The Washington herald., 1914-02-22

viii there be seen by them from the side
A pediment Is ordinarily supposed to
be seen from the front only. and II by
chance II is viewed differently Its lines
take disagreeabie distortions. Bartlett
has modelled his figures. therefore. with
what artists call big side planes. SO that
the side view. which at the Capitol will
be SO important, viii be harmonious and
Ineligible.
Paul Bartlett was born In New Haven.
the son of Truman Bartlett. Of Boston.
who was a sculptor before him. He has
a long record Of achievement and Is dis
tinctly q parsonage.
Hills greatest works heretofore have
been the statues Of Michelangelo and
Columbus In the Library Of Congress
and the equestrian statue to Lafayette.
which stands In the most coveted POSI-
ton In all Paris, the court OF the Louvre.
In that inner garden. facing the main en-
trance TO the museum. This monument.
for which the school children Of America
contributed $4,000. was erected In honor
Of the Paris exposition Of 1900
The sculptor received his training In
France. having gone to Paris with his
mother as boy. He made his entree
into the Salon at the age of fourteen
and in the same year entered the Peaux
Arts. In addition TO the regular and
severe training of the ateliers he also
managed to attend a series OF lectures
upon animal sculpture directed by.
Fremlet, which apparently had a strong
bearing upon his subsequent career. for
animals have played an important part
in his work.
Task Requires Time.
To dasIep carva and erect an great a
piece of sculpture as this pediment OF
Bartlett's requires time. II was four
years ago that the Congress committee
awarded the commission to this sculptor
and IL will require two or three years
yet before the figures can be carved In
marble and put in place. II is eighty feet
long and ten feet high at the middle.
Not all OF the models are yet complete,
but all OF the models are to be ready
within a year. In the meantime the carv-
ing Of the marbles from the models just
brought to this country will be begun
II is an astonishing fact that the great
pediment of the west wing OF the facade.
the pediment for that portion of the edi-
fee given over to the House OF Repre-
sentatives. should have remained empty
and undecorated all these years Thomas
Crawford. who died in 1851. did the pedi-
ment for the Senate end OF the Capitol
He died before the completion Of his
work. which was put in place by others
1t has never been admired by connois-
seurs. and the sculptures for the middle
pediment. done by an Italian sculptor.
are still more unfortunate.
1t was due as much to the discourage
ment Of Congress over these artistic fall
ures as II was to the necessary diversion
of the public moneys into more strictly
practical channels in the great building
up process that was made necessary by
the ravages of the civil war that the
Of the Capitol decoration was
So long delayed. 1t is not generally known
that the middle portion of the Capitol
with its pediment is not Of marble like
the rest of the building but is of lime
stone, painted. 1t is also not quite in
scale to the remainder OF the Capitol
and is too close in, giving the appearance
Of being too much under the dome. There
has always been the plan to make the
alterations in II necessary to bring II
into scale and it may yet be undertaken.
His Work Much Admired.
The first group to win official recon-
pense for Bartlett was his Bohemian
Bear Tanner" OF which a bronze replica |
Is owned by the Metropolitan Museum
II Art. The Michelangelo in the gal |
ery OF the Congressional Library Is much |
admired for its strong virile quality and
easily dominates the other statues in the |
rotunda-
Speaking of the all-around attitude
toward his work of Paul Bartlett. the late |
lean Carries, the French potter sculptor. |
said:
He reminds me of one OF those artists |
II the Renaissance who had nothing but |
.rt in view and in mind: OF those artists |
who. jealous of the perfection Of their |
work, would not think of leaving any |
hing of IL. however mental. TO be done |
~ other hands: who were masters of a |
'oundry as well as of studio and 10 |
whom the smallest details to ennoble I |
work of art were as important as the |
conception.
In ancient times II was thought natural |
or an artist to be an architect and l
It the same time a sculptor. as the |
iothics were; for artists to sculpture in
marble and stone and be able TO cast |
n bronze, like Donatello. or TO be a jew
Her. sculptor and founder. like Cellini.
Bartlett spends his days in his studio,
n his foundry. not only giving life TO
lis conceptions and modelling them in
lay. but after the selection OF the ma
eTisl il is he who cuts and chisels. He
orSs like the ancient artisan who spent
lays locked up in his studio to discover
N artistic effect which to the casual OBJ
erver NAV pass unnoticed, but which to
uture connoisseurs may establish not
My the lasting reputation Of the artist
Tut elevate a national art"