The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-08-08


not descend so low Some critics
have believed that Donoghuc com
promised his talent in his we'll known
statue of The Boxer. The statue
dates from 1885, when John l.. Sulli-
van gave several sittings to the sculp-
tor. The Boxer is said to represent
a reaction of the artists mind from
it's high ideals-in Il word, Il conces-
sion to popular taste. The treatment
is said to be strong but brutal i'll that
he represents an animal and nothing
more. General opinion, however, it
is safe to say, will side with the
sculptor. Even granting that the
statue is a concession, it is far from
being surrender. In short, it is only
because Donoghue's work is of such
rare distinction as a whole that the
comparison is possible. Incidentally
an amusing story has been told Of
Sullivan in the role of artists model.
According to Donoghue, Sullivan
posed faithfully day after day, but he
was as stold as an Indian, and the
sculptor could not get a word from
him. One day, when the work was
about done, Donoghue asked the
fighter:-"What do you think of it?'
Good" said Sullivan, and that was
all.
Next day the same question was
put to him. II like it first rate" said
Sullivan. Now, suppose you'll get
$500 or $500 for this when it is
tinished?"
We'll, I'll be disappointed if
don't get $1,000 or $1,000 for it," said
Donoghue.
Three thousand.' repeated Sulli-
van, incredulously. We'll, if that's
so, all I've got to say is that some
people make their money easy" For
all his ability and despite his grow
ing popularity, Donoghue failed to
prosper. But he never capitulated.
He still refused to sink so low" as
to perform work against his best
judgment or in any respect to COM
promise his artistic conscience. Dis
appointment followed disappointment
A year ago still another opportunity
presented itself. full of promise. He
was invited to compete for the men,
orial to Mckinley to be erected in
Philadelphia. His friends urged him
to do so. He chose for his subject Il
figure typifying Protection standing in
front of the bust of Mckinley, and
set to work. The model was com
pleted and submitted. when it was
found that money appropriated for
the work would not be sufficient to
carry out so ambitious an idea. The
model was returned. This last dis
Persistent ill fortune seemed to close
every door During the last few
months Donoghuc made desperate eff
forts to dispose of his work, but with
out success. His last attempt was
the modelling of several classical
figures in miniature, which he tried in
vain to sell for few dollars each
Several artists who saw them pro-
no,lnceu them remarkable, yet no
market could be found anywhere. The
courage which had served Donoghue
SO faithfully for years was slowly
failing him. 10 the last friend who
saw him alive he said sadly:-"I have
tried everything" With so sensitive
Il genius and so fine a conscience
directed by so faulty business sense,
the end was not wholly unexpected.
In the few days before his death Don
oghue collected from his friends
photographs of his work, and these,
with all his papers, he destroyed. AT
ter removing, as he supposed, every
clew which would serve to identify
him, Donoghue went to Lake Whit
ney, where he spent the night wan
dering alone through the wood. In
the early morning he shot himself OH
the shores of the lake. A scrap of
paper in his pocket served by the
merest accident to identify him, and
he was brought to New York and
buried in Greenwood. A single friend
followed him to the grave. But why
suicide? 10 ordinary acquaintance,
friends of his later days, the inner
romance Of his life remained unrc-
vcaled. 1t is, however, known to one
or two that the passion to succeed, to
win a great fame, even to become
rich-though that was always SECONDS
ary-derivcd most of it's inspira ton
from beautiful woman. Sculptors
are not always romantic folk. Don
oghue as Il young man had had no
more than the usual love affairs of
the young. 1t was when he was mod
cling his gigantic figure in the baths
of Diocetan that a great passion
first entered his life. The lady was
a visitor in Rome, and the daughter
Of a wealthy American family of
French origin. She was tall and
stately and of Il very rich Southern
type of beauty. Although much
sought in marriage she was still sin.
gle at twenty-eight, when her eyes
first met those of the sculptor. II
cannot be affirmed by any of John
Donoghue's friends that the lady was
as deeply smitten as he was. She