Evening star., 1903-07-18
ART NOTES

Genius of the American Ffople" which. it
has been suggested. sho->id most apprp-
priately be erected in Washington. Accord
ing to the design this nft1nN1ment is to take
the form of a tower. 80 feet high (nearly
three times the height 6f the present Wash
inEton monument. ana is to set forth in
its several stories various american ideas.
becoming in its entirety museum and an
expression of the genius of the present day.
the cost of which. 1t is reekoned. would be
about the same as the first-class battle
ships. Oddly enough, the author and de-
signer of this colossal American monument
scheme is not even an American by adop
ton. for though Prof. Despradelle is now a
member of the faculty Of the Boston Insti-
tute of Technology. he is Frenchman.
whose knowledge of English is said to still
be but rudimentary. In Paris he had at
tained high standing as an architect. and
was known one of the most promising
and brilliant of the younger BeauX Arts
men. Possibly the scheme may appeal to
popular fancy through its novelty and its
size but it would seem that a more digni'
fled and less SNOWY device could be found
to represent modern America to future
ages. The cultivat ton of civic pride and the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of all our cities will better
fulfill this purpose than any all single
monuments.
The French government has established a
shop in Paris for the sale of SevreS china,
where genuine specimens from the famous
factory can be purchased at comparatively
reasonable prices Here also may be OBJ
tanned at nominal cost rarely beautiful en-
cravings of paintings in the Louvre, medals
from the government mint and casts of
statuary from the great museums The
tail merchants who have in the past been
obtained for these same goods have strong
ly protested against the opening of the
shop, but the government has disreSarded
them, averring that it has opened this in
teresting shop for the sole purpose of max
ing certain purely artistic objects more
ceSSible to those that know and care for
them.' and that ''as It's line of goods is
very limited no great harm can result to
retail dealers"
The state capitol commission of Mime
sofa has under consideration a suggestion
made by General James H Baker for a
large mural painting to be placed in the new
capitol, which shall represent the signing
of the treaty with the Indians at Traverse
des Sioux in 1871. Frank Blackwell Mayer.
an artist of some ability. WAS present at
this meeting, and the sketches which he
made al the time are now in the possession
of the State Historical Society In speaking
of this suggestion General Baker is report
ed to have said: 4 think that | fairly voice
the sentiment of the people of our state
when say that want no Greek or Ro-
man antiques. however classic. no dancing
Eymphs goddesSes on the walls of the
capitol The desire is to have our own
local history illustrated. our own heroes,
our own barbarians, own lakes and
rivers.
X X
Chicago. too, it would seem. had been
experiencing some of this same kind of
patriotism, in as much as 1t has been
suggested that In the projected new art
museum a separate gallery be set apart
for the work of each state. Perhaps, how
ever. this will not seem so absurd a CEN
tury hence.
At Richmond. Ind. q town in Wayne
county Of about 5000 inhabitants. quite
an important exhibition of paintings by
western and seaboard artists has recently
been held Among the latter were Chase.
Coffin. Melville Dewey. Will S. Robinson,
Mrs. Louise Cox George Inness. jr.. and
Ranger. all Of whom We're said to have
been admirably represented. d. e. Reid
of New York donates $500 annually to this
exhibition for the purchase of picture.
and this year The Duet by Henry Mos
leI, "dS llIuS
x
In an old colonial house at Williams
bridge, on the Bronx river within few
minutes ride from New York an inter
esting work is in progress. 1t is there that
the Gobelin tapestries, costing a moderate
fortune, being woven for the palatial
residence which Charles Schwab Is build
ing on Riverside drive, in New York. The
work is carried on by a small colony of
French people under the direction of a
man named FousSadier, former master
workman of the Royal Window Tapestry
Works. in England. and is said to be one
of the most unique art industries In this
country. The dyeing. spinning and weav-
ing are all done in the old building,
and the tapestries, when completed, com
pare more than favoraDly with those made
abroad. Every particle of the work of
weaving is done by hand and the purchase
price ranges from 500 to $50 a square
yard.
The Mckinley monument for Springfield
Mass, which is to be by Philip Martiny
(n-ho recently executed all the statuary Tor
the upper story of the New York hall of
records is to be somewhat a departure
from the usual order of portrait memorials.
1t will consist of bust of the martyred
President four and Il half feet i'll height, set
a twevefoot destal-hcfore which NIil
stand an alegoriCal figure representing
Fame. 1t VIII not be unveiled until March
OF next year.
f. Wellington Ruchstuhl, the sculptor OF
the spirit of the Confederacy," which was
unveiled in Baltimore last spring. has been
commissioned TO execute confederate
monument for Little Rock, Ark. The de-
sign shows a globe set on high pedestal
of blue granite, on which an heroic figure OF
Fame Is standing. In one hand she holds Il
trumpet and in the other wreath of I'M
the pedestal a bronze figure of a confnd-
crate colorbearer will be placed. The Work
IS to be completed in eighteen months. ard
the sum for it's purchase and erection has
been contributed by private citizens and the
state legislature.
Violent protest has been made by several
hundred French artists against new rail
road which. projected. will pass through
the Fontainbleau forest. An urgent petI
ton against the desecration of this modern
invasion of these sacred precincts has been
sent in to the minister OF public works.