The San Francisco call., 1898-03-20

years been adding DOlH 10 lilel1 reputation and their fortune in this city, comes the news that MT. St. Gaudens. the distinguished American sculptor, has decided to take up his residence abroad.
 When Mir St. Gaudens went abroad not long ago it was supposed that he intended to stay only few months. But now his studio in New York has been stripped of nearly everything, it is to rent, and his belongings have been shipped to Paris. Mir. St. Gaudens is building a residence and studio in Flor ence, and will divide his time between that city and Paris.
 In taking Up his residence abroad MT. St. Gaudens is only following the ex- ample of other American artists, like Edwin A. Abbey, Frank B. Millet and MT. Sargent. who find the foreign art atmosphere more congenial and stimu- lating than that of America. Certain conditions prevail here which cannot fail to be rasping to a sensitive artist like MT. St. Gaudens.
 Among these may be mentioned the fact that the award of public monu- ments is often the result of political wire pulling rather than of artistic mer- it. While MT. St. Gaudens may not have suffered individually from this, it was nevertheless a cause Of indirect annoyance to him. He also chafed un- der the criticism which was passed up- on him for placing the nude figure of a man in the Worlds Fair award med al which he designed. Attempts to hur- ry him in his work also greatly an- nOyed him. An instance of this which became public was the effort of sMrs John A. Logan to persuade him to has ten work on the statue of her hus- band.
 Augustus St Gaudens' departure will create distinct personal void in art circles here. He is not only the fore most American sculptor, but is recog- nized, even in foreign art circles as enc of the leading sculptors of modern times. Such a man could not fail to have a distinct personality, and while somewhat reserved in manner, espe- cially when any discussion of his own work was under way, he was never theless figure both in art and social circles here. He was very fond of mu- sic, and he and Mrs. St. Gaudens were frequently seen in boxes at the opera and at concerts and private musicales.
 
 mate friends in New York is Mir. Stan ford White. In regard to the reasons actuating Mir. St. Gaudens in going abroad MT. White said:
 MT. Gaudens felt the absolute ne- cessity of breathing again the art at mosphere of Europe He has been so busy during the last ten years that do not think he has been able to make more than one trip abroad during that time and then he remained but a few weeks New influences in sculpture have sprung up abroad since Mir St. Gaudens has lived therein fact it may be said that an entirely new school of sculpture has arisen in France-and he naturally wants to be on the spot where every artist Is immediately sen sitive to all new conditions.
 There is no question that art for arts sake flourishes abroad more than it does here and that the art atmos- phere over there is far more stimulat- ing than here. There is such a thing as art life in Europe, a getting together of artists with common ideals, which results in mutual inspiration. The pub lie, too, takes art more seriously, and