New-York tribune., 1908-12-16
ST. GAUDENS PRAISED
NOTED MEN PAY TRIBUTE.
The President and Three Amb0S-
sad0rs Sneak.

Washington. Dec. 15--Portrayfng Augustus St
Gaudens q great sculptor. whose works will
stand in the front among the masterpieces Of the
greatest times and the greatest peoples President
Roosevelt tonight at exhibition Of ST Gaudens's
works at the Corcoran Gallery of Art under the
auspices of the American Institute of Architects.
talked of that artist and his work The British.
French and Brazilian ambassadors and others also
made speeches. A large and representative gath
sring present
The President in touching briefly the larger
fests that made st. Gaudens famous. with word
as TO the varying achievements in the fields Of art.
literature and science in America, emphasized the
eculptors originality.
The President declared that all the world
ST Gaudens's dehtor. The great nations of n
tiouity. of the middle ages and of modem times
he said. were and great in each several case.
not only because OF the collective achievements Of
each people as whole. but because Of the Of
the achievements Of the Of special eninence.
and this whether they eEcelled in warcraft
craft as road makers cathedral builders,
Of letters. men of art Of science The field
or effort is almost lirntess. and pre-eminent
cess in part of it should especially priced by
the nation to which the achieving the success
belongs
Particularly should this be so with uz in
lea he continued We conquered a CONT
nent: have laced 1T with railways have
dotted # with cities. The twilight Of letters con-
tinues, but much is now being done in the field of
art"
In describing the gold coins whose recent issu-
awakened a q
criticism. the President declared that ST Gaudens
gave for the first time beautiful coinage. not
yet properly appreciated. but UP to which both the
official and the popular mind will in the END grow"
The President contended that the first few thou
sands Of these coins more beautiful than
coins since the days of the Greeks. and that fire.
quent comments on the bonnet of eagle plumes
the figure Liberty illustrate curousIy the
ceedingly conventional character of much of
criticism and the frequent inability to understand
originality until it has won its place"
The President said that the basis of most of the
criticism nonsense"
He characterized St CIaudens-s genius as having
that lofty insight which enabled TO grasp close
at hand in the present the beauty and majesty
which in most mems eyes are dimuled until dis
tance has softened the harsh angles and blotted
the trivial and the unlovely
The President called st. GaUdens's statue Of Will
lam Tecumseh Sherman extraordinary, wonderful
work Of art Taking UP each notable work. the
President expressed his views artistic value
and declared that the UneoualIed beauty of ancient
Greek figures of the form merely while
that Of St Gaudenss productions is of the spirit
within
N. Jusserand the French Ambassador. also paid
tribute the sculptor. The ambassador said this
Republic had many capitals and of them was
the Ecole des Beaux Arts of Paris Tc this CAPT
tai. he said. there came in 1857 young American.
who had worked until then cameo cutter in
New York-Augustus St. C7audens. From this point
the ambassador sketcned the sculptor's advance
ment- He said the example left by St Gaudens
was as tnperiShahle the story ne had told in
marble and bronze. And in all these works. he
said in closing. there is this characteristic
sincerity. this love the best, this impression
of life If some Of hts blood had been mixed with
the clay
Joaquin Nabuco the Brazilian Ambassador. said
he could well understand why American genius
ever dreamed Of another immortality than that
which his country could assure to his name
But like science" continued the ambassador, art
is one and a name to live forever in art con
ouer the world. I believe St. Gaudens will live
forever, and that his conquest has already begun.
The ambassador declared that St Gaudenss statue
of Sherman was of the most inspiring sym
hols Of triumph that art had ever conceived.
James Bryce. the British Ambassador. declared
that St Gaudens would live of the artistic
glories Of this country by his imaginative ability.
Whatever share of the honor of having pro-
duced this great artist may be due TO Ireland"
said the ambassador. I am bound TO claim, be
cause Ireland. which, considering how small a
country ii is has given birth unusually large
number of persons distinguished in literature and
science as well in the public life OF the British
Isles and America cannot claim many names
famous either in painting in sculpture. The
cor,7rination of these three kinds OF excellence
truth to nature. beauty. tmaginaton<is nothing
less than perfection Any one of them possessed
in a high measure constitutes greatness St eau
dens had all three but. as It seems to me. shone
esnecislIy by his imaginative power
ln7hassa dor Takahirs- of Japan also spoke Sec
retarv Root presided.