The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-16
The BRIDGE OF LIFE
BAURENTIS MASTERPIECES TO
HANG IN TELFAIR ACADEMY.
PICTURES TO BE REHUNG.
SIZE OFF THE LAURENT WILL REM
DER THIS NECESSARY.

Director Brandt VIII Begin at Once
to Make Preparations for Mount
ing the Great Picture--It Is Twcn-
ty-two Feet in Width and with
Frame and Glass Weighs Ton.
Can't De Hung and Platform
VIII Have to Be Observation-Disclosures
in the Hall of Paintings Will
Have to he Rearranged-PubIic
Reeeptton to Be Held When "Par-
aboIa" Is Unveiled.
Within a month. probably, the great
picture of Caesare laurent, 'Parabola,
or the Bridge of Life" will adorn the
west wall of the Hall of Paintings in
the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sci
ences. Director Carl L. Brandt of the
academy is in the city and will begin
at once the work of framing and
mounting the picture. 1t will 5e pub
licly unveiled.
The size of this masterpiece of Lau-
remit will necessitate an entire rear
rangement of the paintings in the hall.
The picture is in two panels, which, to-
gether, measure twenty-five feet in
width. 1t is Director Brandt's purpose
to place the picture in the place now
occupied by his own portrait of Miss
Telfair, on the west wall of the Hall
of Paintings, facing the entrance. The
'Parabola" is much larger than the
portrait and the latter will be removed
to one side. Another work of like
character to the portrait will flank the
central picture on the other side.
laurent is one of the most celebrat-
ed of the modern italian painters, and
the "Parabola" is regarded as the best
piece of work he has ever done. 1t
was purchased by Director Brandt
last year, while it was on exhibition
at Munich. After the close of the
Munich exhibition the picture was I'M
framed and shipped to Savannah, the
frame, the heavy plate glass that pro-
tects the picture and the picture it
self being packed in separate boxes.
Since it arrived Director Brandt has
not had an opportunity to supervise
its mounting, and the boxes have not
been unpacked.
For several reasons it will probably
be a month before the picture will
be on exhibition. In the first place
il is not possible to hang it, on ac-
count of its great weight, the picture
and frame and glass weighing to-
gether at least a ton, ami 1t will be
necessary to construct a shelf or plat
form upon which to mount 1t. and to
drive hooks deep in the wall of the
building to keep it in an upright po-
sition. In the second place, to mount
the Oicfnrp will rp0nire p0mnleta
Encouragement of the paintings in the
hall, to make room for it, and to de-
wise and execute a scheme of arrange
ment that will best display the works
of art will require both time and
thought. Among other changes the
picture of Apelles and others of the
great artists of antiquity will be re-
moved from their present position near
the floor and placed in those for which
they were originally designed, in the
frieze of the hall.
Mr.. Brandt has already completed
one of his panel paintings for the
frieze of the hall of statuary of the
academy. 1t typifles Egypt, and the
Sphinx and the great pyramids at
Gizeh have been its inspiration. BY
next fall he hopes to have completed
the other paintings of this series, and
10 have them mounted in the frieze.
The unwilling of the "Parabola" will
be made the occasion of a public cere-
mony, which it is expected will be
largely attended. Mr.. Brandt said
last night he hoped to have this recep-
ton take place at the end of a month.
The picture that Will then be exhibited
IS the largest in the academy. and
probably in the South, and a fine ex-
ample of the prevailing modern school
of Italian art.