The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25
The Fountain Of the Chicago Nymphs

art" on the strength OF the astonishing
fountain now on exhibition at the lake
front. MICHELANGELo marked the culmi-
nation Of an artistic revival lasting through
three centuries. 1t seems to us that Lo-
RADIO TAFT is neither the MICHELANGELo
noryet the DoNATELLo of the great Chicago
Renaissance. His position should rather be
compared to that Of NICOLA PIsANo for
TAFT is distinctly an innovator. the found
er OF new school. and the pioneer Of q
new movement. However this is a mat
ter OF no great consequence.
What Fra dorado has done, assisted by
the sympathetic and reverent pupils Of his
first class in sculpture in the Chicago Art
Institute, namely. Miss EVELYN LoNGMAN,
Miss MARGUERITE WHEELER, Miss ALICE
COOPER Miss MAUDE MOORE, Miss EDITH
FREEMAN, Miss CLARIssA WILSON. Miss
EDITH PARKER. Miss MARY PARKER, Miss
MARIE NAUGHToN, and Mrs. VERDE Dun
DAS. Is to produce work OF the magma
ton which has won tho instant apprccia-
tion Of his contemporaries and brought to
n whole community the flush of fresh
consciousness Of the eternal truth that life
is not all stockyards. Nothing In pro-
the aesthetic sensibilties OF busy town
since Boston's discussion about the morality
of Mr.. MACMoNNIEss Bacchante.
1t is proper to say that there Is little con-
troversy in Chicago over the quality Of Fra
LORADo's genius. His mastershlp Is freely
admitted on all sides. The discussion
now in progress concerning the nymphs,
involves general aesthetic principles, and
particularly the great question which one
eminent Chicago critic succinctly defines as
that OF "the relative merits OF the nude
and the nudeless in art"
While it has not been our privilege to in
spect the model Of the fountain, as now set
up in Chicago park. we get from a large
picture In the Inter Ocean a fair idea Of It's
peculiarties as an independent and imagi-
native conception. It's relation to the ques-
tion OF the nude or the nudeless ia obvious.
In a basin Of about forty feet diameter
Fra dorado and his pupils have dstrib-
uted ten plaster nymphs, each seven
feet and half high, and Of Flemish
exuberance Of anatomy. Four nymphs
are posed in the centre in group appar-
emily studied after compositions OF the
school OF tho late SAM T. JACK. The re-
naming six nymphs are seated either on
the curbstone Of the basin, or in the pool
itself. their postures indicating the variety
OF attitudes possible to a serious-minded
nymph engaged in ablution.
1t is this dominating idea Of intentness
upon personal ablution without regard to
the surroundings which seems to us to con-
stitute the chief motive Of the composition
and to give 1t a claim to originality and
individuality. We think those Chicago
critics are mistaken who attribute to Fra
dorado TAFT a purpose to illustrate the
unrestrained sportiveness Of the nymphish
nature. His Rubenslike giantesses are in
the water for business, not sport.
Another feature Of the group Of nymphs
Is the mutual independence, so to speak, Of
its constituent nymphs. Here Fra dorado
has departed from precedent and arisen far
above the conventional. Nearly every one
OF the ten nymphs Is 30 designed that she
might be removed from tho place she now
occupies in the composition and put in
| another place. The nymph now seated
on the stone coping with her toes in the
water might, without artistic loss, be
transferred to deep water while the
| nymph who ia partly immersed in the
tank, vigorously scrubbing her neck, might
be brought out into the sunshine to dry.
without interfering at all with the central
idea or disturbing tho harmony OF the
| group. There Is no moro rigid correlation
between the nymphs than between the
candy Cupids which the confectioner sticks
around the top OF one OF the masterpieces
OF kOHLsAAT's ovens. This arrangement Of
detachable nymphs, capable Of being moved
around in the basin at pleasure to suit var-
GUS aesthetic tastes. or to crafty the un-
reasoning whms Of tho pOpulace, Is new
departure in plastic art. and it may prove
hereafter to be the distinguishing charac-
| terlstlc OF the sculpture OF the Chicago
| school OF the future.
This artist Is certainly in sympathy with
| his generation and his environment. Sur
rounded and assisted by pupils worthy Of
| him, he has produced at the same time an
| object lesson in the art OF practical hydrop-
athy, and work OF art SO impressive as
to elicit from the Hon. CARTER Ii. HARRI-
son the eulogy reported in the subjoned
extract from the Chicago Tribune:
THE sun was low in tho West when the Mayor
arrived and its golden lirlt tempered the staring
expression OF tho nymphs. and they appeared at
! their best when the Mayor hoped of his wheel aud
! tipped his hat forward. to steady his visual aim
while he scrutinIZod them. After his rst long and
uninterrupted look he smiled. AZ IL he were amused
! Then lie shifted his viewpoint and studied the
group again, After lie had surveyed the scene from
both sides he Yenured an art opinion. 1t was that
! the nymph in the background, with one foot on q
rock aud her hands on her knee, was beautiful and
| well.posed figure.
| " It's all good he said after another general
survey. Itisnot in any sense objectionable 1t is
beautiful and artistic. The man who made those
| figures should be proud Of them"
Among those who stand with Mayor HAIR
RIsoN among the champions Of the nude as
against the nudeless is Prof. L. BENJAMIN
ANDREWS. 1T is good art" is his opinion
Mr. n. II. CARPENTER, Secretary Of the Art
Institute, says: I'VE want to see how far