New-York tribune., 1900-08-19

modelling of medalIions. but they all have re-
fiuement, they all have wonderful aptitude, and
their little disks of silver and bronze are among
the most satisfactory things in the French sec
ton Mr.. St. Gaudens, too, abandons the classi-
cal idea but he equals Chaplain and the rest In
technique, and in respect to feeling for CHAR
acter in respect to picturesqueness and artless-
ness of design, he surpasses them all. In the
Shaw monument with its marching soldiers
dominated by the horseman in the centre, he is
so realistic as to give the feeling of ebullient
life-and fuses his many figures into well
balanced composition THE Puritan" of which
the original is at Springfield, is chiefly re-
markable for it's picturesqueness free and
energetic portrait of typical Puritan in the
capacious cloak of his time. OF the beauti-
full Love and Charity" the angel bearing
tablet aloft something has already been said
in an earlier letter. All these works are known
at home The equestrian statue of Sherman
however, is The composition Is old' IN
one sense. 1t represents simply a man on
horseback But walking in front is winged
victory and not only In this addition, but in
the whole web of line and light and shade Mr.
St Gaudens has used the subtle invention
of a master, surprising you not by any
startling innovation, but by the general fresh
ness of his design. One equestrian statue
may be very like another save when this inde-
finahle touch of creative art is bestowed upon
the work Then something intangible but potent
changes the familiar bulk, gives it nervous elias
ticity, urges each outline into delightful combl-
nation with its neighbOr and leaves an impress
sion of greatness and beauty. The Sherman
prOvokes these reflections, standing, in the
plaster amid a thousand distracting mediocre
ties. How much more impressive 1t will be when
cast in the bronze and erected upon a stately
pedestal against scme leafy background it is not
difficult to imagine. In the American section
Mr.. st. Gaudens rather OVershadOWS his col
leagues, but quality they and he undoubt-
edly have in common, a quality sadly missed
among the French. Seriousness is at the bottom
of nearly all the work sent over here by our
countrymen There is excellent technique too,
in Mr.. French's equestrian statue of Washing
ton, in Mr. Grafys portraits and alegorical
pieces, in Mr.. Phmster Proctor's animal sub
jects in Mr.. Barnard's huge compositions and
in the figures and military groups of Mr.. Mac
Monnies. But the main point is that American
sculpture has generally a certain grave inten-
ton its aim is lofty. One might easily neglect
this at home and dwell more largely on ques-
tions of technique, where there is still much to
be gained. But here alongside the vapd and
vulgar things of the European sculptors,
seriousness takes a significance. The
English serious, too, and to good purpose in
instances. Mr. Swans lions and leopards
admirable essays in a manner founGed OBJ
1iously to some extent on that Of Barge, and Mr..
Onslow Ford is also engaging, whether in the
rather heavy lines of his bust of the Queen, in
the lighter vein Of his statuettes, The Singer
and applause in the ingenious design and
apt spirit of his Shelley Memorial with a nude
figure lying on q kind Of platform, which, in its
turn, is supported by crouchng figures. But,
aside from these two men, in the Eng
dsh section rises above dull commonplace.
On the Continent outside of France, the
sculptors rarely worth serious atten-
ton. Russia has Prince Troubetsko a modeller
of charming statuettes vivacious clever and
original. GinsbOurg, too, has facility, and Anto-
kolsky in his historical and poetical figures has
something more shade more Vigor, something
that seems more Russian. But the Russian
sculptors, taken altogether are disappointing
The Germans heavy and uninteresting
Franz Stuck is their most noticeable man, and
ne is more eccentric than artistic. Among the
Austrans there some fair medalIists and
one sculptor Franz Matsch has secured a BIZ
Earre but pleasing effect in a fountain for a win
ter garden by coloring the figures set in low
relief against a white marble background. Hun
gary is merely depressing through the coarse
ness, crudity and thorough incompetence of its
sculpture. The only Italian of genuine ability
Is Gemito, the Neapolitan sculptor of little
bronzes of fisher folk and peasants. but he. it
is said is afflicted with illness that has long
since made it impossible for him to work The