New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-29
Rodin in France
In Midst of War He Looked Forward
to Peace and Beauty
n The Editor of The Tribune.

To The Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The death of Rodin last week has
brought out the violent clash Of opinion and
judgment that characterizes all criticism Of
the man of genius.
We are unfamiliar with the manifestations
of power in art or politics, are startled oy
the phenomenon and are wont to wIahgs
over the meaning of it. So much Is this 80
tnat wrangling may, after fashion, De 'ssen
as a test of greatness. It's subllmateh
biography When genius dies we have inc
impulse to hunt for biographies, and, pareh'
thetically, it is interesting to note that kodn'
dead few days has nearly as many ologrs'
plies to his credit as WHISTLE.
The wranglng and general objection 70
genius are, of course, easily understandings
We didn't ask for it, and we could not even
surmse that such disturbing phenomenon
was due. And then, when it appeared, It gave
us more than we could have thought to ask
for had we been consulted.
That is the value of Rodin. He gave Us
more than we could have thought 10 ask Tor;
so the quarrel of critics, biographies and
special writers has been a quarrel eyer we
surplus. Genius-if the late Karl Marx sh'
the wrangling devotees Of his economic ths''
ries will pardon-is surplus value.
Rodin himself on this subject is ilumir''
ing. He says, Genius is as much charssa
as talent"
Whether il lays its deft hand on sculptSn
OF war, on dead clay or live, the reactions
sets up are characteristic, even among Us ~
evitable little group of perfect comprehendsr
An understanding of the art Of the Csa'
Frenchman is more than interesting from tns
point of view:
In the mental or aesthetic conflict that RACES
around wars the reactions generally are man
felt impulses-power courage, herosm gen
crosby and suffering manfully endured. Ins'
is, generally speaking, but in the present war
there has broken TO the surface an slmos'
universal impulse Of detestation for CERTAIN
acts, as of something character will not SUP
nit TO.
The invasion of Belgium made the bayone.,
indecent, the sabre salacious, and poiluNa
the clean valor Of. death with pornog apns
thought; things that have bristled the pc"
Of character in all the corners of the eartn'
Similarly, the conflict that RACES around 81
subjects when an acknowledge master a's'
is OF the character of the thing tseli-SH
emenatIon from the man. In one case tne''
follows an acrimonious and intermittent o.
bate between the merits OF Aph odle sh'
Mrs. Grundy; in another, these equally u''
less symbols are forgotten.
Rodin labored in the greatest age OF tr"
ialites, before the war-and in France l1s
multitudinous and despotic spawn OF trN, -.
y seems never to have come near him ms
understanding that genius is as much eh'i'
acter as talent" set him apart among the 'H'
troubled.
And how French he was. energetic de'es
mined. buoyant. He fought his Liege ss'
Namur, his Mons. his Marine and Verdun "As
q Frenchman And his victories are trenss,
they belong in every good sense TO all '''
world.
"of the great war he could speak esin''
and like prophet. A..
Nothing easily resigns itself 10 death ~
outburst of courage has just TRANSFORMER
the world Can we preserve this eou,ss'
during peace? The patience of the sola's"
the patience of the trenches, surpass y
sublimity the virtue Of the ancients. shan y.
Rave in study the force of soul that we ~"
in this great struggle? That is the qcesu'.
We have recaptured patience, and we n,,.
yet 10 learn what We can expect OF ''''
virtue" 49,.
From the midst OF the chaotic slsusn"s
and inconeeivablc brutality and violence ~
the invasion that inundated his eouhAs
Rodin could look forward to an era OF Ps''~
and beauty and patient virtuous living .,
New York, Nov. "a, 1917.