The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-24
VIEWED BY MR.. TAFT
Famous Sculptor Discusses Fjelde's
Hiawatha, Rejected by the
Art Commission.
He Says Fjelde Did Better Work,
@ but That This Is Not.
ss.8s4&@ * Bad. -

cit would look very well as bronze group
among the foliage of Minnehaha park said
dorado Taft, the Chicago sculptor, speaking to-
day OF Fjelde's '.HiaWatha aud Minnehaha," the
plaster cast Of which wGs rejected by the Min
neapolis municipal art commission as an I'M
suitable model for reproduction In bronze at
Minnehaha park. ls
=" Mr.. Taft gave his opinion without knowing
that the art commission. had balanced the group
In its official scales and found. 1t wanting.
"Yes' he continued *"Fjelde has done legi-
innate work. there's. It's not at all absurd. 1t
would no doubt afford great deal Of pleasure
to the school children. who paid for it, If they
praiseworthy effect. 1t is poetic and magma,
tive, and harmonizes very we'll with the poem
that it is Intended to Illustrate. $685.,
advanced against ''Hiawatha and Minnehaha"
Mr.; Mr. Taft replied: I've seen other works by
ter conceived But when the Hawatha group
was exhibited at Chicago in 1893, l. decided
that Ejelde should haTe,a chance to- do himself
Justice. He seems to have. been hampered by
the advice of someone else.
''On technical grounds. much may be said
tory, and the A1innehaha, in particular, is a
rather weak sister, But | don't agree with
those that would Judge all art by Its tech
nique. great deal must be conceded to the
formative conception and to the general effect.
Now, Fjelde has set forth a pretty inspiration
that would, be sure to please almost everyone.
group should be put upon Q low pedestal---a nat
ural boulder, maybe-and foliage should be 50
arranged about us to conceal the front view and
give. prominence to the sidev1sws >. If / recall
the matter correctly, 1t lis the front view that
displays Minnehaha, who is! not well signed.
But the figure of Hiawatha is very much Better.
las to the features of Mr.. and Mrs. Hiawatia
not being altogether Indian, this should be re-
membered-that it is very difficult to say, what
the typical Indian features are. I've seen
even pictures OF gentlemen who looked Ike
fourteenth century Florentines. But nevertheless
they were born in wigwams. The artistic
trademark of Indian used to be Il a Roman
nose--made in Rome. Fjelde's Indians appear
considerably more realistic than Thomas Craw
ford's famous statue of The Indian Warrior
to which is given such prominence by the His.
torical society in New York. ss. -
NO. M1nnehaha creek wasn't rushing river
when 1 last saw 1T, although the Ftelde group
is supposed to recall Longfellow's mention OF
such a stream Neither would the late MI. Fl.
have played automobile for his WHEY, even on q
very wet occasion. had he been genuine Sioux
or Ojibway. But Fjelde illustrating Long
fellow, and the statuary is quite as aboriginal
the poem
member of the art commission expressed
much interest to-day in the criticism Of the
Fjelde group that was made by Mr.. Taft. But
the member said that the commission fclt con
strained to adhere to its previous conclusion
Among the objections to the group which we
regard unsurmountable," added the member
''is grave anatomical error. Had Hjawaths
actually tried to hold Mnnehaha in the position
in which he is represented, he would have
fallen fat upon his face-and bruised the lady