The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-14


the few electric public demands monu-
mental work. Now 1t has been Epstein's
fate to stir up hostility and controversy
whenever he embarked on monumental work.
He was practically unknown when, a good
many years ago. his carved stone figures on
the British Radical Association Building in
the Strand aroused very storm of abuse
They were described as grotesque carica-
lures and Mrs. Grundy" took violent OBJ
lection to their immodesty. Epstein had had
the audacty to perpetuate in stone "A
public building pregnant woman, An un-
forgivable crime, to be sure-almost as bad
as that other offence: he had treated his
stone in the spirit of sculptor and not of a
modeller he had boldly chselled out his
figures in related planes; he had shaped them
in accordance with his own sense Of fitness
and not In pursuance of an antiquated and
worn out ideal of classic beauty.
The controversy was carried on for weeks.
and the urrabbidu demanded the removal of
the Objectionable figures, which, however
are fortunately still to be seen in their orig
inal position. though believe the artist
persuaded to make some slight modification
on one of the statues.
Paris Bars a Monument
No sooner had the excitement subsidized
when it transpired that the Paris municipal
authorities had refused to allow Epstein's
Oscar Wilde tomb in the Pere la Chaise
Cemetery to be unveiled. 1t was a noble
monumental conception, somewhat Egyptian
in character and absolutely inoffensive, I'M
less one accepts Oscar Wilde's epigram that
ito the pure everything is impure"
Epstein's Rock Drill" his next work of
imposing dimensions. was attacked on en-
tirely different grounds. Never before had
he departed so far from the representation
OF natural FORMS or plunged so completely
for abstraction. In his effort to give plastic
expression to the irresistible power of the
rock drill (Which was bodily introduced into
the modelled design he synthesized the
controlling force, the human figure, into
cubic and spheric shapes. in which the
facetious discovered q resemblance to a
gigantic grasshopper perched on the ma
chine. more reasonable objection would
have been the incongruity of combining the
extreme of realism-the embodiment of the
actual complicated iron drill in the scup-
tured work-wth the opposite extreme of
geometrical abstraction.
His Venus" Causes Sensation.
Then came the sensation of his Venus"
the astounding marble figure now in the
collection of Mr.. John Quinn. A Venus cut
in straight planes and globular shapes, with
a kind of vizor drawn over her face, COM
pletely obterating her features; her fingers
indicated by parallel incisions on the square
stump that stands for the lower arm: her
massively growing out of the back of a
rooster-there was material enough to pro-
woke the fury of those who had been nur-
tured on the classic ideal of perfect woman
hood personified by the generally accepted
Venus of Hellenic Renaissance and modern
classioist art. And, indeed Epsteins Venus
Is difficult to explain to those who have no
feeling for the expressiveness of organized
form used in an unrealistic, unrepresenta-
'tional manner to convey a profound artistic
emotion-used as a symbol to express an
idea and its associations
Then, finally, came his Christ" this
gaunt, forbdding, rigid figure of the Saviour
risen from the tomb. fits body swathed in
the cerements; His right hand raised and
His left pointing toward IL with angular ac-
ton; His face. In which critics have dscov-
cred Egyptian Negroid ana heaven knows
what other traits, as unlike as could be to
the conventional bearded, gentle type per-
petuated by the art of so many centuries
until II has become a kind of hieroglyphic
Some have found in this face a resemblance
to President Wilson and to Sir Eric Geddes
What there is in II is strength austerity
a will hardened by intense suffering, mas
terful rising above all suffering but no
trace of humility. submission or gentleness
The hands Gre huge, clumsy and fieshy---
Intentionally exaggerated to attract the eye
with the message indicated by their -ex-
pressive gesture. Churchmen may deny this
representation of the Saviour as being un-
orthodox, or even blasphemous. It is. never
theless. noble and entirely personal con
ception. and that, to quote w. G. Constable,
us the truest praise of any work of art"
What the Art Critics Say.
One thing is certain: This Christ" follow
ing on succession OF stirring If puzzling.
works Of quite different tendencies has es-
tabshed Epsteins leading position In the
opinion OF the most competent Judges The
English newspapers that have a reputation
for real expert criticism were unanimous I'm
their enthusiastic praise. Epstein" says one
critic established his claim 70 comparison
with the greatest masters of the past" Ezra
Pound C'Diaz") In the Neic Age boldly
asserts that Epstein is the greatest sculptor
in Europe" Another we'll known critic refers
to the Christ as IAN expressive creation. the
equivalent of which no other living sculptor
could supply" And yet another speaks OF
Epstein as being mot only the greatest
artist OF our age, but no other artist is so
representative of our age"
Epstein has learnt the lessons of the
grand sculpture Of primitive and archaic
races. He has never copied or initiated print
tive and archaic art. He only shares with IL
the profound feeling for massive shapes
simple planes. and expressive forms But
into these forms he projects the vital spark
NJ his personal genius. He has never pro-
1uced and 10 If safe 20 predict he never will
produce n trivial thing.