The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-10


To discover an ideal art patron one
Is forced back into the early pages OF
history. Even 81 recent an individual
rs LORENZO the Magnificent failed to
grasp all OF his opportunities, and
there are footnotcs 10 his biographies
that record several failures to grasp an
artists point Of view.
New York, by virtue Of woman's
generous bequest. has acquired the
whcrewithal to purchase fountain
for the City Hall Park, At first
glance II seemed as easy TO buy n
fountain as to purchase n new tun-
mel beneath the East River. The emf
nent sculptor was easily decided upon.
FREDERICK MACMuNNIES. he who was
chosen is rs beloved 10y his fellow
sculptors rs he Is safe Ia the affection
Of that portion of the public that knows
sculpture. The artist apparently was
as plen sed with the commission as the
city was. Sums Of money sealed the
bargain and nothing remained hut the
carving Of the statue and the simple
yet dgnihed unwilling ceremonies.
But artists encounter bad quarters
Of hours. That every one understands.
1t Is part of the temperament. The
muse OF sculptors is creature who
cares little for business and business
methods. It Is curious fact that the
more one interests himself In business
and business methods the less Is ne
enabled 10 cope with the vagdries Of
a muse and rs the moderns have 10
interest themselves in business before
they may hope To interest themselves in
art. patronage of the arts Is thus sure
to have its difficulties. But we cannot
quarrel with IN artist because his muse
Is reCalcltrant.
Strongly practical natures have al
ways felt that the great MICHELANGELo
must have been excessively trying In
his stlpulatiOns at times, yet what prac-
teal nature Is there to-day who does
not consider that the practical patrons
OF the great Florentine committed griev-
Gus error in not acceding to Michel
Angeles wishes in regard 10 the julius
tomb? We feel The error to-day 80
keenly that 1t now seems that almost
any folly upon the part Of the artist
should have been forgiven for the sake
of the greater blessing OF the tomb.
In the case OF our fountain, the pub
lie Is aware OF the difficulties that have
arisen. The sculptor was unwilllngly
delayed in executing the work and
when pressed for the design submitted
one that the committee has rejected,
chiefly, 1t Is said because the fountain
will spout water TO impractical heights.
The winds in the City Hall Park are
constant and vicious since the advent
Of skyscrapers and the pa ssers by, since
the park is more thoroughfare than
park. will be drenched.
This Is serious point, but not in.
surmountable. 1t IL scarcely cOncelv-
able that the sculptor will insist upon
the flow of water that his artist drew
into the sketch, or ut any rate, once
we acquire our fountain there Is no
injustice to art in running the water
TO suit ourselves Even in Paris they
shut down the supply of water in the
fountains when the winds are high.
There are other objections raised by
the committee, all serious and all prac-
teal. yet after n careful study of the
models 1t seems more than likely that
their real dstruSt of the design is due
to It's sketchiness. Our committees are
not accustomed to such skeletOnizcd
art ideas. and appreciate with dim.
Guilty the fact that the artist In work.
Ing out this model will change II
enormously. \ less honest sculptor
would have submitted sketch mere.
trlciousiy tricked ont to deceive com
mlttees The appalling increase Of bad
public sculpture in this country Is dl-
rectly traceahc to this too prevalent
practice.
In short, So fine sculptor as MAC.
MoNNIEs should have carte blanche.
If we must re-cc this fountain In to
protect II from the urchlns who infest
the park, then fence the fountain in.
What's the objection Ia ono fence more
ol less? If the fountain seems strange
and unexpected ami even alarming, why
should we be frightened at It? Paris
has regretted more than once her frst
provincial cutlery nj RoDIN's "Balzac"