The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-23
Priceless Collection of Full-Size Casts. of Typl-
cal German Sculplure--The Emperors
Gift to Be Followed by One
from Switzerland.
from Switzerland.
NATIONAL MUSEUM FOR ALL AMERICANS
Bv HERBERT SMALL.
Secretary of the Germanic Museum Association.

The place having been established
and, incidentally, the dues. for the pur-
chase Of objects, having been fixed at s.
annual and SIS life membership-the AS
ISOLATION issued a statement of its OBJ
jects, Il part of which may be quoted as
The best and bricfcst explanation or the
general plan Of the collections. The
scheme of the museum, it says, is
similar to that of a number OF national
museums in Europe; for example. the
Germanic Museum at Nuremberg, the
Swiss Museum at Zuerich, the Morse NIL
scum at Copenha gen, the Hotel de Clu:iy
at Paris Models and reproductions
(either plastic or Photographic of typica
work, illustrating Germanic life and
character from the earliest times TO the
present day-from the Viking boat and
the Anglo-Saxon hail to the National
Monument on the Niederwald-will nat
urally be the first acquisitions. from
the very beginning, however. it is pro-
posed to make an effort to secure orisi-
rails also: weapons and costumes. ir1ple-
ments and utensils; ensravings. to illus
trate the art of the cngraver, or to show
the customs of a period: books illustrat-
ing the history Of printing: paintings.
sculptures. and carvings Of real value
artistically or Historically. In selecting
objects there will be strict adherence to
the principle Of avoiding that which is
merely striking or curious. and of secur-
irC only what is typical and characters
tic''
CASTS DIFFICULT TO ACQUIRE.
The most difficult objects to acquire
fer such a collection are the great monu-
rental casts some of them architectural
rather than Sculptural in character, like
these which are now being made by di-
rection of the German Emperor. Not
only are the casts themselves hard to
nake--requiring. as they do, the most
tedious and patient labor, first in mould
ii,c: them, often in hundreds of pieces.
then in casting and numbering each piece
in order that it may find It's proper place
when the whole object is set finally up
but the originals from which the casts
are made are often Of such value and
Importance that without the powerful
influence of an Emperor permission to
reproduce them could hardly have been
secured at all For this reason, quite
aside from the great e&penSe-which the
Berlin dispatches have put at half a
million 1narks-the gift of the Emperor
could not, as a whole, 1t is safe to say,
be duplicated.
1t is expected that these casts will ar
rive some time about the middle of next
SIMMER. In the meantime, however, an
examination of the portfolio of photo
graphs of the originals which Prince
Henry handed to President Eliot, gives
a good idea Of the scope Of the gift. The
first in point of time are the famous
bronze doors Of the Cathedral of Hides
Eeim, dating back to 1015. They are the
earliest specimens of German sculpture
in bronze, and represent scenes from
Gel.esis and from the life of Christ
From these the objects range in chrono-
lcgical order down to the marble statue
OF Frederick the Great at Stettin, made
h. Gottfried Scha1oyv in 1893
CORONATION OF MARY.
From the Church of Our Lady, at
Treves, comes an interesting portal in
the early Gothic style. the most notable
fea ture Of which is a sculpture repre-
scnting the Coronation of Mary. The
splendid Golden Gate from the Cathedral
at FrieiberG (about 1880 is reproduced
entire. 1t is ono Of the most important
examples of early German art in the
empire, and is crowded with sculptures
representing the Alteration Of tho MaSi,
tie Apostles and Prophets, and many
ether figures and scenes. all Of the great
est interest. From the splendid Cathe-
drai at Naumburs-a typical architec-
tCral monument of early German Gothic
have been selected the great rcredos
ST, etching across the west chancel, orna-
r,epted with sculptures representing
scenes from the Passion; the quaint read
ing desk modelled in the figure OF an
CNS1SSia~sAitp dib Liz VI liz
twelve founders so-called-while the
Cathedrals at Strasburc and Tl1n supnS.
respectively, the beautiful figures repre-
senting the Triumph OIL The church over
the Synagogue. perhaps the high-water
mark of all German sculpture of the
thirteenth century, and Bishops Char
anc Altar. in beautifully carved wood. of
century later.
Tor sixteenth century work there is
tie tomb of st. Sebaldus at Nuremberg,
a magnificent piece of work, of the
highest elaboration, consisting Of a
bronze canopy, decorated with hundreds
of figures, religious and symbolical, which
encloSeS the silver casket containing the
relies of the saint 1t is the work of
Peter Vischer, of Nuremberg, the best
known German sculptor in bronze. The
fantastic roccoco style prevailing at the
end of the seventeenth and beginning of
The eighteenth century is represented by
IEdreaS Schluetter'S masks of dying
warriors on the keystoneS over the gates
CT the Arsenal at Berlin, and the same
sculptcr's noble bronze equestrian staue
of the Great Elector, Frederick William.
OF BrandenburS. In the case of the last
named statue, not only the horse and
rider are to be cast. but apparently the
Emperor will include also the pedestal,
with its four chained captiveS, all of
heroic size, representing the Electors
in war. The more realistic
pe rtrait sculpture of the end of the
eighteenth century is represented by