New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-10
Mr.. ADBEYS ART
ApotheoSiS of Pennsylvania
Flight of the Hours.
London. August ..


hlbited on cramped walls Uttered with
miscellaneous work. Both Mr.. Abbey S
napels for the Capitol at Harrisburg and
Mr.. Sargents for the Boston Public
library have been sacrificed to environ
r,ent when seen at Burlington House.
These mastery compositions cannot be
adequately appreciated unless displayed
ny themselves on high walls, where the
color effects are in harmony and there is
f,u SPACE for decoration on a large
scale Mr. Abbey's completed canvases
Cor the House OF Representatives OF
pennsylvania, with a single exception,
can now be seen under proper conditions
=. sbepherd's Bush. When the legisla-
.o-s face the Speaker they will see above
the rostrum an allegory Of the rise and
.riun,ph Of the commonwealth; to left
nd right will be panels illustrating
"Penn's Treaty with the Indians" and
~rhs Signing Of the Declaration and
.boya their heads will be a circular CELL
a., nortraying the Flight Of the
t4or-s." All these works except THE
sign,nr Of the Declaration" are in the
- studio. and they are splendid ex-
srnles Of the modern art Of decoration.
The largest painting symbolizes the
"Anotheosis Of Pennsylvania" Two
crsv columns with gilded capitals carry
the snectator's eyes toward the sumptu-
ous temple. where the Genius Of State
e enthroned behind laurel under the
III clrN
Around the temple are grouped the
worthless who have helped TO shape the
destinies Of the commonwealth and to
crown IL with honor. Within closest
reacn are explorers and pioneers. such as
ST. Walter Raleigh. the first great Eng
Hshman 10 organize colonial settlements
end 20 point out the future of a world
conGuering race, Hudson who looked IN
a. Delaware Bay before anchoring of
Manhattan Island. sturdy Peter Minnlt'
who called from Gothenberg under the
suspices Of Oxenstiern and left the
Swedish flag over fort above the head
waters Of the Chesapeake. and the typi-
al scotch Irish scout with gun who
forced his way Westward along Indian
trails. Mr.. Abbey indicates religious i'm
pulses and vagaries as well as racial
origins Pennsylvania was a refuge not
ONLY for thrifty Quakers. but also for
victims Of persecution from many lands
md they are represented by group Il
dark fantastic figures like the Woman
of the wilderness"
From mixture Of races and religions
The aUegory passes in the second line Of
WORTHLESS from ships in stocks TO soldiers
Of the Revolution, signers Of the Dec
laration and men OF action, philosophy
and science Fiery Anthony Wayne
stands out with naked sword among the
tattered Continentals near by IS eau
lous John Dickinson. who fumbled over
the Declaration, but rendered eminent
Eervice TO the constitutional movement;
tsnlfed Thomas MacKean. one Of the
historic sisners and a famous jurist, is
further on. with Bishop White. the first
rrelate and Muhenberg, the German
lutheran pastor. who stripped off his
gown and put on a uniform when the
Revolution came on. Not far away IS
Dallas. in statesmanlike pose by virtue
Of his honors as Senator, Nice-President
End Minister 20 Great Britain, and
further along are Caspar Wistar sur
Eeor and scientist. in a gray coat; John
Fitch with a model Of the first engine
with which motive power was supplied
To- ekif on the Delaware; Oliver Evans
with his invention. an engine con-
s-rlctod for land carriage; David Rit-
iauhOuse. astronomer and philosopher
BENJAMIN Rush. one Of the slgners'
benevolent stephen Girard. in blue and
yellow. holding an orphan by the hand,
tnd. with hand raised 10 his mouth. ire
tressible Tom Paine. who shouldered
musket before Valley Forge and when
Vash.nct0n's troops were retreating
wrote an imprisoned appeal TO arms.
which revived the ardor Of disheartened
PATRIOTS
Tie central figure among these and
tler celebrities is William Penn. in
gray and red. and beside him are Benja-
min Franklin the states greatest citi-
zen. IN a blue robe. and Robert Morris,
the fnaucler Of the Revolution in red
md brown In the foreground on the
rieat are groups Of miners and iron and
steel workers. i'm a rudy glow Of fur
uace FIRES and in the opposite quarter
there are soldiers and sailors in blue.
with drummer boys in the first file. and
Generals Meade and Hancock mounted
- Il u Ion TO-
'ens and energetic Governor Curtin
boxing on and with the blue state flag
behind them with the stars and Stripes.
L These foreground passages, with figures
clustered around each column, are finely
tonuastad in color and equally spirited
n dramatic action. BY sheer simplicity
q treatment the allegory Of the rise and
/ Progress Of Pennsylvania in peaceful in
olStries, religious liberation and wars
i9r freedom explains itself. II is one Of
@r Abbeys most vigorous and finished
| COMPOSITIONS with varied grouping Of
ngures and sympathetic arrangement Of
'l.ois-rels blues. yelloWs and blacks
Win The stately columns. gray shrine,
'Afansve blue and white sky and spark
ing slnts of color IN costume, it IL
toriously decorative on a large scale.
Voe Of Mr. Abbeys most authoritative
associates in the Academy says that no
-ier living painter IN England could
rave approached this work in mastery
=" decorative art How well this glow
"s tribute is deserved becomes apparent