New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-30
THE LAVOLSLER STATUE.
MEMORIAL OF THE GREAT CHEMIST
SET UP IN PARIS
Paris, September Is.

Paris, September Is.
The bronze statue of Layoisier, the chemist.
recently placed in the Place de la Madeleine, is
of the most satisfactory of the commemora-
tive statues of French Swans. 1t is the work
OF Ernest Louis Barrias the veteran sculptor
whose polychrome statue of La Nature Sc de
voilant," now in the Grand Palais at the Expo
sition. ELECTED last year the enthusiastic
mendatiOn of the Partisan art critics. The
statue of Lavoisier is of heroic dimensions and
as far as technique and execution concerned
seems faultless- The figure is erect with the
right arm uplifted- The lips are parted if in
the act Of speaking. The left hand rests upoa
a small table, which supports pair of scales
The eyes are fixed in earnest gaze. and the eX-
preston of the face is severe and confident
The elaborate, reddish Syente pedestal
bears two bronze bass reliefs In one OF these
Lavoisier is represented defending and develop
ing before his colleagues of the Academic des
Sciences his famous theory of combustion.
Monge is seated listening attentively. Near by
are seven of the eminent Swans of the closing
period of the eighteenth century-La Grange
Condorcet Berthollet, Vic d'AZir 0he personal
physician of Marie Antoinette and intimate
friend of Gouverneur Morris. the American Min
ister) La Place La Marck and Grayton de Nor
veau The second bass relief presents the
laboratory of the Arsenal, where LaVOiser
spent the better part of his life. 1t may be re-
membered that Lavoisier. when eighteen years
of age married Mile Pauze girl of
fourteen who herself became learned chemist,
and in order to illustrate her husbands Treatise
on Chemistry took drawing lessons in the
studio of David. the great painter. In the bass
relief Barras has depicted Nine. Lavoisier writ
ing at her husbands dictation, while pupil in
the background places mercury receiver upon
a bench. Nine. LavOsier the interchangeable
fellow worker of he- husband, and her bravery
in haranguing the mob saved Lavoisier from
the guilt tine After LavOiSier's death his widow
married Rumford, the American chemist, who
was created a Count by the Elector of Bavaria,
but she manifested such a shrewish and
thoritative disposition that this second marriage
proved a decided failure.
The Lavoiser statue, which is the latest COM
pIeted work of Barrias has a good share of the
element of seriousness in which contemporary
French sculptors are accused of being deficient.
1t is pity that the deliberately wrought pedestal
is so large and prominent for its Louis Quinze
ornamentation seems out of place in juxtapo-
sition to the Grecian severity of the Madeleine.
The statue cost $4,000 The sum was raised
by public subs cription. Several Americans are
among the subscribers. but over half the money
came from Russia, where the universities at the
initiative of the Gar. subscribed generously.
The leading German universities also contributed
literally to commemorate the savant who first
formulated the laws of inorganic chemistry
which have since become the basis for astound-
ing development in all branches of industry
c. B