The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-16
FEATURES OF HEROES
LIVE IN CLAY OF zoLNAY's MOULD
ING.
THE BUST OF BARLOW.
SCULPTOR has COMPLETED HIS
SKETCH OF THAT WORK.

Sketch OF the Sicf.aws Bust APP
preaching Completion and Will
he Finished Before the sculptor
Sails for New York-Both Are
Fine Pieces of Work-That of Gen.
Barlow Breathes the Very Spirit
of the Man-Mr. Zolnay's Concep-
ton of His Art and It's RespOn-
sibilIties-In Uniform or Muftif
One Question Finally Solved.
Mr.. George Julian Zoluay has, In the
temporary studio he has established at
the De Soto, small studies OF the busts
of General Barlow and General McLAws
he is to model for the monuments of the
celebrated Savannahians The study of
the bust of Barlow is complete and that
of McLaws Will be finished before Mr..
Zolnay leaves Savannah.
Savannahians will have an opportunity
20 see both between and 10 o'clock to-
morrow.
Those friends of General Barlow who
have seen the study Mr.. Zolnay has mod
eled say 1t reproduces, with marvellous
fidelity to truth, not only the physical
characteristics, but the mental and moral
attributes of the man. The face il
sroug and beautiful one; it reveals the
spirit of the man who, when refused per-
mission TO lead his gallant Oglethorpes to
the Virginia battle fields, went without
permission and with that saying he has
left behind him; II go to illustrate Geor-
gia.'' 1t shows the spirit of the man who
yielded up his life at the first battle of
Manassas, as cheerfully and uncomplain
ingly and as unfinchingly as he had
yielded up everything else at the call of
duty.
The study of Gen. McLaws has not yet
been completed, but it gives every prom
Use of being a likeness of the original as
faithful as that of Gen. Barlow and as
artistcally satisfying and perfect. 1t must
be more than a mere portrait to satisfy
the artistic conceptions and ideals of Mr..
Zolnay.
eff could not do more than reproduce
a merely physical likeness" he said yes
terday, II would give up in disgust. The
camera can produce a physical likeness
more accurate than the hand of the ar
fist can ever make, but it cannot show
the man. Where in this respect the lini
tations OF the camera begin the mission
and the possibilities of the artist take up
the task ANY piece of sculpture that does
not tell more than how the man 1T repre-
sents looks or looked is a failure. There
should, of course. be a physical likeness
to the original, but there should be very
much more"
Those who have seen the artists COM
pleted work understand that he lives up
to his creed. His faces and figures are
more than likenesses, for they fairly
breathe those attributes of the men they
represent that have made their memories
worthy Of transmission to posterity.
His bust and statue of Sam Davis, the
Confederate scout who was hanged as a
spy during the war, under circumstances
that revealed in clear light the heroic
character of the man, give point to the
artists assertion that he strives to do
more than convey an idea of the physi-
cal appearance of his subjects. Regard
ing the statue, writer in a recent num-
Der of the New York Art Education says:
People stop before Mr.. Zolnay's crea-
lions, first, because they are forced to
notice these men who stand defiantly,
challenging indifference and criticism,
ana having once fingered they remain
to admire for their own sakes. Imagine
passing by the figure of Sam Davis, the
Confederate scout, who in the represen-
tation conceived by Mr.. Zolnay, has in
and patriotism of the Southerner OF
thirty years ago. No man, of whatever
nationality or creed, would fail to recog-
nize in this daring pose, in the bold out
lines and exquisite conception, exactly
what the young Confederate was and
how he unfiinchingly faced the terrors of
death. Figures like this have universal
interest and even the lowliest marble cut
ter in the big studio where the artist is
Ii a1I- Sv,ka ~
and thrills to the story of the young
American, whose history can match any
of the heroes of old for romance and cou-
rage"
Mr.. Zolnay's bust of Edgar Allen Poe.
in the library OF the University of Vir-
ginia, is another piece of his work that
illustrates we'll his ability to conceive
and express the character of his sub
jects.
The committee which has the work of
erecting the monuments to Gen. Barlow
and Gen. McLaws in hand had not been
able until yesterday finally to
decide whether 10 represent them
in uniform or Gillian attire. The
objection to the use of the uniform
was that Gen. McLaws lived so long after
the war that his appearance in uniform
had ceased to be familiar; of course,
whatever decision was reached as 20
either bust in this regard would have
applied equally to the other. The objec-
tion made to the use of the uniforms have
been overcome and the completed busts
will represent abe men as they appeared
on the field OF battle, where they gained
that place in the affections OF the people
of their native state and city they have
since filled and did those deeds it is
sought to commemorate in bronze and
send down to posterity. In this view of
the matter Mr.. Zolnay heartily comedies.
Between and o'clock tomorrow the
sketches or studies will be on exhibition
in the parlors of the De Soto. so that
those who care to inspect the work may
do So The opportunity to look at the
work is intended primarily for the friends
of Gen. Barlow and Gen. McLaws, those
who knew the men in life, and to the con-
tributors to the monument fund, but II is
not confined to them. All are invited.
Mr.. Zolnay thinks II possible that some
new suggestions may come to him that
will be valuable. and he desires to re-
ceve these before the work has been per-
petuated in a material more enduring than
the clay OF the sketches. The sketches are
quite small and the sculptor does not like
TO dignity the view OF them that is Of
fered the public by calling II an exhibit
tion, but he would be glad to receive any
OF those who for any reason, personal or