New-York tribune., 1919-07-31
The Macn1onnies
Fountain
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: If the photograph of the Macmon,,,.
design for a fountain for City Hall Park :.
a fair representation of that work of 49,.
wish to be the first to register an emphatic
"no,"
In the first place. the pose is neither
natural one nor does !. conform to tho ,s0.
cral rules and requirements of sculp.uro
The entire torso and head arc in one nlsrs
apparently fiat, with shoulders and hin.
parallel; nor does the twisting of tho arm.
and legs give vitality to the pose, but merely
becomes doubly conspicuous as an expeaien,
when viewed against the essential aatnezs
The left arm is akimbo. the righ; holds ,
sword on the shoulder. as if Civic Vir.se
did not know what 10 do with it, the lei,
knee is turned in about thirty degrees and
the right gives the impression Of TIE tgur.
being knockkneed. The face is iunnv
stupid face. without trace OF expression
staring duly, as it were. at the future eon.
erations that must bear with it. And as an
allegorical figure the face has altogether too
much individuality; it looks too much like
somebody might know and dislike.
The allegory is the most distressing mar,
OF the whole design. Why any allcrorvg
Alegories make me tired. We ask for beauty
and are given sermon. Give Virtue
tramples Vice for our caiication. Al tins "a
particularly gratuitous and tedious. and ,he
more so from the creator of the Racchanie
which (if the sculptor must have his preach
ment might we'll typify the popular sprit
that makes for the Identification Of public
places But this group typifes nothing but
the lumpish stodginess of all municipal art.
object to any figure typifying America,
manhood trampling any form of womanhood
If sirens mus b. dealt with. e; Chirairy
with regrctful vsage conduct the proceeding
in camera. But this young man, having with
his sword slain two or more defenceless
sirens, has the Comstockan effrontorv TO roee
for his picture
SO far as art is concerned. the group was
doubtless much more what the city folk
wanted before Civic Virtue arrived with his
burned Old sword and offered his own affected
posturng as substitute If Mr. Macmon-
nies could be induced TO remove the central
figure and then to unscrumble the sirens
Nt IS impossible to determine how many
there are of them and set them up aga.n
IN beauty, typifying nothing, then the dcslgn
might be worth = second consideration.
should yearn, after gazing upon the ugly
mugs Of distinguished men whose statues
arc cumulative encumbrance Of our parks
to spy suddenly q group of sirens, or
goose girl, or Pan. or something pretty
and poetic and imaginative, in place of this
group, which too sadly proclains the usual
triumph of municipal art commissions over
art.
If Mr.. Macmonnies is determined TO stick
to his allegory let him make new croun
representing the Boston Adermanie council
taking a hack at his Baconsnte That am
sure would have vitality. And should hike 20
point a moral, too-that it is from the sheer
ugliness Of these manifestations OF Civic
Virtue rampant that the average human
being turns for refuge to vice and sirens, er
cetera. For beautiful natures are inspired
not instlled, and would gain mcasurab.y by
proportions Of more art and less vir,.e IN
our public monuments. ODISSEIs
Cedarhurst, \. y. July 2e, 1914