns is cer- tainly very gracious, pensive, and sweet.
 The shadowiness of the figure is ac- centuated by the border of large flow CTS and leaves in high relief; they cast the woman back into the shadows of the tomb. Topples are for sleep and for the lessening of pain, and so have often been used as a symbol of peace full death; the peculiarity of MT. Bart lett's use of them is their size. They are so large and prominent that they make a frame to the broad single panel of the door like that of a picture.
 The door is nearly ten feet high and five broad. The borders will be cast separately in three pieces, making four in all The sculptor tried one of the best bronze foundries in Paris, sending the border to be cast first. Now such leaves and flowers are tedious and diff cult to cast, since there are many deep undercuttings, and the larger flowers and leaves must be cast separately. The results were so unsatisfactory that he decided to bring the work home and have it cast by the Henry -Bonnard Bronze company in New York. He is expected to return toward the end of November, and the door will be finish ed some time in January. In Paris the work has been seen and spoken kindly of by NM. Dampf, Mercfe, and other French sculptors of note.
 MT. Paul Bartlett is the son of Tru- man H. Bartlett of Boston, the sculp- tor and writer on art; he is best known here as the young artist to whom were awarded two of the most important statues for the Library of Congress, those of Columbus and Michael Angelo. The Columbus, in colored plaster, was shown last summer at the international art exhibition in Venice; it is a stern, almost angry, Columbus, as if the sculptor wished to recall the disappoint- ments and humiliations of the discov- erer rather than the joyfulness and pride in his achievement; it is the his torical rather than the ideal Columbus.