Arizona republican., 1922-04-25
BY Ripley

other city in the country. Up-to-
date figures for cities and countries
are not available. Back in 1913, the
American Scenic and Historic Pre-
servation Society attempted to find
out how many men and women were
honored by equestrian statues. There
had been a popular saying that there
were only 100 such statues in the
world. A census taken by the society
| located $40. not including statuettes.
OF these the United States had IS,
thereby leading all other countries.
Paris and London. however, had
more equestrian statues than Wash
ington In this country, Philadelphia
ranked second with II, and New
York third, with s.
Few Mounted Figures
Several reasons can be given TO
| show why there are so few equest-
ran statues compared with the great
number OF statues in existence. The
first is that only certain classes OF
! heroes and heroines are suitably inn
mortalized on horseback In Europe.
kings, queens, and military leaders
monopolize this type of memorial.
| This country has had no equestrian
/ statue of a king since its very first
/ equestrian memorial erected IN lI7O
| to George III and later melted into
| 42,0SS bullets to help the cause Of the
| American Revolution.
our horseback heroes are generals,
| with perhaps a dozen exceptions. Kit
| Carson for instance rides horse on
d pedestal in Colorado st. Louis. in
/ the town named for him, is repre-
| sented on horseback Pa II Revere,
| in Boston, is shown riding to warm
the countryside OF the approaching
T.ritish.
/ The scarcity Of appropriate sub
jects for equestrian statues restricts
their use. and they are further i'm
| ICED by the cost and worK involved.
| A mounted hero costs four or five
! tines as much as one standing.
! Wien possible, Congress provides
cannon captured in the hsros cam
| rs gns as matCriaI for statues Of
| generals in Washington Even SO
he cost ce genera, on ho-aeback
runs to s50.0ad or eyea S75,cec. in
| tlua'ng the pedestal. which some-
tines has cos. more than tie statue
\ se;Gp:nr often spends several
| wears on 1 commission &c IN e.ucst-
rian group. The horse ecmphcatcs
matters so that long study is re.
| quircl in !. l.'aa1ing aysuit9iile rose of
/ horse ard uer. And IS the design
scG and execution of such piece OF
| W ,rk a~o ard. Gus. the scuirtor tnust
be paid accordingly. :
Little Variety Possible
The difficulties of portarit sculp-
1 ture are increased IN horseback fig
ures because there are so few possi-
| bilities for variety Horses in un-
usual contortions are not approved.
yet the mount should show life and
| spirit. A general may be repre-
/ sented holding field glasses or a
| sword He must wear the proper
j uniform. The colonists in 1883
1 wanted a statue of George Wash
! ington made showing him on horse
back and dressed in a Roman toga
and wearing a laurel wreath. But
no such romantic equestrian statue
Of an American general ever n1ater1-
allied.
A general must be realistic IN
! bronze and no antique symbolism OF
departures from sober dignity and
truth are permitted One sculptor
who suggested that he depict a
i general standing beside his horse as
pleasing novelty was coldly IN
formed that an equestrian statue was
not field for innovations Whlcn
might reflect on the dignity of the
nations military heroes. In ar
equestrian statue a general must be
represented riding ON a horse. Tc
show him standing beside a mount
might lead people to think that ne
could not sit horse with proper
military spirit.
So far all the military men hon
ored by mounted statues in Wash
ington have been associated will
campaigns not later than the Civi
War. In these early wars genera
rode a horse in battle and lived on
| horse in wartime.
But when the Capital comes K
honor the generals of the European
war either realism or art is going tc
receive a jolt. For while some O
our generals do ride, and ride well
yet truth and realism would seem tt
demand that the modern general bt
portrayed riding in an army automo.
bile or seated at desk giving orders
over a telephone. However, tht
sculptors will probably stretch Z
point and continue to give us mill
tary heroes as they appear at Army
riding contests or out for morning