The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

Paul Bartlett Has Looked to the Ameri-
can Workman for Inspiration in His
Work for the East Portico of the
House of Representatives

the difficulty by arranging the planes
so that the figures shall be aligned
with the rcccding lines of the cor
niccs of the pediment. Filling in
the pediment requires great skill. for
as the top OF the pediment slants toward
the corners it is necessary that the
marble images should represent men
and women crouching or kneellng or
lying and any suggestion that the figures
had ducked as though afraid of bump
ing their heads against the top Of the
pediment must be guarded against.
There are other problems which con-
front the sculptor The group must be
80 done as to present varying aspects
when viewed from different angles
below.
The bottom OF the pediment Is 90
feet above the gray asphalt of the east
plaza OF the Capitol and AZ feet above
the top step of the House entrance
staircase. The horizontal. or bottom,
cornice of the pediment is so feet long
and the statues will cover so feet of
this. The height from the bottom to the
apex is II feet and the recess is 3 feet
deep.
The Sixtieth Congress appropriated
$4,000 for completing the pedlment Of
the House wing of the Capitol. The
Joint Committee on the Library wrote
in its report in favor of the bill that
the Senate pediment was decorated in
1862 by appropriate groups of allegori-
cal statuary, and II was intended at
that time to place on the corresponding
pediment 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 in
this bill is necessary for the completion
and beauty OF the Capitol building"
The subject of the Senate pedlment
group is The Progress of American
civilization" The central figure Is
America. At her right are a soldier, a
merchant. youths. a schoolmaster, a
pupil and mechanic also an anchor
symbolizing stability, and sheaf Of
wheat symbollzlng prosperity
on Americas left are a pioneer. a
hunter. an Indian brave, an Indian
squaw. a papoose and an Indian brave.
Crawford was the designer Of the group
but the actual chiseling of the figures
was done by Italian sculptors, Casoni
G. Butt Thomas Gaglardi. d. Clam
p!ola and G.. Caspera.
Mr.. Bartlett, a native of New Haven.
conn, son OF truman bartlett, "A
widely travelled New England farmer
was given every opportunity to become
a sculptor. When II years old he fire.
quentcd the ateliers Of Paris, doing odd
jobs for artists, at the same time
studying under Rodin.
once year Mr.. Bartlett visits the
University Of Glasgow in Scotland,
where he holds "A professorship, but
most of the time he spends among his
treasures in Paris.
He Is the creator of the statues IT
Columbus and Mlchelangelo in the Con-
gressional Library. His statue OF
Lafayette stands in the court Of the
Louvre in Paris. 1t was erected in
honor Of the Paris Exposition in 1900
after American school children had con-
trbutcd $4,000 for It. Mr.. Bartlett is
also preparing six figures for frieze
over the portcu Of the New York Pub
lie Library. He Is also preparing a
statu" If benjamin Franklin for a pub
lie suuMc in Waterbury, Conn.