The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-16

Strong. robust, benign, and care.
fully dressed, with short cropped
white hair and white flowing beard
Auguste Rodtn, the famous sculptor
stood In the door leading 10 his stu
do in the Palais Biron.
An exquisite little group In mar
bic had Just been finished Among
the busts around the room many were
now In bronze which had been fin
lshed In clay only ten months before
Gustav Mailer was among these his
head thrown back as IL he were lead
ing an orchestra Close to IL, one al
Octave Mirfbeau with tense features
and insane eyes Of Cienencean
there were two busts; one. "A first at
tempt. rather closed. the other reveal
ing the mans whole character, stern,
proud, commanding. Then the phaun
features Of the Duke of Choiseui, "a
mastery resemblance. Than one of
young American looking like scores
ef other young Americans. nor stupid
and not intelligent, fiat and uninter-
esttng. a work made to order. IL had
, also been attempted in terra Gotta.
leaving out the hair and giving the
profile faint resaHa hiance 10 Dante,
without Dante's pride and nobility.
Then another bust in terra Gotta OF
Bernard Shaw. And q colored mask
OF Mne. Rodiu. made thirty years ago
in paste-de-verre. but exhibited only
now, a living memory OF the youth
which has passed.
One little group Ii, marble had
great attraction because OF its charm
ing originality. II represented Adam
and Eve in the Garden of Eden~~~the
apple tree with It's heavy foliage bend
ing to the ground, the serpent whiri-
ing around the tree. and the two hui
man creatures. forgetting everything
around in the intoxication dr their
f1rst kiss. There are countries where
art must be sextess to be pure. Hut
France Ia not one of these, and Ro-
din's senses are fresh and strong In
spite Of his age.
What Ia that young lady writing
on her typewriter Not letters, so
many sheets song?' I asked.
mo. she In copying the manuscript
OF my book, Les CathearaIes.
This book will open the eyes Of
all but the few people who have long
felt and known that Rodtn is writer
Of the first order, inspired By his
wldea wake sesasa Of. beauty strafsT
through IA gift 10 see things, which
only few possess.
Rodin spoke OF the malicious at
tack OF Lee Figaro" against him.
because he had dared praise the great
Russian dancer NiJinsky, whose dane
y
men and women, who have seen him.
The performance stopped because
the boulevard papers, whose sense OF
morals generally liz anything but
Sstrict. accused Niiinsky Of dancing in
an indecent way.
Then he began to talk about the
plan OF erecting hts group. THE Citi~
gems OF Calais" in London in front
OF the house of parliament These
citizens stood on this very spot 600
years ago. when they went out to of
fer their lives to the king of England.
Recently a famous French writer
asserted that only very few women
are attractive to look at Get into
q bus or a street car and look about
he said. you viii be astonished.
Out OF twenty women ore or two are
passables among fifty women you
may find one who Is pretty. When
this question is laid before Rodin he
says: "Most people do not know how
to discover beauty, where 1t exists as
little in women as in the churches or
In nature" This reply il typical Ro-
din sees the beauty which others over
look.
And with a religious sentiment to-
wards the mystery of nature. which
has revealed itself to him, Rodin says
of a picture OF a model:
.'She has placed me face to face
with primeval age. Lock at these
slender legs. these knowing feet.
With these she might live in trees.
Look at these elegant and pure forms!
They are human and at the same time