Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-20

New York sculptor, published
while ago. the principal statement
that occasioned argument among
Washington artists and critics Of art
was that 60 per cent Of all the statuary
in the United States was made by others
than those whoes names were signed
thereto.
Director Mcclure of the Corcoran Art
Gallery when asked what he thought
about such a declaration was too vexed
at what he considered the Righteousness
of Borglum's story to do more than wave
his hands and say. while he paced an
inner office of the gallery, "Bosh. all
bosh, There isn't per cent, much less
90 per cent. Of tho statuary in this coun-
try that's bogus, and that's all have to
say about it,"
A visit to the Library Of Congress found
Prof Rice, late lecturer on fine arts In
Williams College and now chief adviser
to the joint library committee OF Congress
in matters of rare manuscripts and books
ject it was evident that he was at home
and liked it. and It was soon no less evil
dent that he was also a philosopher con-
corning art He said:
IF, as Gutzon Borglum says. 60 per
cent of the statuary in the United States
Is made by other men than those whose
names appear thereon, who is going to
get on the defensive? II some Of the fig
ures in Statuary Hall. in the Capitol,
are made by struggling young geniuses
working for a pittance and letting some
man who has arrived take the credit and
the money who is going to stop IT? 1t
is like chasing a rainbow.
"This is the age Of reform. as well as
commercialism. We are reforming, legls-
atively. everything that can be re-
formed. so if this startling statement OF
fraud is true no better place can be found
to begin the newest reform than by tack
ing the income tax upon any indecently
rich sculptor and having him divide up
with the impractical. lovable folks who
would rather dig in marble than in
bitches. regardless of poverty and OBJ
scurity.'' laughed the professor.
1.-The phrase. indecently rich sculptor
! is not original" he continued smilingly.
| then stopped to read certain paragraphs
| in copy Of the New York sculptor's ar
| ticle
| why, I was talking. the other day,
| with a sculptor friend Of mine in Boston,
| and he told me he had one commission
Tor $4,000 and another for $4,000 He
considered he was getting indecently rich
/
! just used.
| There is nothing more open to the
| world than sculptor's studio. and work
done by other men would soon be detect
| ed. I know this artist does all his own
work. unless you include the work of the
| stonecutter. 1 mean when I say he does
| all his own work that when he has made
the design there is the end Of 1t. The de.
| sign is the poetry of statue. and
notice that Borglum uses the word design
but once in his story. He says the
! work and thereby hangs much Of the ar
! gument Of whether his denunciation is
worth while Work of hands, or mind
+, and spirit, does he mean?
| "Sir Moses Ezekiel, an American sculp-
| tor, whose colossal bust of Washington
made his first fame. is doing the work
on the Arlington monument. In sending
photograph Of his design for this work
to the committee in charge he discharged
his duty as a maker Of the monument
There has been much discussion, I hear
as to some of the details. but teh artists
views have been sustained.
| In Rome. where Ezekiel works now
and lives most of the time. the skilled
| Italian artisan never dreams of calling
himself an artist in the executing of 8
iHouSi ny d master ndnQ- Ezekiel mas LOlC
me Of. and 1 have observed for myself
the wonderfully fine touches some o.
these men put upon the work sent out by
Latin sculptors.
"On the other hand, suppose Borglum's
accusations were in q measure true. which
l do not believe. and supposing that The
design even is considered In such as
sertions as he makes such a condition Is
as old as time. There Is nothing essen.
tally American or modern about IT, Loci
at Rubens, the painter. Everybody real.
ICES that it Is simply beyond human
power to produce 1000 canvases during 8
single lifetime. and this number of paint.
ings have borne Rubens' signature. He
acquired a name. and then he acquired
practically a factory He. too, got in
decently rich, as the Bostonian woult
phrase it.
1T is surely nothing new, this angle Of
1t. Think Of Dumas the elder. the French
novelist who was known to have hired
the same kind of poor geniuses whom
Borglum quite rightfully sympathize
with in their effort to gain fame. aftel
he had been idolized and idealizet
throughout the whole reading world. But
aside from the sympathy which should 81
out to fighters for fame, and participation
in any movement which might reliev'
such a situation. there Is no use dashini
to the front with the declaration an a new
fact. 1t is older than Rome"
/ Here Mr.. Rice read aloud a paragraph
from the Borglam interview which state,
\ L., alv,t,,,