New-York tribune., 1910-05-26
ART EXHIBITIONS
The Competition for the Robert
Fulton Monument.

-rG
5-.u-inss submitted in competition for the
.-.at water gate which * is proposed to
s-sct On the Hudson River at fsth street
., memory Of Robert Fulton. All of the
.,,-ee large galleries are filed, for the idea
h.e been 10 show not only The prize win
,,nr designs. but Shose,s much larger in
-,,.,her. which were sen. in during the first
r-see OF the competition. There were more
.tsr -hreescore OF these original COM
-;.o-s Ten were then chosen from among
,,s-n and out of their rivalry were devel-
,,e6 the final contributions made TO an IN
,.nselv interesting problem. The accepted
s.sirn nv Mr H Van Buren Magonigie
,qse reproduoed in The Tribune last Sun
5sx along with the second end third prize
winners planned. respectively, by Mr. Rob-
-, p Bellows and Mr.. Charles p Hunt
iuE-on L was suggestive TO compare these
sirerent productions. but il is, Of course,
---7en more interesting 10 survey the consid-
shle mass of work shown in the present
sxhihition II this invites reflection upon
a,s srecifc monument or another Il also
cots the observer to thinking on the whole
question Of monumental architecture.
The programme adopted for this tribute
., Fulton had a certain fine simplicity
eho,,t il On an admirable site by the water
eide fhe designer was required TO place the
,r,.eutor's tomb. and while II was necessary
N prozide in relation TO this museum
snd z hall for public ceremonies there
were no other needs 30 be satisfied of
nature ct all complicated. Between the
tomb. dominating the whole. and the requi-
site landing stages below the architect had
few lItilitarian matters to consider. but
qor,d give his Imagination free play, ex-
-o- less than ideas of grandiose decoration
II is amusing 10 speculate as to the mood
IN which this or that competitor approached
his rgsk-anausing because II is not by any
means plain that the subject was always
s+-acked with q sense of its organic char
,cter. Indeed. among the many drawings
s-st submitted there are some conveying
N. impression that their makers had but
superhcial consciousness of their oppor-
-prirv and moved tneffectively about in q
u-o-ld not realized. One design will sug-
gesr kind OF fretful Monte Carlo and
. another some ephemeral exposition, very
ricruresdue and gay. but IN no wise sig
rifcarr IF e majestic memorial TO famous
nan Light heartedly dome or shaft is
erected upon a lofty plateau and beneath II
there IS flung a prodigious frou-frou Of
stsircases. perapets and what not. Loom
N more or less obscurely through the
relter Of masonry set forth in this coliec-
nor are divers Of the great architectural
motives of antiquity. with here and there
z hint Of the Renaissance. and everywhere
sisns q the potent influence Of the Ecole
des Beaux-Arts. II is all very clever and
entertaining and very much worth seeing,
but Candidlv It is only when We approach
the prize winners sifted from the lot that
z-e are really impressed-and then II is a
u case Of Eclipse first and the rest nowhere.
Il Is NOT that Mr.. Bellows, for example,
hss failed TO produce creditable design.
On the contrary, he and those Of mis- com
rades who all but secured the highest
honor command warm sympathy for their
extremely accomplished work. There is
something very handsome about the open
1ssign Of Nr- Bellows, with its central
episode Of the tomb 1anked by classical
pavilions and framed below on the water
lsvel within TWO stark pillars. In this in
srsnce q splendidly spacious plan is han
died alike with dignity and with lghtness
p q f-touch- ia. Bellows like Mr.. Magonigle,
leavss far n the distance those competitors
who sought 10 solve their problem with one
eve on z classical encyclopedia and the
0fher On an operatic stage setting. In the
absence If the winning design one might
be sor@ly tempted to plump for Mr.. Bel
lows But 70 turn back to his work from
Nr. Msgonigle's is TO feel very dubious as
10 whether an open scheme could in any
ease have been made quite satisfactory. Il
may ne skilfully balanced and even charm
ing as in this instance. but II risks land
ing the V-hole memorial idea in rather
miscellaneous state. We have alluded TO
Nj BeIlows's tomb as an episode. His
scheme throughout is episodical. No doubt
f. hangs together very well on paper,
bur executed i woul4 pretty certainly
seem loose. diffused and wanting in true
monumental weight. Perhaps with other
and more architectural surroundings, with
background clearly linked 10 il. il would
Esin IN conference. and thereby in charae-
Ter. bur with the surroundings that belong
10 Riverside Drive it's success would be
doubtful
The virtue Of Mr. Magonigle's design lies
N unity that is instantly obvious, but
not. bv the same token, commonplace. We
trace the beauty Of his gigantic staircase,
surmounted by a peristyIe sheltering the
tomb a. its centre and terminated by wings
forming a reception building and mu-
seum. through his having tackled his
tproblem frOm the inside, So TO say, and
= 1aty Il IS interesting to note how each
member OF the scheme fulfls its function
tho Yet remains part Of the whole The
llers which form the outer gate are prac-
-fieahle recreation piers, and they are de-
hsnuully decorative into the bargain The
staircase rises superbly from between these
tWo structures. and the columnar edifce at
me top, beautiful in itself and with proper
ions perfectly adjusted TO the heroic base.
gives one a curious sense OF fitness. We
are struck. too by the felicity of this de-
sign IN one aspect which most Of the COM
peclo7s seem completely TO have neglected.
II Is quite true that a water gate should
fut its best foot foremost, as il were, on
ne water side. but II is also 10 be remem-
nened that We do not have marine pageants
every day and il was important 10 avoi0
- Tar as possible. in the Fulton memorial,
scnene only 10 be appreciated from the
Ifer and with its back turned somewhat
AleKpressively TO the city Mr.. Bellows, in
Hs open plan, easily enough escaped this
oahger, but Mrs Magonigle did more than
escape IL, he preserved the homogeneity OF
MS structure and made il one TO be admired
Hom the land side as well as from the
s3ase from the drawings. IL is TO be sur
HAse1 that the spectator could look al 1t
"a, rom the Rest without going out upon the
"ste and still get e perfectly natural and
- vel balanced ay5.arv Of la