The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-01

steel workers ana other labOrorS hove
been used with frank but not pr, ,isely
Photographic realism. There ha- been
the necessity In the arbitrary space NJ
the pediment to secure rhythm ~ hold
II together. Too great realism would
bring the sculptures out of relationship
with the architecture. 1, has been
necessary for the sculptor To "sp.,k in
the vernacular" OF the classic ar,n.,rc.
ture of the building he is DECORATE
The making Of sculptures for such an
architectural enclosure as a ped .m,ni is
about as difficult an artistic problem AS
sculptor Is called upon to face Tb.
diminishing angle Of the p.Im.ui
forces the designer to double up his
figures or make them sprawl nii in
order to get them into the loS-,uInp
space. and the great danger to the IN.
experienced artist is that these figures
will lose the effect of nature and app.ar
as If they were bending their head,
merely to keep within the lines ,h.
pediment.
Bartlett has very successfully e,,led
this pitfall. and has in fact solved In.
terestingly another technical difficulty
peculiar to the Capitol itself The ma.
jority Of people approaching the hud
ing will make for the middle entrance
This pedlment over the House of Rem.
resentatives will therefore be- seen by
them from the side.
pediment is ordinarily supposed to
he seen from the front only. and If by
chance 1t Is viewed differently its line,
take dlsa greeable distortions. Bartlett
has modelled his figures. Therefore. with
what artists call big side planes So thai
the side view. which at the Capitol Will
he so important, will be harmonious ana
ineligible.
Paul Bartlett, the designer Of this
pediment was born in New Haven. the
son of Truman Bartlett of Boston. who
was sculptor before him. Pie has %
long record Of achievement and b. dis.
tinctly parsonage"
His greatest works heretoforr hi,.
been the statues of Michelang,lu arl
Columbus in the Congressional Library
in Washington and the equestrian statue
to Lafayette. which stands in tn" m.-'
coveted position In all Paris. the cont
of the Louvre. in that inner garden
facing the main entrance to the ma.
scum. This monument. for which IN.
school children of America contributed
$4,000. was erected in honor of N.
Paris exposition of 1900.
The sculptor received his training IN
France. having gone To Paris with rs
mother as n boy. He mad. his entire,
into the salon at the age Of II and IN
the same year entered the BcauN Ar'>
In addition to the regular and S.v,i,
training of the ateliers he also manl....
10 attend a series of lectures upon a,..
NAL sculpture directed 10y Frcm,.
which apparently had a strong h.ar.,.
upon his subsequent career. for ANNA
have played an important part in h.
work.
The first group to win official recon
pense for him was his Bohemian Be-
Tanner" of which bronze replica p
owned by the Metropolitan Museum ..
Art. The Michelangelo in the gall,r,
OF the library at WASHINGTON is M.
admired for its strong virle quality ar.
easily dominates the other statues r
the rotunda
Speaking Of the all around at,.rul.
toward his work Of Paul Bartlett. H..
late Jean Carries. the French potr..
sculptor. said:
He reminds me OF one Of those arts
of the Rena ssance who had nothing lu'
art in view and in mind: of those artist
who, jealous of the perfection of the,
work. would not think of leaving an,
thing of II, however mental. To- h. \ .,..
by other hands who were masters us 3D.
foundry as well as Of studio and o..
whom the smallest details to ennuh',
work Of art We're as important A. f...
conception.
IN ancient times 1t was thought uIt
ural FOR an artist to be an ARCHITECT a,.
at the same time sculptor as the