Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-17

!
planation that he wished the figure TO
Symbolic 1.-The acceptance. intellectually.
| of the inevitable Salnt-Gaudens lmme-
| diately became interested. and mace
| gesture indicating the pose which Mr..
| Adams words had suggested to his mind
No" said Mr. Adams, the way you're
doing that is .Penseroso.
Italian Boy His Model.
Thereupon the sculptor made several
! other gestures until one of them struck
Mr.. Adams as corresponding with his
idea. AS good luck would have 1t, he
would not wait for woman model to be
brought in and posed in accordance with
The gesture indicated by the sculptor,
Saint -Gaudens grabbed the Italian boy
who was mixing clay, put him into the
pose and draped Il blanket over him.
That very blanket, it may be stated here,
is on the statue, and forms the drapery
of the figure.
Vow that's DONE" said Mr.. Adams,
the pose is settled. Go TO La Fargo
about any original ideas of I<wannon. |
don't want 70 see the statue TIL II mn
isaed.'
All Mr. La Fargo did was to read sto
ries of Nwannon to Saint-Gaudens- The
artist considers it another piece of luck
that when two years later he and ms
friend Henry Adams started for the
south seas, the sculptor had not begun
the statue and had nothing but the
sketch. quickly made from the Italian
boy posed and draped in the blanket on
the day the commission was given. Hence
Saint Gaudens when he took up work on
the statue had no chance to ask ad-
vice. because both Mr.. Adams and MI
La Fargo We're away. Those who knew
Saint-GaudenS are aware that there was
about him a hesitation when work had
reached a certain stage of Development a
tendency to change and improve, until
finally the work may not have been as
good as at an earlier stage But the
Adams memorial appears to have been
carried straight to completion because
there was no one to comment or to con-
suit with. Accordingly this statue which
has puzzled the art world, represents
Just what Mr.. Adams requested 1t should,
/ the acceptance, intellectually. Of the
inevitable" 1t is kWannon OF the
western world.
| Questions have been asked as to the in
tended sex of the figure. It is draped like
a woman. yet it does not impress one al
together as the statue OF a woman. Thus
it meets the requirements of the evolu-
ton of kwannon from god to goddess
In expla lining to me how Saint-Gaudens'
unconsciously perhaps, attained TINS
rroblematic effect to sex, Mr.. La
Fargo made the interesting statement
that the sculptor modelled the figure from
the Italian boy.
A South Sea Kwannon.
/ OF course Mr.. La Farge mas Deen DuSy
on much other work since the idea for
his painting of Kwannon came to him
many years ago. He simply allowed the
idea to permeate, making many sketches,
putting them aside examining them
again and making new ones. Among his
South sea drawings is one Of a row of
dancers in seated pose. He happened
to show the drawing to his Japanese
friend Okakura. The Japanese pointed
to one of the dancers. THAT is kwan-
non,' he said: don't change it,
| That fixed the pose. But since then the
artist has executed some of his greatest
murals, and much of his finest work in
| stained glass. to say nothing of pictures
| in oils and water colors. For a single ex-
fbiton he finished as many as thirty-two
water color drawings from sketches and
| studies which he had already. started.
| Day after day for month before the
show his Japanese studio boy would bring
| him unfinished aquarelles. point to the
unfinished part and say. do edges" 1t
amused Mr.. La Fargo to submit He did
| the edges" and off went the thirty-two
| water colors to the exhibition. What a
| fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of
the studio of great artist!
The Waterfall Symbol.
Meanwhile. however, kwannon was
waiting. From few sketches the studies
grew to portfolio full: and then came