The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-10-13
LOVES ART; WRECKS IT
Stone Angels Criticised, the
Sculptor Destroys Them
with His ChiseI.


New York, Oct fs.--Tho Angel Of
the Annunciation aud tho Aagel Of
the Resurrection. the two big figures
designed for the great Cathedral OF ST.
john the Divine. ever which the
church and art world have been at war
for the last week. are n ionger in ex.
istenco
Gutzon Borglum. the sculptor. who
designed and modelled them in the firm
belief that masculinity is foreign 70
the best conception Of angel depletion
went to Morningside Heights and de-
stroyed them. reducing to a scattered
mass OF debrio the figures Nach he
and other artists believed wsfe truth
ful. artistic, religious and poetic EN-.
bodiments Of the biblical ideas Of
angels
OF the sixty statues and part figures
that Mr.. Boglum has designed for
the Cathedral OF St John the Divine,
the two figures condemned by the
committee alone were all his own
both in conception and hsndiwork. The
sculptor could not remove them, and
rather than let the beloved Children of
his creation fan into other hands ne
destroyed them.
Since visiting clergyman raised the
cry OF alarm that he saw nothing but
the female sex in the angels in the
new cathedral. the question had been
studied seriously by committee. The
final decision was that the great choir
Of women angels might pass except for
the Angels of the Annuncation and OF
Resuri sction, which should represent
men because OF their respective names,
Gabriel and St. Michael.
YES, il is true that have broken
them to pieces said Mr. Borglum to-
dSy when seen at his studio. 1O6 East
Thirty-eighth street, THE whole dis.
cussion Is closed DR.. Huntington had
rendered TO me his final opinion that
the two angels in question should be
masculine, and if the work was to go
on his wish must be complied with.
Il went to the cathedral yesterday
and with chisel and mallet smash
ed the angels into bits Although I
have done nothing in the last year into
which have put more care and
bought. and although | felt like the
veriest vandal in thus completely
wrecking what / knew to be works of
beauty and power. | did 80 10 put
stop to useless discussion IND to pre-
vent any use being made OF the figures
other than had been intended original
lly"
on a mantelpiece over a fireplace in
the sculptor's studio lay a massive
hand holding lily--the only remain.
ing relic of the Angel OF the Annunci-
alton.
How will you 80 about replacing
the figures you have destroyed" he
was asked
II haven't the slightest idea, re
piled Mr. Borglum q have learned
absolutely nothing in this whole
pedantic discussion which throws the
slightest light on the SITUATION.
In making angels ! am perfectly
well aware of the fact and have been
for years. that these essentially femi-
nine properties breasts. rounjness of
figure and all the other things which
bring The idea cf sex uppermost
must be discarded or reduced 30 an
unnotlceable minimum In designing
and modelling I always have tried to
bring out the spiritual and repress the
sexual
Right here let me say hat I am
absolutely astounded that any clergy
man could stand in the presence Of
thirty or forty images Of purely re
ligious and spiritual character and see
nothing Ia them but sex And now
that the whole unpleasant matter
over / am just as sure as ever was
that the feminine side OF our race
must ever continue 10 be our chief
source OF artistic inspiration, and viii
SO remain. absolutely unaltered by all
dantic controversies