Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-22
A R 7 A N D ARTS S


have been wagging for naught.
A r 7 A N D AR TIST S
No lasting memorial altesting the friend
snip Oh Tie American people and making ac-
encouragement of the generous aid of the
FRENCH during our struggle for national
independence has ever been given to France
ana 1t is to supply in a measure this
omission that equestrian statue of Wash
lngton has been modelled for presentation al
the Paris exposition next year It is to be
The gift of the women of America. and the
project is being carried out by an associa-
ton of representative women with head
quarters here in the national capital. Mrs
stephen }. Field is the president of the as
ISOLATION, and among the long list of those
VINO give standing TO the organization ara
the names of Mrs. Mckinley, Mrs Hobart
ana the wives of the cabinet officers and
many senators and representatives Daniel
french was the sculptor chosen 10 design
anu execute this work, and the order has
just been given for casting in bronze his
now completed model. Washington is
SHOWN on horseback, his head barred and
LIS face slightly upturned. His drawn sword
is swung nigh above his head, The attitude
suggesting an invocation of the blessing of
i!tdN'H upon me continental troops and the
success of their arms, and the action is i'm
posing without any undue violence of geS-
ture to mar lhe dignity and nobility which
characterize the figure. 1t is of heroic size
and measuring from the tip of the out
stretched sword, the equestrian igure is
twenty feet in height. The association pro-
poses to unveIl the monument on the
Fourth of July, 1900, when the statue to
Lafayette for which the school children of
this country are supplying the necessary
funds will also be unveiled. The greater
part of the money needed to erect the
Washington statue was subscribed on the
first appeal, which was made number of
years ago, but $4,000 is still to be raised,
and the association has entered upon an en-
crgeuc campaign to secure the required
amount,
WashingtOnians will take especial interest
in the sale Of Senior Salvador de Mendon-
cas- collection of pictures and art objects,
which will take place in New York on
April "A, % and %. Many of the three hun
dred pictures which will be disposed of are
familiar to the general public here in the
city, as the former Brazilian minister was
very generous in loaning his paintings on
all occasions. His collection of art objects
is less widely known, but it is equally inter-
esting and valuable, including, as 1t does,
some excellent specimens Of antique furni-
ture of the Louis XVI, Empire and Re
naissance Periods, number of rare old rugs,
bronzeS, porcelains, enameis and bric-a-
brac. The unique group of relies of Lord
Byron and Napoleon BOnaparte should also
lie mentioned adding to the value of the
collection. Both the pictures and the art
objects were placed on view at the Ameri-
can Art Galleries Wednesday, the display
following closely after the Harris HOlbrook-
Rlakeslee collection, which was sold last
week, bringing Il total of $173,515
A number of Boston artists made a Wig
orous protest when it was proposed to place
the commissions for the decoration of the
Massachusetts Memorial Hall entirely out
side of the Hub" and the committee on
the state house has made report to the
legislature suggesting course of action
that will place all candidates for the work
on equal footing. The committee recon-
mends that a commission of seven persons
be appointed, four of whom are to be art
lists resident in the United States, to act
as jury. The fact that $4,000 has been
appropriated for decorations is to be ad-
vertised in all the leading papers in the
country, and all artists residing in the
United States are to be invited to compete.
All the designs must be submitted before
January 10, 1900, and are to be placed on
exhibition for fifteen days The designs are
not to bear the names of the artists but
the names are to be placed in sealed en-
velopes to be opened after the decision.
Five designs are to be selected, and S., 600
will be paid for the execution of each deco
ration. The new plan is certainly eauita-
BILE, but its greatest defects would seem
to lie in the very elements of fairness. AS
the New York Evening Post points out
| it is Impossible for jury to Judge Of the
final result from mere sketch, without
knowing who the artist is and something
of his manner of working. Then, again,
the panels to be filed are close together
and directly allied with one scheme of arch
itecture, and to divide the work among a
number of painters would make an entirely
harmonious result impossible.
X
Mr.. Macdonald has about completed a
seated half-length figure Of Justice Nc
Kenna, which in naturalness of pose and in
artistic effect is vastly superior to thu por-
trait which he painted a short time ago.
The first portrait showed Justice Mckenna
in civilians clothes, and as a likeness was
a veracious production, but the second
| painting, in which the sitter is clad in the
/ robes of his Office has an air Of distinction
| that was wanting in the first. In the art
| lists recent portrait the vital, living quail
| ties of the figure impress one before one
gives a thought to the likeness, and the
strong effect of light and shade Is an I'M
portant factor in giving this semblance Of
| reality. The likeness of Capt. Birney,
| which Mr. Macdonald has now upon his
easel promises to be a most striking pro-
| duction and even in its unfinished state
| the fine modelling of the head insists on
| attention.
A second picture BY ?. Marcus Simmons
| has been added to the collection of works
now on view at Fischer's and both Of these