The Washington herald., 1908-08-23

cuiries about t. 7 was told that the
statue had been condemned as inartistic
and removed somewhere around 1887. and
that the President Of VenezUela had prom
ised 10 give Us another and finer statue 70
replace il
second Attempt n Failure.
I understand that by order OF the Ven
ezueIan government a new statue was
made by a New York sculptor in the same
year. Our National Sculpture Society, for
whose approval the new statue was sub
mitted. refused 10 approve Of the second
attempt. declaring II 20 be inartistic- al
though an Improvement on the first
statue
This second statue, therefore. never was
presented 10 the city The sculptor died
two years afJerward. and It was said that
% grief and chagrin over the rejection Of
his work
since that day don't believe anything
more has been said or zone about the
matter It seems 10 have been entirely
forgotten Whether Venezuela still con-
siders that she owes Us a statue to go on
that pedestal. or whether she has grown
weary Of trying 10 introduce Bolivar into
New York. I cont know. Perhaps some
a
sented 20 the city I guess We Will have
10 keep that pedestal on hand until that
day arrives"
From other sources the following facts
concerning the history Of the Bolivar
statue were learned
In 1883 the government OF Venezuela,
desiring 10 honor their great hbsrator,
caused an equestrian statue 20 be done
IN his honor. and sent II 70 New York
because il was the Empire CIE Of the
land IN which the Intrepid Bolivar had
first conceived his plans for the liberation
Of his own country
A Subject of RIdicuIe-
When the statue arrived II was deter
mined. after much red tape had been
gone through with. TO place It in Central
Park. but when the park commissioners
caught sight OF the huge figure on horse
back they were amazed. and found Il diff
cult 10 restrain their laughter. for. IN
their opinion. the figure was absurdly IN
artistic.
The big bronze horse, according TO one
Of the commissioners. was a most Won
drous creature. and seemed 10 be largely
a matter Of mouth. gUups, and varicose
veins" It's rider, the great Bolivar, was
made to present a most ludicrOus figure,
and held his sword at an angle which
was joke to every swOrdsman who
saw It
The park commissioners hesitated TO
put such an unsightiy statue in the beau
tiful park. but after consultation with
other officials It was decided that, out OF
courtesy to Venezuela. room must be
found for il The park commissioners
were crafty enough, however, 20 relegats
il to the knoll near Eighty-third street
which, il those days. was even a more
obscure and forlorn spot than IL is to-day.
For a long time the equestrian statue
Of Bolivar stood there, criticised and
scorned by all who saw It. II IS said that
ingenious nUrsemaids used 10 take their
youthful charges 10 the statue and scare
them into obedience by pointing TO the
vast distended jaws OF the ferocious-
looking steed-
One day some one made the discovery
that the LiberatoT's Upraised sword was
so big that Il would have been q physical
impossibility 10 replace It in its scabbard
After that the criticisms Of the figure IN
the park grew 70 such an extent that they
at length reached the ears Of President
Crespo. Of Venezuela He was chagrined
and Inundated and determined that this
Offending statue must be removed at once
and a fitting and irreproachable monu-
ment 70 his great countryman put in its
place
He sent for Giovanni Turini, New
York sculptor, and commissioned him to
begin work on z new statue Of Bolivar
on horseback at q cost Of S25.010.
At the State Department at Washington
IS q letter On file. written by the Ven
ezuelan Minister 10 Richard Olney. Sec
retary of State, reading:
I am requested 70 say that the gov
eminent Of Venezuela realizes the fact
that the present statue Of Bolivar in Cen
tral Park. New York. is one not at all
orator. and It is the intention Of the gov
eminent to replace It with a more suitable
figure"
But alas this promise was not fulfilled
although not through any. fault Of our
sister republic.
Turini began work industriously on his
new subject IN his studio on Staten
Island When It was finished he felt
proud OF his work. Tha Garibaldi statue.
in Washington Square, is an evidence of
his art; but nevertheless when the Ma
tional SulptUre Society viewed his work
at the request Of the Venezuelan govern
ment, In August. 1897. II condemned IL as
inartistic- Il declared that it was a great
Improvement over the original statue, but
nevertheless not quite good enough
Turini offered 10 prove that his work
was artistic He accused the National
Sculpture Society Of being q trust deter
mined to condemn the work Of all sculp-
tors outside Of its organization. For two
years he fought desperately with the So