Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-12
M'MONh|ES SELECTED.
Proposed Mcclellan Statue
Entrusted to Him.
ACTION OF COMMISSION
ALL SUBMITTED DESIGNS WERE
JUDGED UNSATISFACTORY.
Remarkable Career of the Young
American Sculptor-Some Of
His Notable Works.

His Notable Works.
After many delays and dislppolntments
the Mcclellan statue commission has at
last perfected arrangements for obtaining
a satisfactory statue of General Mcclellan
for erection in this city In accordance with
the provisions of the act of Congress ap
proved March 3, 1901. The commission
consists of Secretary Root. Senator Wet
more and General Ruggles. U. s. A. re-
tired. the latter representing the Society OF
the Army of the Potomac. In accordance
with invitations issued by the commission
the leading sculptors of the United States
submitted models and designs for the
statue on the LIST day of May. 1902. At that
time the commission. acting under the ad-
vice of an advisory committee Of artists,
consisting of Messrs. A. ST. Gaudens, c.
F. McKim and d. c. French requested
four of the competing sculptors each to
execute another model of larger dimen
sions, in order to enable the commission to
make the final selection between the de-
signs submitted by those gentlemen
which were considered the most meritori-
Gus. These enlarged models were sub
mitted the LIST of February last, and have
been in the Corcoran Gallery of Art ever
since. The four successful competitors
D
haus, Waldo Story and Attilio Piccirolh.
Action of the Advisory Committee.
Several weeks ago the advisory commit
tee of artists examined the enlarged models
and presented their reports. individually in
writing to Mr.. NJ. o. Chance. private sec
rotary to the Secretary of War who is sec
rotary of the statue commission. The advi-
sorry committee was not satisfied with any
of the models submitted meeting the
requirements of the subject. particularly in
the matter of individuality and symbolism.
After a thorough consideration of the re-
port of the advisory committee the statue
commission unanimously adopted a resolu-
ton reciting That inasmuch as 1t appears
by the final letter of advice from the advf-
sorry committee. consisting of Messrs. Saint
GaudenS. French and Mckim, that no
model submitted upon the competition Is
satisfactory. the commission exercises the
right reserved in the program of compet-
ton and rejects all the designs and models
submitted"
Commission Selects MacMonnies.
In view of the apparent failure to secure
a satisfactory design for the Mcclellan
statue by competition. the commission at
that time decided to intrust the work to
some American artist who had not been
identified in any way with the competition
either as a competitor or as a member of
the advisory committee.
Mr.. Frederick MacMonnies of New York
was the unanimous choice of the commits
sion for the work and Mr.. Chance was in
structed to invite him, In the name of the
commission. to design and execute the
statue. 1t was decided to keep the fact
secret, however. unless a favorable response
should be received from Mr.. MacMonnies.
The sculptor was away from his home at
the time and there was some delay In COM
mun1cating with him. 1t was not until yes
terday that his reply reached the War De-
partment. AS 1t notified the statue COM
mission of his acceptance of the commission
rendered him. the fact publicly an
nounced. The fact that the Sheridan
statue Is to be placed in Sheridan Circle
makes it almost assured that the Mcclellan
statue will be placed on the reserva ton
south of the State Department.
Career of Frederick MacMonnies.
Frederick MacMonnies sculptor. was
born in Brooklyn. N. Y. September 2S
1863. His father was William MacMonnies
of Clan Menzies in Scotland, who came to
New York at the age of eighteen and
amassed a fortune in the grain business,
but lost it during the civil war His mother
Julfana Eudora West, was niece of Ben
jamin West. Mr.. MacMonnes' genius de-
veloped early and in face of many difficult
ties. Though obliged to leave school while
a child . to earn his living as clerk in a
Jewelry sore, he nevertheless found time
to pursue his favorite study. and at the age
of sixteen succeeded in attracting the at
tention of Augustus Saint Gaudens, the
sculptor, who received him as an appren-
tice In his studio.
He was an industrious and eager stu
dent, not combining his efforts to the studio.
but working at night in the night classes
of the Academy of Design and the Art
Students League, and when in 1884. he
was enabled to go abroad to further prose-
cute his studies he went equipped with a
knowledge of modelling, which made him
a fl1l1 no
foreign schools. He went first to Paris
and shortly afterward to Munich where he
spent a few months studying painting,
which he considered so closely allied to
sculpture to be a necessary preparation;
then he returned to the studio of Saint
Gaudens. where he remained another year.
Then he went second time to Paris and
entered the Atalier of Falguiere in the Ecole
deS Beaux-ArtS, at the same time working
in the private studio of Antonin Mercie
the sculptor of the Gloria Victis." In
Paris he speedily achieved the most graft
Tying success. carrying off for two sue
cesSive years the priX d'ateiier the first
prize of the National School of Fine Arts,
and the highest award for which foreign
ers In France may compete. In 1889 his
first exhibit. Diana obtained honorable
mention from the salon, and in the same
year he received his first commission an
order for three life-size angels in bronze
which now adorn st. Pauls Church, New
York In the salon of 1891 he exhibited
tllo Stdlue VI INdtHdH f1dle, alIerWHTu
placed in the City Hall Park, New York,
and that of James S. T. Stranahan, for
which he awarded a second gold
medal. this being the only time that an
American sculptor has attained that honor
Fountain at Columbian Exposition.
These were followed by two nfe-szed
figures, Pan of Rohallion" and "Faun
with Heron" which. with his earlier works.
obtained him such reputation among his
countrymen that he was chosen to execute
the colossal fountain of the Columbian ex-
position, containing twenty-seyen large
figures.
The fountain showed Columbia sitting
aloft on the barge of state. heralded by
Fame at the Prov. Dared by the Arts and
Industries. guided by Time at the helm and
drawn by the seahorseS of Commerce. The
general effect of the fountain was marvel
ousiy beautiful and thousands Of visitors
gained their chief enjoyment in sitting near
by and admiring its artistic features. 1t
cost $4,000 and was said to be the largest
fountain In the world.
Another fine specimen of his work is a
bronze group of horses by MacMonnies, at
the southern entrance of Prospect Park,
in Brooklyn
Mr.. MacMonnies is rapid worker. and
already a large number of masterpieces
have been given to the world. Among