Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-14
ARTISTS HARD 70 GET
State Capitol Commission Re.
turns From East With Valu-
able Information
DECORATION MUST BEGIN NOW
II Is Found Almost Impossible to Fig
ure on the Cost of Art Work for Cap
itoi Building and That When Artists
Are Engaged for Work They Must Be
Given Plenty Of Time.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
| Des Moines, Feb. 14.-President A. B.
Funk, of the state capitol commission,
who has just returned from an extend
| ed journey With Messrs. Cumming and
| Schoentgen, the other members of the
commission. in which they secured val
liable ideas in regard to their work OF
| completing and decorating the Iowa
state capitol, spent a few days in Des
Moines this week Mr.. Funk returned
/ from his journey full of new an dvalua-
BILE ideas in regard to public buildings.
/ On their journey east the commission
visited buildings in Chicago, Washing
ton, New York and Boston. They went
quietly and without any previous an
nouncement believing that in this way
| they would be better able to get at the
| information they desired. Consulta-
| tons We're had with architects and
artists and with contractors and manu-
ifacturers and with the trustees and
custodians of great public buildings
all with a view to securing the definite
knowledge of the subject necessary to
| rightly engage in the work of making
the Iowa capitol perfect.
I'VE were most impressed with the
buildings in Boston said Mr.. Funk,
THE new capitol building for Massa-
chusetts and the Boston public library
were worth going to see. The new cap
| itol is built Immediately in the rear of
the old capitol, leaving the old one as
the front of the new capitol, and Mass
achusetts has put $5,000000 into the
building. The Boston public library is
a grand thing. l was most impressed
with the magnificent picture contained
therein, Abbey's Quest of the Holy
Grail beautiful categorical picture.
Sargent was there making some addi-
lions to his magnificent art work in the
library building. In Washington the
work in the new library building most
attracted our attention. Some OF the
mosaics and decorations are magnifi-
cent was greatly impressed with the
fine work of Frederick Deilmann, OF
New York. in that building. In New
York we found that Deilmann is good
deal of a man. He is at the head OF the
Municipal Art League. which has con-
troll of all the public works of the city,
or rather to which must be submitted
all public works for approval as to their
artistic features. He is also a member
OF many clubs and stands high in all
otv " Va rhf oi 81
information from him.
"One thing we learned on the trip
was that it is almost impossible to fig
ure on the cost of the art work. We
tried to find out how much the art work
is costing in the Boston public library.
but those who may know were reticent
about it, For instance, we asked in re-
gard to the cost of the great painting
by Sargent We could not find out. We
were told that some .rumors had 1t that
a fabulous price had been paid the art
ist, and another that the library board
secured it for a very small sum be-
cause it would be such an honor to the
artist. We consulted with artists and
found it impossible to get estimates OF
the exact cost of the paintings we re-
quire We can figure to a nicely on
mechanical work and on anything In
the way of building; not so, however
with art work. We asked artists If they
thought we could secure preliminary
drawings of sketches for the main pam
els, even If we should pay artists for
them. whether used or not. They shook
their heads. What the artists want is
that an order shall be placed and the
artist be given time to work out his
ithougflt.
"Of this we have become convinced"
continued Mr.. Funk, that we must not
longer delay preparations for the dec
| grafton of the capitol. Such artists as
Abbey and Sargent are out of the ques-
ton. They tell us frankly that they
will not consider any proposition; that
they have, in fact, sufficient work on
hand to last the rest of their natural
Lives. We do not know whether the sum
we have set apart for art work will
cover the expense. and if we are to
get this work completed in the time al
lotted we must begin soon, for artists
want time for their work.
CAS- to the character of the art work
and decoration, all the artists and all
Others with whom we came in contact,
advised us against any attempt at So
called historical painting. They say
that the best and most satisfactory
work now is In allegorfcal painting.
They point with some justice to the
historical painting in the national cap
itol and compare 1t with the categorical
art work in the more modern buildings.
Most of the historical paintings are
failures as works of art. And so in this
respect we learned something valuable
to us in our work. On the whole we
were we'll pleased with our visit east to
the best public buildings of the coun-
try"
EDGAR w. KIRK MARRlEs.
Welded at Fort Dodge to Tutulu Duns-