New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-09
PLAQUES AND MEDALS.
THE EXHIBITION BY THE AUsTRIANS
AT THE GROLIER CLUB
IT Is THE FINEST EVER GATHERED REPRESENT
ING SINGLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ADVICE

4, IT Is THE FINEST EVER GATHERED REPRESENT
/ ING SINGLE sCEooL,-sCHARrFs ADVICE
TO woILD-BE MEDALLIsTs.
Among the many interesting exhibitions which
have been given from time to time at the Grolier
Club the one which was opened on Friday Will
, take a high rank 1t consists of what is pro-
nounced by competent authorities to be the finest
collection of plaques medals and medallions. rep
| resenting single school. or series. which has
ever been shown in New-York They are the
work. chiefly. OF Austrian artists of the present
day. with a considerable number Of older spec-
mems. which have historical as well as an ar
tistic value. The trouble which has been taken
in gathering and arranging in one place so large
a collection of pieces is significant of the grow
ing attention with which this branch of art is
coming to be regarded. Although the making Of
| medals dates from the days of the ancient Greeks,
whose la5o: was expended upon the production
of beautiful coins. 1t had fallen into complete
dsuse until about the year 1900 when it was re-
| vived under Psano From that time until the
present many plaques and medals of great beauty
! have been made but it is only within the last few
years that the subject has received really wide
spread attention among the different nations
OF the great modern medallists Roty and Chap
| ln in Paris, represent the Renaissance or an
tiQlle style ana tnelr creations justly
| Specimens Of their work may be at the
| Metropolitan Museum of Art in this city. the
! Austrian artists on the other hand. are thorough
realists. Their productions are strong and truth
full. with no attempt at f1attery or idealizaton.
| Several Americans have also given their atten-
ton to the making Of plaques and medals, and
| have met with great success. Among them are
| Augustus ST. Gaudens. who has made many
| medallion portraits of his artist friends. and
whose work was seen in the Worlds Fair medals
in 1893: Olin Warner, who made number OF
medallion portraits of Indians. and Frederick
MacMonnies, who. in addition to the several
statues upon which he has been engaged, has
devoted some time to medals. One of his latest
productions is a large medal or seal for a power
| company at Niagara Falls
| In relation to the art Of the medast, Anton
! Scharff. the greatest Of the modern Austrian
| school and the one whose works form the chief
part of the collection now at the GroIier Cub
has this 10 say in a letter written TO friend IN
! this country
In connection with this I may answer
the question as 10 how a medallist should ne
/ educated. He must draw. draw and draw, ana
model. and upon large scale as II ne intended
TO become a sculptor: in doing this his love for
! medals must be established. II would be great
mistake 10 point with ones finger at a young
! man and tell him: You must become med
allist." Take. Tor instance, Inc case OF my son.
who indeed, ALWAYS SEW my work. and as a
| child played with the modelling-waX, hut never
! said he wished 10 become a medallist For the
sake of precauton | did not suggest the idea 10
| him. but waited that he might himself receive
| IT, Although he seemed to desire only and always
to be a painter, ne is now Oh the road 10 becoming
! a medallist
Al the age Of ten years I lost my father and
| became a medast for the pure love Of the art,
unadvised by any one. If YOU know person who
! can understand il. give him the recipe of my
nfittgt tIa cd
| allist:
Three times he must draw,
Twice he must model,
Once he must engraVc
| Only he who can appreciate this can fully COM
| nrehend how excellent is the rule.
The collection now at the Groller Club was ar
| ranged by Professor :. Oettinger. a member Of
the Numismatic Society Of Vienna and an au-
thorty upon this branch Of art. He is himself
a collector and the medals and plaques shown
! belong largely to him. TO DR.. III. X. Story Of
Newport, and to two or three other prominent