New-York tribune., 1922-03-25
'' lrs&Ec : L eet
MOI on " omen,
Says Sculptor
Chi,aIrou- Civic Youth
j. Slcppjpe on Rock and
Merely Fleeing Sirens.
Declares MacN0nnics
BcwiIdcvcd by Criticisms
Artist SAYS He Worked for
Elite. Not Gallery. Egnor-
ing Narrow Prejudice

There is no raacor in TIC artists
soul Of Frederick MacMonncs that his
statue Civic Virtue" should be con-
sidered unworthy by certain Now York
women to rest on pedestal i'm front
of &C. Vau or that Mayor Hylan
should make it his dotv to investigate
this work Of art-oniy a great bewil-
derment Running his fingers nor-
vouslv through his hair as he discussed
the affair last night at his home, 60
West Tenth Street. the sculptor scored
his critics on two points;
In the fret place. thev arc utterly
mistaken in their Interpretation Of his
symbolism Tn the second place, they
arc proving themselves TO be in dark
state of unacsthetic murRiuess.'
Didn't Work for the Gallery
~ worked not for the gallery, but
FOR the elite said Mr.. MacMonnics.
n did rot take into account narrow
prejudices. II the statue had not been
called Civic Virtue in their Innocence
Of art these same neop,e vho arc cr1ti-
Ching ii would have passed If b. with
their usual blindness for works Of The
kind"
Mr.. MacMonrics, dcp.orinc the pop
1lar idea that the male figure is TRAM
plirg on the feminine figures repre-
senting Vice, interpreted his symbol
ism as something entirely different
from this conception.
ut is absurd Tor my critics 70 say
that the mans foot rests on the neck
or back of a woman. Are they blind -?
The man IS fleeing from the sirens
who arc crouchin- at his 'cet. trying
TO etop his progress. Both his feet
are firmly planted or rock. II would
be against ones own taste to have any
such symbolism as suEgesto by my
critics. If the crouchiug figure were
something hideous like dragon or
goreon it would be allowable, but no
artist at all serious would have a foot
on the neck Of beautiful woman.
Lived Too long To Be Surprised
Mr. MacMonnios said he he'd lived
and worked too long to be surprised
az anything. and that 1t was IN TINS
snirit he took the present controversy.
He recalled the furore created IN Bos-
Ton by his Bacchante, saying that in
Che end the city prohted by the fuss
in an art way.
"I don't know what New York will
isarn from this, I'm sure" he said,
Sbut I do hope the public will grow to
understand the meaning O. allegory
better. I have been asked what the
effect OF my statue might be on the
minds Of school children. 1t is my
firm belief that they will have 2 more
intelligent understanding Of the allie
CORY than their parents. They are
having more education in art and are
being taken to the Metropolitan
Museum to see the works Of all ages"
In explaining the origin Of the
statue and its symbolism the sculptor
said that his idea wa sto create some
thing that could be identified with the
spot where it was TO be placed. he
had hoped that 10 people walking past
it would suggest the civic activities
going on within the building. He
wanted q union of the old and the now,
the historical past and tho active
present.
This symbolism seemed to me- the
most appropriate way to represent civic
virtue in q spot where the canyons Of
the Skyscrapers overshadowed the older
buildings" he said. 81 wanted TO keep
the lovely old City Hall alive. | could
have made it thing of the past, Of
course, with small dainty Colonial fig
ures-a QUART thing Just trife more
IKE st. Paul's churchyard. But
wanted to marry the old with this mod
ern life, to make my statue a part Of
each. 1t is age-old alleeory but
breathes the activity Of the times"
Fears Sitting of Art Impulses
Mr.. MacMonnies said it would be a
pity for various reasons if the group
was rejected now. The most far-reach-
ing effect, he said, would be the sitting
of artistic impulse in young sculptors.
IT would prevent a young artist. SINH
lsrly delegated, from giving the slight
est reign TO his imagination. 1t would
Sr1 NYnv h, r
gesture of freedom
Moreover it would be contrary 70
precedent in any civilized community
dealing with aesthetic things, we're his
work refused now, after being passed