Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-01
secured by stalwart copper clamps. An
they have posed there ever since.

secured py sldlWart copper clamps. Ana
they have posed there ever since.
The bottom. or the horizontal cerll.,s
of the pediment. is eighty feet long and
the statues will cover sixty feet of this
1t is sixty feet above the gray aspha
of the east plaza and forty-two feet above
the top step of the House staircase The
recess is three feet deep and the heighi
from the horizontal cornice TO the apex is
eleven feet.
The middle figure of the new group viii
represent Democracy protecting Genius.
Democracy is a woman nine feet tall.
Her buckler. according to MIR. Walton.
leans against an altar, and she extends
d protecting arm over the winged and
youthful figure of Genius crouching at
her side, but holding carefully upright
his flaming torch. The Indian hunter .
who formerly stood at her left carrying
a slain deer on his shoulder has been
abandoned in pursuance OF the sculptor's
general conclusion that he will have more
lightness and space and freedom OF
ton. and that in particular, in this pres
entation of open-air labor. he will have
a1r and openness and a suggestion OF
sunshine. There will be no deep holes
and consequently no dark shadows in the
white marble"
The husbandman in the new group is
represented as bending over an OK There
is r reaper who stands in a grain field.
with one hand on the handle of a scythe
There is nude boy bearing punches or
grapes and a cherub caressing a lamb.
Figures to the left of Democ: acy will
represent labor in the shops and fouu-
dries; boy and a boat symbolic navi-
CATION and a group of ironworkers SYM
pohze the metal industries. while wom-
an measuring cloth symbolizes spinning.
Mr.. Bartlett, II has been reported, pro-
poses to cut TIE figures in Georgia mar
bic, which he considers less cold in tone
than white Italian marble.
Flesh interest attaches to the pedi-
ment matter from the fact that Mr.. Bart.
let recently arrived in Washington. bring
ing with him the casts from which the
sculptures will be carved. An artist
told the Rambler that the filling in of a
pediment requires great skill. for as the
top of the pediment SAINTS toward the
corners it is necessary that marble
images should represent men and women
AS crouchIng or kneeling or lying and
their positions should not suggest that
they are doing this in order TO duck
or as though they were afraid of bump
ing their heads against the top OF tho
pediment. There are various other prob
lens in the chiselng of group which is
to be viewed from different positions on
the plaza below. Viewed from different
angles the group in that position must
present varying aspects.
x 4
The subject illustrated in the Senate
pediment is THE Progress OF American
Civilization" Naturally the decline Of
the American Indian is also illustrated.
The central figure is America At her
right are soldier. merchant, youths
a schoolmaster, a pupil and mechanic:
also an anchor symboiizng STABILITY, and
a sheaf of wheat symbolzng prosperity.
On Americas left are a pioneer, nunt-
a papoose and an Indian grave.
Crawford, the sculptor. was the design
err of this group, but much of the actual
chiseling was done by Italian sculptors-
Casoni, G.. Butt, Thomas Gasliardi, u.
Giarnpiola and G.. Caspera.
- Il was at the first session of the Six
tieth Congress that $4,000 was appro-
priated for the purpose OF completing
, the ,pediment of the House wing by
placing suitable statuary there. In the
report on the bill the joint committee
on the library wrote that the Senate
pediment was decorated in 1852 by ap-
propriate groups of a!legoricai statu-
ary. and it was intended at that time
to place on the corresponding pedi-
ment above the east -portico OF the
House of Representatives, similar
group representative of our history
and life. but this intention has never
been carried out. The work provided
for by this bill is necessary to the
completion and beauty Of the Capitol
building
Paul w Bartlett, who is making
ready to adorn the blank pediment- Is
repr esented in the art works of the
Library, of Congress by the statues of
Michelangelo and Columbus. One OF
his important works is the equestrian
statue of Lafayette, made possible by
the contribution of $4,000 by the
school children of the United States,
and (which stands in the court of the
Louvre.