The Washington herald., 1914-03-26
SYMBOLISM IN SCULPTURE.
BY JOSEPH EDGAR CHAMBERLIN.

Meunier at the Avery library OF Co
luubia University in New York. Meu-
nier was the chief sculptor of modern
Belgium and one of the greatest of mod
ern Europe We know his message to
the worid-the sacredness and beauty of
labor. Borglum is probably at the head
of living American sculptors. If Amer
ica speaks through him as Belgium spoke
through Meunier, what is the message
of America to the world?
Meunier was the sculptor of labor.
His usual subjects were miners, IRON
workers, farm hands, and other labor
ers. In his sculpture, we have the toiler
bowed with the weight of the worlds
needs, like another Atlas. The prevail
ing note is sad. He tells us that indus
try is a noble but a sorrowing thing.
Often there is great beauty in his figures,
but it is the beauty of patient endur-
ance. of submissive strength.
Judging from the examples of his art
shown at the Avery library, Mr.. Borg
lum does not depict labor, postulated as
mere toll, at all. He prefers to typify
it in the figure of Lincoln. as Lincoln is
represented in the colossal Newark
statue The great Man of the People is
seated on a park bench, refectively.
Here is a man who, God knows, has
weight enough on his shoulders; whose
labors are herculean. We see him sit
ting here just as he has struggled along,
| Just as he has sat down to rest and
think a moment. He is going to get
right up again. Meanwhile. i'c thinks.
He has nothing whatever of the eter-
nal aspect of great man. On the con-
trary. there is a suggestion of nobody
ness about him. But there is where the
greatness lies. Externally he does not
pass for much. But the spirit is de-
picted. That look of profound and PEN
etrating thoughtfulness and sadness
that homely wisdom: it is Lincoln him
self, the simple savior of his country
and it is Lincoln the average citizen. the
nobody-measuring up TO the greatness
of god.
There is labor. and the simple aver
age American thing, gloriied here
In all things the aspect which appeals
to Mr. BOrglum is the philosophic as
pect. and the moment of intensity. He
seems to be looking in all things for the
apex. the keynote, the summum bonum.
the kiss of consummation that typiies
and expresses all that is in them One
sees a continual striving for that su-
premc moment in everything he does.
The passion at its maximum, its high
est degree of intensity; that is il. Ii is
strain which, either in spirit or flesh,
could not be endured for another mo-
ment: in marble or bronze it is made
eternal
Because he strives for the summit,
Mr. Borglum could never be a mere
realist. He deals with emotions rather
than with matter. His tendency in this
regard is illustrated by the large marble
statue Conception" This is a pure and
beautiful representation of the moment
OF woman'S awakening to motherhood.
A shadow of sorrow passes over the
tense face. No subject could be more
solemnly treated. Its seriousness is as
transcendent as its beauty.
The significance OF the work is gen.
eral. and not special merely to the model.
for the supreme moment of life. the
summit OF creation. with the Joy of life
crossed with its pain. is depicted in this
figure. 1t symbolizes life, JOY, mystery,
trust
The same degree of poignancy is
reached in the group. Il have piped unto
you and ye have not danced" which has
not yet reached its definitive form. This
represents the grief of the artist in the
failure of his highest performances to
attain appreciation. The artist is typi-
fed by beautiful woman with rapt and
exalted face showing the marks of sor-
row: while the man to whom she has
piped, stupidly unimpressed, groveling.
is at her scornful feet. The effect of the
group is narred by the fact that the man
appears to be physically spurned, or
thrown down. whereas it would seem that
he should be at his case, swine-like
Mr.. Borglum is the sculptor of the
passion of motherhood, of the burden
of womankind. The "Wonderment of
Motherhood" a marble of a woman
brooding or studying over a bit of a
baby in her lap, is an instance of his
psychological power.
He represents Atlas, the bearer OF the
burden OF the world, as woman. She
embraces the world at the same time
that its weight almost crusheS her head.
She is on her knees She triumphs, yet
she staggers-and she loves her burden |!
The Martyr" another marble, is just a
beautiful woman. thrown to the de-
vouring teeth of the world.
Everybody knows how Borglum poured
| his soul into the big marble head of Lin