Evening star., 1918-02-10


the Library of Congress has arranged
an exhibition of photographs. portraits
and statues of the martyred President.
The first thought that this exhibition
evokes in its entirety is the heavy
penalty paid for greatness for to be as
grotesquely represented as Lincoln has
been in come OF these supposed por-
traits is hard indeed.
Perhaps the most grotesque OF all Is
the full length statue by George Gray
Barnard, erected about year ago IN
Cincinnati, through the munificerce OF
Mr. and Mrs Charles P. Taft. and pro-
posed for erection in replica in London
and possibly Paris. about which sucn
storm of criticism has lately ra9ed. Inc
statue shows Mr.. Lincoln In uncoutn
dress, standing with detected mien.
hands folded in attitude of pain. neither
inspired nor inspiring. The sculptor is
said to have soorned the use OF tne
many existing photographs or Presiuent
Lincoln and to have taken instead 1or
his model a man chosen by him because
he was six feet four inches in height,
born on a farm fifteen miles from where
Lincoln was born and had been spht,
ting rails all his life. The Ieet anu
ting and inelegant, the appearance al,
together that of uncouthness and Ill
breeding. And yet this is the statue
which has been proposed Tor erectioie
Great Britain an American ideal OF de-
mocracy.
Robert Lincoln, President Lincoln's
son, has made strong protest against
it, declaring it "a monssrous ny ur.,
grotesque as a likeness and defamatss
as an effigy," and expressing himseh
as Mortified at the thought of its erec-
ton in London or in Paris.
The National Academy of Design In
New York, representing the leading ar
lists of the country-in fact, the foremost
professional organization of artists IN
America-has disregarded its serictess
rules Of professional etiquette ana passeu
q joint resolution which reads as iohows.
sWhereas, the impression prevails tna'
the replicas offered to France and Eng
land OF a statue of Lincoln by George
Gray Barnard in Cincinnati are peins
offered as gifts from the people OF amer
lea, presumably with the approVai .h;s =.
the artists and art ORGANIZATIONS VI 'iiis
country, therefore be it
Resolved, That the Council OF the Na-
tional Academy OF Design, hereby asseI.s
that there has been no approval OF tnis
statue on the part of the National Acad-
e,ny as a body, and, further. that the
members of this council as here assem-
bled do not consider that the statue aoe
uuately portrays Lincoln. In WORK OF
this kind all must agree that character
this presentation does not convey tne
recognized characteristics of Lincoln. IN
it we are unable to discern eVldence Vi
his genius or humor, or any OF those
lofty qualities which are invariaois as-
sociated with this great name.
The Council of the Washington Society
of Fine Arts. at a recent meeting. IKE
wise made protest and urged the mn
portance of having all such statues passso
unon before erection by the commission
Of fine arts. The society fesoiu'io"
reads: Tin
coin has been offered by an individual
donor to the people OF Great br.ain, as
him and to express the conception held
OF him by the American people,:
BE it resolved by the Council OF tne
Washington Society of the FINE Arts'
That in its opinion no t;suaI sucn statue sie- i-
nif,cance. should be sent or accepted
without having been passed upon ana
approved by Mr.. Lincoln's fr1ends anu
contemporaries as correctly porerayihs
his person and embodylng MS sreds
and noble characterlstlcs. anu ~ E;ns
by the National Commission OF FINE
Arts as worthy to be set up In CON
spicuous place abroad as representa-
tive object of American Art.
1t seems, furthermore, that "hen
ma r,iament accepted the proposed gift
Of statue of Lincoln for erection in
London and voted site in most
conspicuous place in front OF tne
houses of parliament, it did so thihkIhs
it was a replica OF Saln,-Sauoens
offered. To withdraw permission or
to question the gift would obviously
now place the British government In
an. awkward position, but to impose
upon them statue OF so muen less
merit would be manifestly unjust
No doubt those who offer to present
this statue believe it to be admirable.
and are moved by generous motives
and there are some who fnd IN lts un-
couthness suggestion OF oemocraIe
principles, but the weight of expert
opinion, after months of discussion, is
altogether on the opposite side, ana IL
is earnestly to be hoped that the pro-
posed gift will either be withdrawn or
vent the perpetuation of so gross a
MISREPRESENTATION of our standards in
art and democracy in foreign countries.
The statue of Lincoln by Saint-Gau-
dens. in Chicago. of which replica
could be obtained. is altogether ae-
ceptable to President Lincoln's famlIy
and friends as well as to the artists of
the country. There are other statues
of Mr. Lincoln which are likewise ad.
mirable For example, that by Daniel
G. French. erected in Lincoln. Nebr..
and that by Adolph Weinman. erected
in Hodgensville, KY. Mr. French is at
present under commission OF the gov.
ernment, modelling seated statue OF
Lincoln to be placed in the Lincoln
Memorial in this city. a photograph OF
the first model of which is included
in the exhibit at the Library. Obvious
ly this would be more representative
work than the one proposed. ,
That Mr.. George Gray Barnard mas
produced works in sculpture of great
merit. that he is sculptor of ability
and even rare talent. is generally
agreed, but that his Interpretation of
Lincoln shows misconception of an
ideal is the prevalent opinion. And
as this ideal is that for which today
many are laying down their lives, 1t
would seem doubly tragic to have 1t
for all time in imper-
ishable material.
lincoln is a man of the people
democracy is the heritage of our ma
ton. 1t would, therefore. seem not
for one man or for one group OF men to
decide this matter of representation,
but something which should be left to
the nation as a whole and to be decided
by those selected by the people. the
President and the federal commission
of fine arts. representing the highest
pnowledge of the country.
An exceedingly interesting exhibit
of war pictures has lately been added
by the division of prints of the Library
I1r