The Irish standard., 1908-07-11
STATUE OF DULUTH
Bishop MeGolrick Favors M. Roein,
Famous French Artist

All. Rodln, whose name has been men-
toned as the artist to whom the con-
mission of giving Duluth bronze
statue of Greysolon Du Lhut should
be intrusted. has found an ardent adj
vocate in Bishop James McGolrci.,
says the Duluth News Tribune
The bishop is great admirer Of NJ
Robins work. and has taken occasi IN
to urge the desirability of giving him
the commission for the proposed stu.
ue Of the soldier and explorer after
whom Duluth is named.
Bishop McGolrck has the followin.
to say of the artist and his works and
reputation:
The studio of Nj. Rodin on the
slopes of Mendon is the center of at
traction for all who love art. from tic
king to the beggar. The great master.
who is now the Michael Angelo of the
twentieth century, has been honorod
by visit from King Edward VII of
England. and the artist has in return
honored his royal visitor.
Once upon time the voice of crit
icism. severe and savage. stunned TIC
ears of the great sculptor, but with
wonderful patience he worked onward
and upward until the art world laid
its laurels at his feet and his name
hecan,a honcaho15 ,rord
Hosts of writer's now discuss tie
value of his creations.
One writer in The Queen tells his
story with charming brevity: Ro lin
is a native of Paris. His first master
was the sculptor Barge. Later he en-
tered the studio of Carrier -Belleuse,
not as the latter's pupil. but as his
assistant. 1t will be noted that his
artistic education did not comprise
the school, of which he has all his
life been an enemy. Rodin will have
nothing Of the academic and tho
'ecole, with their rewards and their
routine.
81 have never had any regular pu-
pills. said he, I have no Prix de Rome
to offer. All there was to be gained
with me was experience But it is
by hundreds that one may nowadays
count the artists and students VIII ,
frequent Robins studio for a word Of
his highly priced counsel
"Rodins first salon exhibit in 1854
tention of Alphonse LcGros and differ
ent critics Nevertheless, the young
sculptor did not find the road to Sue
cess an easy one. and from 1865 to
1871 he sought for better luck il,
Brussels.
| 1T was at the end of this perioe:
that he produced remarkable work
entitled The Brazen Age representing
a man awakening. This is now class
ed with the statuary Of the ancient
Greeks, but at the time Of its first an
pearance it excited every imaginable
form of derision.
His beautiful figure OF st. John the
Baptist. shown In 1881. gave rise to
more absurd criticisms From 1881 to
1885 he exhibited busts of the painter.
Jean Paul Laurcns. the Sculptor 'alor,
Henri Becque, LeGros and Victor HUI
go.
"The Citizens of Calais was begun
about 1888, as also the Gate of Hell
At this time he was we'll started iii
his astounding monument to Vict e
Hugo, ordered for the Pantheon. In
1895 his Incompatible Citizens Of Ca
lais' was erected In that town, while
mis- monument to Victor Hugo was ny
hibited at the salon. Three years lat
er he again excited the vulgar deris-
ion of the public with his statue Of
Balzac. one of the most grandly syr-
thetical Of all his grand works. a mas
terpiece of character. In 1900 all his
principal statues were grouped to-
gether and placed on view in special
pavilion at the Paris exhibition.
But even this was not the crown
ing event of his career, for in 1904 Il
public subscription was raised to buy
his statue lie Penseur.' for the tow 7
Of Paris, with the result that it nov
figures on the steps Of the Pantheon,
the site chosen for 1t by Rodin hir,-
self
What noble work of art it Isl!
What expressions in the countenance
and in every limb and pose Of the fig
ure!
This is the great artist who is anx-
ious to give as one Of the last works
OF his life artistic expression to the
figure Of Greysolon Du Lhut, noble
subject for his chisei.
"Can we not enlist the co-operat ion
Of all our people in worthy project
All the more because Rodin himself
so heartily apprOves of the proiect