The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-27
RYAN GENEROUS TO
The BATTLE ABBEY
WILL PAY BILL or $4,000 ron
MURAL DECORATION OF THE
MEMORIAL HALL.
PICTURE OF LEE, TOO
PATRIOTIC vIRGINIAN ENABLES
PRESIDENT ELLYsON TO CARRY
OUT PI.ANs ron THE GREAT
INSTITUTION.

Through the munihcence Of Thomas
Fortune Ryan the plans for the mural
decoration OF Memorial hall, by which
name the south wing Of the tonfed-
crate Memorial institute or Battle Alb
bey. is TO be known, are 10 reach irM-
ton
President J. Taylor Eilyson, OF the
Memorial association. from
the beginning insisted that the bat
tie abbey should be the most Deautitui
institution OF its kind In the country
and unlike anything in the country N
architecture and decoration, Among
the ideas conceived by President Ely
son WAS the mural decoration Ut the
south wing, or memorial hall AT the
last reunion. in Macon, his Ideas were
enthusiastically approved and he was
given carte blanche 10 execute them.
He appealed to hundreds interested IN
the cause for suggestions as to the
manner and method of raising funds
to carry out the project, but made lit
-ttE- frrartvuy- Recently M TururtUuUd
the mntter TO Mr.. Ryan and the pa :
triotic Nirginian told him TO go ahead
ana get the artist apa BILE OF execut-
ing such a commission and send the
bU TO him.
An of Note.
President kLy>un spent considera-
bie time. thought and travel in has
quest and finally awarded the commts-
sion to Charles Hofbauer. French
artist. with studios in Paris and New
York MIR Hofbauer has made a spe-
cial study of military paintings ana
has on exhibition in the salons of the
Luxembourg and the Louvre some
splendid exhibitions Of his art. The
french government has given him ser-
eral important commissions Of this ma =
ture and Mr.. Elyson believes that he
has found the right artist for the work
President Ellyson idea, which has
been approved by the artist, is 10 have
four immense mural paintings for the
building, glorifying the four branches
of the Confederate army. navy, in
funtrp, artillery and cavalry The
execution Of these ideas Will be left to
the artist himself The enormity OF
the task can he understood when It is
stated that II will require something
like eighteen months TO complete the
task and the artist 8 fee will be about
$40 0d0. which viii represent MI
RVans contribution. This is not all
however, that Mr. Ryan has under
taken TO contribute 70 the battle abbey
BEFORE the matter of the mural dec
GRAFTON of memorial hail came up, Mr.
Ryan had promised Mir Elllson 10
give life sized painting of General
Robert T.. Lee to be placed in the main
building. and this gift viii be ready
when the building Is in readiness 70
receive 1t. The Lee painting will he ar
expensive work of art and VIII prob
ably increase Mr. Rvans contribution
10 the abbey something Ike 5000
an aggregate of $4,000.
Mr. Ryan's Generosity.
Referring to Mt. Ryan's generosit,
yeste rday. Governor Ellyson said
Il was governor OF the division o
history. education and social eConom,
at the jamestown Exposition Mr.
Ryan, by his munif1cence, made it pos
sible to secure a collection Of portrait
OF the prominent lea ders of the com
pany that sent out the colonies which
settled Jamestown one Of the rnns
Interesting features Of the Virginia de
rnrtment In the history building. ant
the only complete collection of sucl
paintings in the word. It is Caar
ncteristic of Mr.. RYAN, when he ha
decided TO help any worthy under
taking. to do so IN q way that make
YOU feel that You are doing him
great kindness to let him have par
in Your work, and when ! went to tail
with him about these mural painting
he received me in that same gracio's
manner that he #lWays does when h
wants TO help any good cause In tn
oud Dominion. Ia all the long wear
of my identification with the work .
to- No. -
| have asked hundreds of friends 7,
help tic IN cui task Of trying Ia max
tive Confederate Memorial institute
worthy of the cause which IT is in
tended to perpetuate, and Of all tn
number ! have never vet met on
more generously sympathetic or NOR
deeply interested than Thomas +
Ryan
Artist Due Next Month.
Artist Hofba uer will arrive in Rich
mond from Paris some time in octo
Der but he will not begin his worl
for some little time, in fact ii ma,
be the first Of the year before tn
walls OF the memorial hall are read
for the first touch of his sklllfn
brush He will deV<te the intervef
ing time partly TO rest and partly t
getting atmosphere for the great worl
which he liz to undertake The fou
Confederate paintings. he declares
will be his masterpieces He will b
a citizen of Richmond for nearly tw
years while engaged on this commits
sion--the longest contract he has eve
undertaken.
Governor EllySon remarked yester
day that 1t was Of singular interes
that French artists were responsible
for all the noteworthy works of ar
around Richmond. Houdon did tn
famous statue OF Washington in tn
capitol rotunda; MERCER was tn
sculptor of the Lee statue, and. Lomal
painted the picture of The Siege o
Yorktown" Hofbauer will add on
more masterpiece to the list with hi
irn u a hhpN