Evening star., 1920-03-21

The great Lincoln memorial in Poto-
mac Park is practically completed.
The building, designed by Henry Ba-
con, was finished some time ago: the
mural decorations, by Jules Guerin,
have been in place since last fall; the
huge seated statue of Lincoln, by
Daniel Chester French. was placed
during the winter, but the dedication
of the memorial has, it is understood.
been postponed until next fall. prob
ably in order to give time for the
completion of the landscape setting.
Meanwhile, it is understood, the build
ing will not be open to the public.
There are some who have asked
why a building of classical design
should have been chosen as me-
mortal to Lincoln, a typical American.
a plain man. great executive, but
not, in the commonly accepted sense.
a scholar. Those who ask this ques-
tion are not, perhaps, as well inform
ed as they should be with regard to
either classical culture or the great
man in whose honor this memorial is
erected. The Greek ideal was an en-
bodiment of simplicity and strength.
The Greeks held that there should be
nothing in excess, that each thing
should be in due proportion, and that
beauty was an essential to life. They
| considered citizenship Of superimpor-
tance. These ideals find exemplifica-
ton in the life of Lincoln. He was
simple and strong and not given to
excesses his was a we'll balanced
mind. In the highest sense he was a
good citizen, one in whom LONELINESS
| partook Of real beauty. Thus. the
great building, with its columns, me-
! morializes, through its simplicity
strength, dignity and beauty. the
! character of Lincoln. the statesman
and the man.
/ 1t does more than this, however. Its
colonnade is made up Of columns. one
for each state, which collectively rep.
resent the Union. 1t is on account o1
| what Lincoln did to save the Unior
| that this memorial to a great exten,
has been erected.
| Standing on the steps of the build
| toward the row of columns. OF
through them beyond, one is pro-
foundly impressed with the beauty
/; of the building as a work of art. Like
some great painting or piece OF
sculpture its perfect proportions. its
| to catch his breath with admiration
and delight. In way it produces
+, a feeling of awe, yet its appeal is
| essentially intimate. 1t is a shrine
and those who visit it must be and
will be uplifted and impressed as by
! a holy place.
| Within. opposite the entrance. is
French's great statue of Lincoln
colossal in size and yet distinctly
personal. 1t represents Lincoln in a
thoughtful mood. but not abstracted
an essentially human Lincoln. pos
! sessing, however. real dignity OF
| character, together with goodness OF
heart: strong -willed, yet keen1y SYM
pathetic. The chair in which he sits
forms what might be termed an archi-
IN hn y
obviates what might have been found
an awkwardness Of pose. The strong
hands rest easily on the upright
blocks that form the sides of the
seat.
On the side walls of the building
are inscribed Lincoln's Gettysburg
speech and his second inaugural ad.
dress Over these are placed Jules
Guerin's decorations These panel.
are sixty feet long by twelve feet
without seams: They ttpify in al.
legory the principal events in the
life Of Lincoln. They are figure COM
positions arranged in groups in ar
| enchanted grove. each group having
for a background cypress trees, the
| tysburg address the central group
typifies Freedom and Liberty.
The Angel of Truth is giving free
| dom and liberty to the slave. The
4
the arms and feet. They are guarded
| by two sibyls. On the left is a group
| typifying Justice and the Law. The
| central figure in the chair of the Law
I ha& the sword of justice in one hand
! with the other she holds the scroll of
sibyls interpreting the law. The
| standing figures on each side are the
| Guardians of the Law. holding the
torches of intelligence. On the right
the group typifies Immortality: The
| central figure is being crowned with
| the laurel wreath of immortality. The
standing figures are Faith, Hope and
| Charity. On each side is the vessel
| of wine and the vessel Of oil. the SYM
| bols of everlasting life. In the deco
dress. the central group represents
Unity The Angel Of Truth is join
| ing the hands of the laurel crowned
! figures of the north and south. signi
flying Unity. and with her protecting
/ wings ennObleS the arts OF painting,
| philosophy, music. architecture. chem =
| istry. literature and sculpture. I'm
mediately behind the figure Of Music
| is the veiled figure of the Future. The
| group on the left typifies Fraternity.
The central figure of Fraternity holds
| together with her encircling arms the
| man and the woman. the symbols of
the family developing the abundance
| of the earth. On each, side is the ves-
sci or wine ana the vessel OF oil, the
symbols of everlasting life. The group
on the right typifies Charity. The
central figure of Charity. attended by
her handmaidens. is giving the water
of life to the halt and the blind. and
| caring for the orphans.
The figures average feet . inche s
in height. and the types chosen are
racial rather than Individual. There
are forty-eight figures in the panels.
and each figure is almost equally i'm
portant in the composition.
The color used is peculiarly attrac-
tive-dull blue. red. green and brown
rich. but not insistent-unusual. The
technique. too. is out of the ordinary.
Mr.. Guerin has used heavy outlines.
His color is held in large masses, but
applied in short strokes that produce
atmospheric effect and delightful tex
ture. and he has used tempera as a
medium rather than oil paint. The
execution Of these paintings occupied
Mr.. Guerin for three. years.
In this memorial a painter. a sculp-
tor and an architect collaborated to
produce a great work of art. and the
result is a real triumph.
\