Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-22
BY RENE DE oUELIN.


BY RENE DE QUEIIN.
Chance and an unlocked for meeting
81 mere acquaintance in a strange
land often form the nucleus OF inter
r, ,esting and permanent friendships. In
y, ,Such q manner l came to know well
and to appreciate both Augustus ST.
Gaudens and Frederick MacAlonnics.
Lately arrived in the United States
in the fall of 1881, l had no expecta-
ton that among the first persons
" soon after young MacMonnicS. who was
destined TO become the great sculptor
be Gs0se ser as the man TO eresis
which VIII commemorate the first bat
y Tie OF the Marine.
While in New York l WAS walking
up Broadway from the Battery 10 Tn
I'm Square TO sec what il like
. On nearing the square I met St. eau
casual way OH the Continent. Rccog-
.riton was mutual. and We. soon drift
I'D into conversation about sculpture
lind modelling, when il developed that
st Gaudens had a commission for the
.s,slnodeled decorative work TO be exc
in wood in the entrance hall OF
sf.the Cornelius Vanderbilt mansion on
lSf'ifth Avenue.
.sl Work. With ST. GNudcu..
~ st. Gaudcns expressed himself as be-
Wing quite unacuuainted with ornament
- ats history and handling, and asked il
tfu could help him out. l readily agreed,
land soon commenced work as his as
- UPON the ucCoEdilNC
y panels later passed upon by the archi-
j, tect, Stanford White.
r In the studio WAS much attracted
ttoward q lad of Seventecn-pale. thin.
+, gaunt and anaemic-l look in seeming
4 better fitted to be 4 patient in some
), good sanatorium in a more conGcnial
- climate 1t Frederick MacMon
a. His duties combined keeping ac-
mixing clay ana serving. it as re-,
squested. keeping the models vet and
recovering them with cloths at night.
80 81 tending to iires in winter. answering
tsrhe door and running errands.
~ No doubt the strain OF circumstances
80 at the time coupled with the vagar:cs
4 sand idioSyncraSicS OF genius, diverted
: st. Gaudcns' mind from all hut most
Expressing matters. for he gave no heed
ttanodel. thus delaying discovery Of the
stunusual talent that awaited his train
.sHng. Deprived of the opportunity lac
sstonght. under pressure from, his par
80 ents to cease sucit, mental work. and his
!. pwn ambition suffering through CON
!atinued postponemcnt OF the chance to
1, rome for MacMonnics was almost
@Sbrousht to the point OF giving it up.
Ia Suffered Lack of Funds.
- In those early days or struggle for
.sArt, 81. Gaudens was confronted with
K that awful obstacle-the lack OF fund:
10 meet salaries OK ms assistants ns,. ana ana
,.funn!ng landiady who lived next door.
tsThe strain and annoyance thus imposed
-.sold upon the nervous and highly SEN
ssyitivc nature that made him the master
.S}.e was.
~. He would wor. fu-iously for a few
81 udio possibly returning in p moroSe
and chu-i:sh mood. The pressure for
moaey vas always urbearaoIe 20 nun.
Under such spell ,ate one w .nters
morning, 81; Cauteas came into the
studio rant;ng, IS masters may. iad!ns
taul. with everything and everybody.
a
car. o: the fire and -ua er-aaGs. and
"a some. way Re excited res: :1- IA
-. Gaudsr,, who. Tx" might: ZclE-
hurled aasthena and -na!ed!ei.9Hs 'T!'!'
Clvnp.s-r S-a;a.
Evsry one else asd uader 81 A!e-
vstsd staging Uttered with iCnoer and
othe! reqtt.sitesi.tor building large
armatu-sE tSr figures vent on *':a
nv hE , W3.a: Find;sg nc o,her 10. Vent
pel;ing Jumps of ,cisg on .each side, de-
ciei moment. but fortunately kept
w ton, yqn .5 get mad s,.in! go hI,a
teeth cienched.
realized that really sick man
s,1od before me, and ! qlietiy urged
him TO go home ana relax. His brother:
Louis. came on; az the psychologists!
moment. and We succeeded IN some
what calming the overwrought man,
and Anaily persuaded him 20 leave.
MacMonnics Finds His Chance.
St. Gaudens stayed away nearly three
weeks. In the interim. his brother
Louis and we're in charge. and Mac
MonMies found his chance: for when lie
asked what ne should do. We told him
10 do what ne liked. lie Immediately
mustered two grocery boxes, such a.
hold canned goods Seated or one and
using the other for q stand. nc quickly
modelled sevcra! full length little.
comic figures. He made four or n"-.
We we're WATCHING, him with keen in
tcres;. The miniature hGures were
really well done--full OF character and
very humorous.
That MacMonnics had talent was OBJ
\ vious. We had Il talk, and decided ne
should do something serious: so we set
him to work copying ono OF Daratello's
bas-reiefs. lie did II beautifully, with
an excellent touch This was kept TO
surprise ST. Geudens upon mis- return.
At last be came. and his tour
around the studio. taking the we.
neutrality-suspicious.
= Special Sale of 8
USED FORDS :