The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-26

to a beautiful marble. and continued:
Il had this idea in view when / carved
my Wounded Soldier You notice that
he is almost nude. This feature of the
work has caused more comment 1 sup
pose. than any other. have received
nearly 200 letters, asking me why he IS
not clothed. This is the story: You see
that broken gun lying on the ground at
the soldiers feet2 That gun was broken
uDon the soldiers head. He was left
for dead by his comrades. During the
period of insensibility produced by the
shock of his wounds, he was robbed OF
his clothing. save his shirt. by a band
of marauders. When he came 10 his
senses he seized his shirt. drew it from
his form and threw it across his loins,
where you see 1t in the statue. and tore
it into bandages which you. see him
placing as best he can upon his arm
The strained condition Of the muscles
and the pose bring out possibly better
than anything else could the remark
able vigor and ruggedness of the fS-
ure"
BRANCONY'S MAINE MONUMENT.
In a certain line of modelling, prob
ably the best known sculptor now IN
America is Leopold Brancony, a prize
medalist of the Paris salon and the
famous author of the bust of Pope Leo
XIII. Shortly after the destruction OF
the Maine, Signor Brancony made a
design for monument to mark his
national disaster The signor has also
decided views upon the question of the
inspiring influence of the late war upon
art
Il believe" he said. that the war is
destined to mark new epoch in art In
this country. L have already produced
a design for a Maine monument, and
have another in view of a Red Cross
nurse. The feminine figure in this war
appeals more strongly TO me, perhaps,
than that of the soldier. In no other
conflict have there been so many yolun-
teers among women of family and
wealth. The type of woman is unusual
from a physical. mental and spiritual
standpoint. ] have tried TO bring the
type out in the leading figure Of the
Maine monument. the angel. but it can
be even more forcibly expressed in that
of the Red Cross nurse. There are
great possibilities in the symbolic les
sons of the feminine side of this strug-
gle. and artists now in America more
than the artists of any other nation
understand the peculiar differences be-
tween the American woman and the
women of other lands. The war is sure,
also, to bring out many military stat
ues and innumerable fine busts and war
medals"
4 certainly believe" said Mr.. Carr to
me the other day. that the war offers
exceptional opportunities for great art
work. l spent four months with the
soldiers in and near Santiago. My pic
ture of the church at FL Caney was the
first one that l placed on exhibition,
but have material for many others. l
am now painting a large canvas illus
trating the execution of the crew of the
My FL Caney picture has
been criticised for its fidelity to truth.
1t has been said that ! was making a
play to the galleries. but this is unjust
L painted war as it is-as saw it-and
if | had omitted some of the Srewsome
details l would have been untrue to my
profession
VIEWS OF THE WAR IN ART.
IF you want to find out the influence
this last war will have upon art you
must come to the dealers, and not to
the artists" said one of the largest
art men TO me. we know the views
of the artists and the public as well.
while the artist can express only his
own views. For my part, l believe that
the last war will have a marked in
fuence upon art. l think that we have
painters who will find in this struggle
an inspiration for some of the greatest
pictures that have been produced in
the past twenty years in America The
public is ripe for works of this kind !
This is evidenced by the enormous sales
Of pictures of the navy of the Maine, !
Of Havana, and of scenes in Cuba dur
ing the progress of hOstilities. This
demand has worn off TO large degree, |
but I find that whenever we present to |
our customers a war picture of merit |
whether it represents a scene from the /
civil or any foreign struggle it at /
racts instant and widespread attention /
1T is all a question of the men. Dur
ing the civil war we had no very great /
painters. Therefore there are no mas !
representing that conflict But |
now we have them. and / believe il |
will be a question of time only until /
some of our American painters produce 4
work representing this great achieve /
nent of the American arms in a man I
Ter worthy of preservation for all I
lime"
Still another phase of the effect of the /
war upon art was described by a dealer /
who traffics largely in decorative art !
He said that the military idea was per- /
heating every branch of decorative art. /
SO much so that other goods suffered /
greatly. Plaques representing war !
scenes at Santiago, Siboney and lei |
Caney We're in demand; picture frames /
with designs of different styles of arms
lad met with considerable popularity. /
ina those BITS or Statuary which form
| part of cabinet furnishings were in
selected to suit the idea of
war. Some of the statuettes made af-
er the close of the civil war which had |
been useless and unsuitable for years !
we're now selling rapidly, especially de- /
signs of THE Wounded Soldier. Let
ers From Home" and other familiar
subjects.
In engravings, particularly he found
-. ~.
being mainly for war subjects. In this I
ield the navy seemed to be the special |
av0rite. every battleship and officer
having been called for.
BENJAMIN NORTHRUP.