Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-03
CThe End.)
ART NOTES..

l
Senator Wetmore and Gen. Ruggles. acting
visory committee, rejected all the models
| entered in competition for the proposed
| monument. account of their lack of In
| dIvidualtty and specific merit, and deter
| mined to award Independently the commits
| sion to some non-competing sculptor of es-
| tablished reputation, considerable comment
| was evoked but. when a month later. the
| work was placed in the hands of Mr.. Fred
| eiick MacMonnies, the sculptor of the CEN
| trail pair of bronze doors at the Library OF
| Congress, Of the figure of Shakespeare in
the main reading room, and of the famous
Bdcchante in the Metropolitan Museum,
| general satisfaction was expressed and the
| belief that an era of better public art was
| at hand prevailed. Uncommon interest is,
| therefore, attached to the series of drawings
| setting forth in graphic form Mr.. MacMon-
| MES design for the Mcclellan monument,
| which sent by the sculptor to the War
| Department last week and is now in the
Secretary's office awaiting the judgment of
| tie statue commission. These are three in
number and exhibit in turn the front and
side views of the proposed statue. They
represent Gen. Mcclellan sitting somewhat
nonchalantly upon the back of conven-
tional war horse. His body is turned slight
Iy to side; in his left hand he holds the
reins and in his right. which rests lightly
upon his hip, is his SLOUGH hat
The steed is represented in arrested mo-
ton with neck sharply curved, head drawn
down and back toward his breast and one
forefoot gracefully raised from the ground
traditional. improbab BILE. but still statuesque.
The lines of the pedestal are simple and
good. On the slightly rounded front is the
inscription and on the fiat sides orna-
mental devices composed of symbolical OBJ
jects appear. At the four corners of the
base are bronze eagles resting upon gran
lite spheres or cannon balls. which hold in
turn the ends of Ieavy, bronze, laurel gar
lands, gracefully fest0oned.
BY this arrangement the design grows
heavier as 1t deScendS and exhibits an up
building in diminishing ratio. Theoretical
ly this Is correct and should prove admir-
able, but in this instance it seems to en-
phasize the diminutive proportion of the
man whom ii would memorabilia. Mr.. Mac
Monies has apparently seen in General
Mcclellan man of winning disposition and
of strategic power. lacking decision of char
acter and physical attachments, and
though he may be historically correct the
impression is one of regret that the less i'm
posing facts should have been brought into
pl omnence. 1t may he said with some
truth that no work of sculpture can be
judged adequately from a wash drawing,
and it is possible that this objection would
not be evident in even a plaster model, but
it must be remembered that the sculptor
has had not less than year in which to
prepare these drawings and that they have
been voluntarily submitted for the judg
ment of the statue commission. Turning
d
work of art 1t will be found most interest
ing. There is In it the same clear-cut mod
cling and terse feeling which chara cterizes
Mr.. MacMonnies' most notable sculpture;
its outlines are strong and significant and
its massing good; and should the statue
finally be executed in the same manner 1t
will unquestionably prove a worthy addition
to the nations public monuments.
x
A nice point of art law has been brought
to the attention of the New York public
recently by the refusal of the trustees of
the Metropolitan Museum to fulfil their
contract to Sgnor Ernest Biondi, an Ital-
ian sculptor, to exhibit for a year his group
of the ''Saturnalia." on account of its sub
jectfye improperly. For this breach of
contract Signor Biondi has entered a dam
age suit for 100000, and for the past fort
night discussion has been rife concerning
the merits of the case. The group in ques-
ton represents with vivid realism a scene
of debauchery ruthessly interrupted by the
appearance of death. Some say that it is
intended moral lesson; others that it
has no Interior motive. but all are appar-
entity agreed upon two points-that it is
skilfully wrought and disgusting in effect.
The friends of the sculptor contend that
art has nothing 10 do with morals, that it
is, as RuSkin has said, "a language" capa-
bic of expressing both the pad and the
good, whereas those who sympathiZe with
the museum take the ground that art can
only be uplifting. that it is subjective as
well as technical. To an extent both are
right: art Is medium of expression
through which may be handed down" both
facts and feelings ii is both an Intangible
force and definite means for conveying
thought which admits of more or less skill
full manipulation. 1t is possible for 1t to set
a he had h,,f
highest function is to uplift, and when ii
stoops to degrade it must of necessity desc
crate itself. 1t may sometimes be whole
some to tell ugly truths, but to outrage
public sentiment by the exhibition of vul-
garity, or coarseness, for the mere purpose
of exhibiting individual ability, or even I'M
usually skillful achievement. should not and
will not. by thoughtful people, be considers
ed, to say the least, profitable.
There is one avenue of thought which
this discussion has opened up which may
prove fruitful-it has exposed the genu-
inc poverty of our public museums in the
line of sculptural attainment. That in art
Americas greatest progress has been
made in the department of SCULPTURE is
generally acknowledged, yet CHANGING
round the collection of marbles and
bronzes in the Metropolitan Museums
collection one finds less worthy works
IF
one hand and examining the PennsvI
Vania Academy's possessions the note-
worthy examples make up an eve,
smaller company. That this should he is
wrong as well as amazing, and laws es-
Peciaily upon such an occasion as the
present, the authorities open to criticism
both at home and abroad.
In notable modern paintings the pennsvI
vania Academy of the Fine Arts is spe-
cialiy rieh having obtained year by year.
through the Temple fund alone, the strong
est canVases shown in the annual exnfb,
tons. To the collection thus got together.
and that larger one gradually amassed by
purchase and bequest since the founding or
the academy, ninety-n!ne years ago. is now
added. for the interest of the summer WIS.,
itor. collection loaned by Mr.. Shemm OF
Philadelphia. Like all private collections.
the merit of the individual canvases which
compose 1t Is uneven. showing in some in
stances the predomnance of personal taste
over personal judgment. but as q whole II