Evening star., 1923-09-09

4
sentially trivial work. He gave up
the job and attempted to live on his
productions as an artist. He had
definitely concentrated now on ami
NAL sculpture, and was spending
hours at the zoo. observing and
sketching.
He was regularly hard up; but the
interest and encouragement of two
men. Bruce Porter, wealthy connoIs-
seur and artist in no mean way, ana
Willis Polk, the architect, kept hira
at his modelling and enabled him TO
continue.
The painter PiazzonI also became
! interested in Putnam about this time,
, and they were together in Rome in
1905. The long association with
Pfazzoni is reckoned the greatest
artistic influence in his life.
From San Francisco TO Rome was
long jump for the impecunious
young Californian. With what hard
ships he made the voyage may be
imagined. Behold him in Rome, an
artist among artists, who had never
been an art student!
Neither previously, nor in Rome.
nor in Paris. nor afterward, did
Arthur Putnam receive any regular
art instruction in course.
He never had q lesson in his life!'
exclaims a fervent admirer. But this
is, obviously, an exaggeration.
1t is true that Putnam received al
most no Academic training. In Rome
he worked, producing things, like any
other artist. From Rome. he came
up to Paris, where he exhibited ana.
by degrees. won recognition in q
| limited circle OF artists, who could
understand the mastery strength OF
his animal interpretations.
He learned his art by working at it,
his long experience OF the freedom OF
, primitive life made him sympathetic
| toward wild animals, and months of
hard and bloody work in the
| slaughter houses of San Francisco
taught him much more than the es-
senttals of animal structure.
Often. as great artists OF Paris
now say OF him, he would seem
half-consciously to shape the supple
muscles and heavy limbs OF his big
beasts. The thing was in him
where he got it.
From his boyhood days in Califor-
MIA he had .sketched and modelled
while observing with a patience
which cared for nothing else. In
! the wilder parts of California he
| could still see a mountain lion cross
| the road, coyote stop to howl On
| the plain or a bear amble from q
| forest path In the San Francisco
Zoo ne had the big cats" and ex-
| otic beasts, while in Golden Gate
Park there were herds of buffalo and
paddocks of deer.
What did he get in Europe?
| = 4 y
| TT is reproached that for years Ar
i thur Putnam starved and struggled
| in San Francisco. But did Europe
| do better by him?
In Paris. years ago." as Mrs.
| Spreckels, herself so young, ex
claims In wonder, Putnam had a lit
| tie boy to sweep out his studio and
help with the messy ingredients of
the modeler. That boy was Ralph
! Stackpole, who Is here, now, study
ing art and exhibiting in the Salon.
| Well, Stackpole, In fact, got more
from Putnam than Putnam got from
Paris.
Because, what happened? Certain
great French artists recognized his
| genius, ana got his plaster casts
a place Of honor in the Salon. But,
| they were busy men--their recogni-
tion stopped here. And the public
even in Paris, has to be told, This
man is a great sculptorw In the
| end, Arthur Putnam returned TO San
Francisco with his plaster casts.
It was in San Francisco. after all,
| that a rich American woman who
knows art sought Putnam out (part-
| iy on suggestion of Aubertin and
others in Paris, IL Is admitted) and
went to the very considerable ex-
| pense of having fourteen OF those
plasters done in bronze, so that they
might be adequately exhibited in the
San Francisco Worlds Fair.
1t was In San Francisco that he got
the gold medal.
1t was in San Francisco again,
years after. when his health was bad
and fortune frowned consistently,
that Putnam was told chow unex-
pectedly) to pack his trunk and start
Iuxuriously for Paris-to superintend
the casting in bronze OF practically
all his best works that remained un-
injured In their plaster state!
Now in Paris, truly. those zoe
bronzes have received a masters ova-
| ton at the great art exhibition OF the
chancellor of the Legion of Honor.
Paris elegants admires them-and
desires a Putnam wild beast, done
| in bronze, Of course! (The greatest
plasters are messy. It takes an artist
to appreciate them. One cannot
blame Trasix for not admitting Put
nam's samples)
Now he could sell anything that he
might make, and name his own prices.
Is it "Hurrahr' or "Alas?" The great
est animal sculptor of America is in
the south OF France. the most part Of
his work, perhaps, accomplished.
IN a Palace overlooking the Pacific