Evening star., 1907-11-10
Prize Contestants System Taints
Professional Work.
PLANS DRAWN IN A HAZE
Schemes Like That of Park Coumis-
sion's Mall Exotic Conceptions of
Ecole des Beaux Arts.


American architecture, is the sub
iect of an article in the November
issue OF the Architectural Record.
1t is written by J. Stewart Barney,
an architect of fame and expert
ence. who spent two years at the
school. His achievements give to
his judgments presunptive value,
and the opinions which he offers
are those OF a mature professional
man, differing essentially from the
impressions and prejudices OF en-
thusiastic young men recently out
of the student class.
Mr. Barney's opinions are of especial In
terest just now in Washington, since 1t Is
under the influence of French models.
methods and principles that the park
commissions plan for formal Mall, with
a hug bleak square. was made. Mr.. Bar
neys conclusions are that certain archi-
tacts saturated with French ideas and
holding only that as best which is French,
are introducing to this country a form Of
architecture which does not assimilate,
and that plans are made according to the
rules laid down to French students with
the chief end IN view of gaining the COW
eted ''prtx de Rome" which carries with
II residence in the Eternal city.
Portions of Mr.. Barney's article follow;
French Influence Strong.
1T Is we'll known in the agricultural
world that the strongest influence now
operating in the United States is that
OF the modern French school. The
force and consequence of this fact are not
appreciated or even understood by the
layman, as he casually observes the new
buildings that are going up all around
him. He notes, perhaps, If he is
European traveller, that they suggest
something foreign. If he is untraveled,
he may recognize that there is some
thing novel in the architecture of our
more recent buildings, something that
may even seem to him to be distinctly
fashionable: but what this element is be
does not stop to consider. He is not IN
position to recognize that the new thing
in American architecture Is the influence
of the 'Ecole des Beaux Arts
Were we tomorrow to import from
France their engineering and mechan-
ioal principles as applied to their rail-
roads. the vocabulary and methods OF
the management of the same. Or the
cumbersome machinery of their banking
system. how startled we should all be
by the event. how quickly would arise
inquiries from specialists, public and
press! But this thing has actually hap
pened in the domain OF architecture.
of inquiry is heard, hardly even does
any one care to discuss the significance
or the value of this extraordinary i'm
portation. Is this as 1t should be, and
were we to throw off this influence would
we. IN our untutored ana susceptible con-
dttion. indulge in other architectural ex-
cesses which would be even worse?
Should we not before we have allowed
this transpianted art to take 80 flrm
hold Of our people as to nip in the bud
or postpone Indefinitely any tendency to
develop national architecture, stop and
consider?
Teachings Do Not Apply.
Why have we adopted the teachings
of the modern French school7 Why
have we ceased to consider the rnagnif-
cent French architecture Of the period
Immediately preceding the Renaissance
Why do we not study with more con-
tries, notably England and Germany?
And why do we allow our naturally
strong artistic instincts to be developed
along one line only? Has 1t been dem
onstrated to our entire satisfaction that
the Ecole des Beaux Arts, with it's
theories. its atehers and its Grand Prix,
is the only school in which to train our
young men? Is the influence Of the
modern French school the best for the
future architect Of America?
The purpose of this paper Is to sug
gest that. perhaps. the theories and
teachings of the Ecole des Beaux Arts
do not apply to our modern requirements.
l do not for one moment question that
they are necessary for the French art
student in preparation for his one aim
and object in life. namely. the Grand
Prix de Rome. No one denies that he, by
the winning of this great distinction, has
proven that he is a thorough master of
all the scholastic theories. and is pre-
pared to teach others, whose only object
in life Is in their turn to repeat this per
formance. With the American student
the position is entirely different His
Ecole reputation does him no good dn
what It is based upon and how 1t was
made. There have been 80 many young
Americans who have had the reputation
of winning the Grand Prix de Rome, a
prize which is open only to Frenchmen.
that we have become skeptical. demand
ing American achievements rather than
an 'Ecole reputation.
"Reason and Nonsense"
1T is to be regretted that we have not
In this country the atmosphere of the
universal appreciation Of art which gives
to the American student in Paris new in
terest and encouragement. but before he
can derive real benefits from his sur
roundngs he must be able to distinguish
clearly R2d distinctly between true thought
and raving. reason and nonsense, convic-
ton and pose. He must be able to dis
abuse his mind of the idea that in his
work in Paris he is preparing himself
for his work In America. He should real
ize from the start that he is there to
| study the French method of thought
| which applies only to French conditions,
otherwise he will have difficulty in throw
| ing off the French influence. which 1t is
| absolutely necessary for him to do before
| he can begin serious work here. Unless
! he possesses great strength Of character
| or previous training, surrounded by the
| atmosphere that produces the future
| Iogist he is unable to distinguish be-
| tween the good and the bad as applied to
the Grand Prix. which may or may not
be good as applied to the problems of
| actual practice. It is admitted by the
| strongest advocates of the French teach
| ing that there are dreanrers in the Quar-
| tier Latin, and that their wild dreams
are sometimes so cleverly put that they
have great influence on the weee2.
| Haphazard Planning.
Il think I am right in saying that the
students Of the 'Ecole des Beaux Arts il