The Indianapolis journal., 1897-04-20
GENERAL GRANTS TOMB
ITS APPEARANCE SUGGESTS THAT OF
ROMAN MAUsOLEUM.
1t Is Severely Simple in Design, and
Could BE Much Improved by the
Introduction of Sculpture.
New York Evening Post.

by those who take the tradition of the last
three centuries as to what Roman architec-
ture was for the veritable Roman
fact. This remains true even If it
be noted that recent study of
GreciAn architecture has caused the
introduction of a quasi-Greek order into
what is otherwise a building of the second
century A. D.-that is to say. such build
ing tradtionally represented to the mod
ern designer. A huge nearly cubical mass,
too large part of the whole design to be
called a basement, is crowned by cylinder
which, in its turn is crowned by a cone
So far as this goes, we have the disposition
of the mausoleum of Hadrian, now called
the Castel Sant-Angelo, at Rome. The words
used above would also describe that struc-
ture, which is, of course, vastly larger than
the Grant monument, as well as being be-
yond measure more solid and enduring.
The difference in mass is, of course, beyond
all reasonable comparison. In fact. it is with
the smaller tombs of the Campagna that
this building should be compared as to it's
Importance. while yet the design seems
rather to have been suggested by the great
mausoleum on the Tiber.
The Roman examples, however, had what
the modern building cannot hope to offer, a
tomb this, if erected by 1.-The ancients,"
would have had groups of sculpture of
great size and variety on the corners OF the
square. statues or groups between the col
umns of the upper peristyle, bas-reliefs en-
crusted in the walls-and that not only I'm
horizontal bands, but in great panels on
the broad piers which inclose the porticos
of the lower story-and a prodigious quadri-
ga, or four-horse chariot, with a statue of
the person commemorated, else soma
similar and equally elaborate composition
on the summit of the cone. Moreover, such
a building would have glowed with color
and glittered with gilded bronze. The bare,
simple walls of white granite which rise
at the side of Riverside drive would not
have seemed TO the Roman the proper thing
Tor SumptuOuS monument. Nor, If we
turn to the example of the Asiatic Greeks,
shall We find that the lesson taught us is
In any way different. The tombs at Cnidus,
f1allcarnaSSuS, and XanthuS, smaller and
far less costly than the Roman examples,
are even richer, proportionaly, in sculp-
all our knowledge of the subject goes to
show that they were also brilliantly
painted.
NEED OF SCULPTURE.
1t is curious to noe how vastly the addi-
tion of the sculpture that we desire would
aid the building in its proportions. The
scheme now proposed shows that the pro-
posals OF the commission include but little
sculpture and that not of a kind nor in a
position calculated to aid the general de-
sign. AT the angles of the great cubical
mass, where it has seemed desirable TO have
huge and heavy masses of sculpture, tri-
pod of insignificant size is TO stand on each
of the pedestals provided: not large group
is to stand between these and over the en-
trance, and supported, in a sense, by the
lrNt1r in, &l&;e.
group for the front only. Four equestrian
statues are TO stand over the columns of
the porch, and an equestrian statue of Grant
is to rise from the steps of the entrance;
but. again, all this refers to only one front.
Finally, on the top OF the cone a quadriga
Is indeed represented. too large
for the circular base reserved for it, but
yet not large enough for the weight which
that cone seems to require to give it
sistency. In short, it may be said that the
scheme involves no sculpture of any conse-
quence. Fine it may be in itself, and there
is reason to hope ii will be, if executed, the
work OF our best artists, but as an aid to
the monument it Will be of little value.
AS regards the architectural design. con-
sidered by itself, the sloping outline of the
attic above the entrance suggests at once
how much the other sides would have been
improved by a similar treatment. In fact,
to any one studying this structure from the
rear or either side the addition of a pedi-
ment' ine ,;nns or something of living giving the slopo
suggests itself. Pedments in them
selves are not an essential part of such
of the front is nearly the best scheme possi-
BILE had it been repeated on all sides. The
striking defect of the lower story is. no
doubt, it's blank planness. No side except
the front has incident enough. The broad
masses which form the corner piers and
which are admirably in place wnere they
flank the entrance porch, with its shadows
ana its variety are mere nonentities where
they have between them porticos of four
columns in antis or between pilasters. but
where that colonnade is without shadow
space behind il. The broad space between
the cornice of the lower order and the
crowning cornice of the whole lower story
is equally blank and bare.
The superstructure also, is devoid of in
cident. 1t consists of first and lowest
slightly projecting rim of the stylobate.
which is marked only by a meaningless
quarter-round and filled beneath it's square
slender Ionic columns, with very INSULT
cient load to carry: the cone is made up of
steps i'm retreating rings. and these set with
what appears to be a slight convex swell
a very proper modification. This cone and
ther-low circular attic from which it
since they rest only on the cylindrical wall
within the peristyle, and not upon the en-
tablature above the columns. This cone is
then febele its crowning member and
perhaps, the whole design has no fault so
generally harmful as this. How far the
addition of large and varied group of
difficult TO say, but il must appear that the
space reserved for that group should be
larger than Ii now seems to be in order
that a sufficiently ponderous and varied
work of sculpture might be set there.
INTERIOR OF THE TOMB.
These pseudo-classc attempts amount to
very little for our permanent municipal
decoration, because there is but one virtue
possible to them in our money-saving Ia
bor-saving, hurried and headlong commune
ty, with but feeble ideas as to the use of
sculpture; and that virtue is one which SO
ton. that charm which Palladio knew how
to give to his otherwise lifeless compost
tions, which made the fortunes of all the
famous designers of epoch when archi-
lecture was nearly as academic as il is
with U.S. and which makes the fortunes to-
day of men who as hurried and as
careless as even the community which en-
ploys them-ths virtue is one which can
not be had for the asking The architect
who has the gift of perfect proportion has
a great gift which he cannot imDart and
which the mere study of Roman and Gre
clan antiquity will never give 10 those not
possessed OF Ii.
The interior is, in this respect. greatly
better than the outside The general plan
is "A Greek cross. the arms about thirty-six
feet wide and twenty feet long or deep
while the central square may be about
forty-two feet each side. Each of the
four arms is valuted with sem-circular
wagon vault, between which are sculptured
pendentiveS. which bring the open square
to the circle of the dome. This internal
dome consists of a cylindrical wall pierced
with windows adroned with Ionic columns
,,1 lie ~ ri fhn