The National tribune., 1903-06-18
Statue Of On. Mcclellan.

In 1901 Congress passed a joint resolu-
ton to erect in the City Of Washington
a statue to Gen., George B. Mcclellan,
the cost not to exceed 100000. Artists
have been at workcupon models ever since,
but nothing perfectly satisfactory has yet
been presented. Ssi
The Advisory Committee, consisting of
Augustus st. Gaudens, Daniel G. French
and Charles +. McIkim, are now ready to
report to the Commission proper, which is
composed of Eihu Root. Secretary of
War; Senator George p. Wetmore, and
Gen. George d. Ruggles. Senator Wet
more represents the Joint Committee of
the two Houses of Congress on the Ii
brary, and Gen. Ruggles. Chairman of the
Commission, the Society Of the Army OF
the Potomac The report of the Advisory
Committee will be submitted to the COM
mission in the office of the Secretary of
War.
Mr.. Charles Henry Niehaus, of New
York, has been chosen as the sculptor by
the Advisory Committee. and the place
Building viii probably he selected. The
statue will have as its nearest neighbors
the White House stables and outbuildings
The statue which Niehaus has desig-
mated represents Little Mac" on his
horse, which has its head down, apparent
ly paving the earth The description Of
the statue as given by the artist recites
that he has followed the Greek precedent
and school" very carefully. 1t is a pity
he had not chosen, instead, to model his
horse after one of our own splendid speci-
mems of horse flesh. Our cavalrymen do
not ride the great, big, beefy beasts the
Greeks had to roll their chariots along.
and. Furthermore, we have found that
while the Greeks had the wonderful art
which made all tlieir statuary creations
of beauty, they are a long way off from
most the only living artist who gives the
horse natural lines and makes him instinct
with life. Washington is loaded up with
"men on horseback whose mounts are all
but impossible to a cavalryman, and now
We have to have another of the same
school" The horse which Gen. George
H. Thomas bestrides, out in Thomas Cir
Gle, is the nearest fifelike representa-
tion of the noble American horses that Of
ficers ride, and yet this fine, highbred-look-
ing creature, which might almost step from
its pedestal instinct with life. so natural
is it, is criticized most severely by artist
sculptors, who say that it seems to be-
long to no School," but is in n new class
by itself. 1t might be well for some other
artists to get nearer to natures heart.
The style and dimensions of the McClel-
Ian monument have been prepared to COR
respond with the location. surrounded as
it will be by the State, War and Navy
Building on the month. the White House
on the east, and the Gorcoran Art Gallery
on the west. TheIength is 60 feet, with
a width of 212 feet.s The platform upon
which the seats rest is slightly above the
grades. The hight Of the
pedestal is 16 feet.d. The masonry in all its
parts will be low i0I'avoid obstruction of
view. The materialgis to be of granite, ac-
cOrding to the requirements.
Some Is sculptors have been competing
for the statue, and the whole first batch
presented was rejected by the committee.
They must have been very bad indeed.
Finally four were selected from the 1S, and
the sculptor, Niehaus, tod to get the best
points from each, FOR which the Commits
sion would pay, and he could then pro-
ceed to design another. This composite is
the result, Greek school and all. "