The Washington herald., 1911-12-24

The inauguration or the magnificent
marble groups by the American sculp-
tor, George Grey Barnard once a pupil
Of our National EcoIe des Beaux Arts,
took place yesterday at Harrisburg, Pa,
in the United States.
Divided into two parallel groups, COM
rrising thirty colossal figures the artist
with an astounding height of inspiration.
a prodigious nobleness of accent, and
an admirable conscience, has symbolized
on one side the destructive passions
which lead to the downfall of man; on
the other, the love of work, the instinct
of solidarity and the family joys, which
elevate.
Groups at Harrisburg.
These groups which now crown the
steps of the main entrance to the legis-
lative mansion of Pennsylvania. were
exhibited in Paris at the Salon des Ar
tistes Franchises in 1910.
The sensation produced on our scuIp-
tors was the more profound because the
artist comes from a country which up to
the present day has aspired to nothing
beyond the decorative in sculpture
Hitherto no American has dared to at
tempt conceptions Of such grandeur.
where the expressive note SO predomi-
mates, and by an extraordinary chance
IS the stroke Uf the master American
sculpture in this work has taken most
unexpected fight and imposes itself upon
the attention and consideration of the
Old World by its unprecedented original
ity.
Now that the sculptor has received
definite and lasting success. has been
promoted to the rank of first of his
school, and glory opens wide her pOr-
tails to him, it is Il pleasure for one of
those who encOUra ged Barnard at the
beginning Of his career who has fol-
lowed him in the evolution of his art
and seen him rise little by little, from
an ardent imtator of the style of
Michael Angelo to d personal conccp-
tion of his art, il is a pleasure. | say.
to rCtracc the If Of this artist with
an ardent temperament 50 magnificentIy
endowed for great things.
Last year ! heard his history. 1t has
all the richness of ViCissitudC, all the
SAVIOR Of romance of adventure. and it
brings out in powerful relief all those
qualities Of 4 strong and determined will
which have made IL possible for poor
hoy. thrown in his earliest years upon
his own resources. to transform himself
into the renowned artist he has become
Today.
Is FOrty-fVe Years Old.
He was born about forty-ive years ago
in a little town of Western Pennsylvania
His father wa Presbyterian clergy
man, but so poorly paid that his son
early had to shift for himself When
he had attained the age of fifteen a tax
idermist in 4 neighboring town became
interested in tho lad and offered to take
him as IN apprentice with his own son.
Our apprentiC" was no sooner installed
I hgr0 q hpCq Cd ,r-itb
Of StuftinG and mounting little birds and
animals. He had the Sift of observation.
the instinct for natural ways and lust
true movements. Finding in dead. inert
masses the birds and little quadrupeds
that he had seen fitting and hopping
about, or that he had often surprised at
their daily occupations. the youth took
delight in restoring them to a semblance
of life
He went even further: his apprentice
ship terminated. he conceived the idea of
grouping tn" animals that he had stuff
ed, in groups piCturing their actions
while alive. He composed in this way
little dramas Of familiar scenes which
50 delighted his patron that he exhibited
them in his windows. and their success
was enhanced by the fact that young
barnard. fired by success frequently re-
arranged these groups. AS a result, they
We're soon purchased aud the young
workman, discouraged at being separated
50 soon from the work that had cost
linn so much labor. conceived the au-
daCious project of taking a copy of each
group for himself before putting II on
exhibition. Clay was not lacking in that
and he passed his evenings
in modelling. In a short time he became
so expert that from copying he turned
10 creating. and he modelled I'm terra cot
Ia groups which We're no less popular
than the natural groups.
He was allowed to sell these on his
own account and before long he had
saved enough 10 enable him to go to
Chicago. the nearest large city. He had
determined by this time to make sculp- !
lure his lifework. but he realized that
The profession he had chosen was one
requiring much study. and this could be
had only at an art school
Behold. then. our apprentice walking !
the streets of Chicago. He did not know
a soul and the $40 he had i'm his pocket |
was very little. How and where should |
he live? II did not matter to him: he |
had confidence IN the future.
The JOY that seized him when for the /
first time he saw a collection Of molds |
taken from the antique cannot be eN- |