Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-12-09

Glicenstein was born sculptor.
There are few that / know today
who are capable of putting them
selves before block OF wood or
marble and carving cut of it a fig
ure or group of figures, without
preparatory designs and preliminary
studies, with the sureness Of hand
that is Glicenstein's.
In this he follows the precept Of
Michael Angelo who used to say:
you have to carve statue from
the block" But in marble it is not
possible 10 make corrections and it
lis necessary to have truly aston
ishing sureness Of hand to cast it in
advance of the block, which with the
least slip may go to ruin.
Enrico Glicenstein was born in
Turek, little village lost in the
plains of Poland; 1t can be said that
the passion for art appeared in him
with his birth. A son Of poor
Jewish tombstone cutter, which
tombstones he used to decorate with
symbolic designs, Erico, at thirteen
years of age. was already a turbu-
lent spirit, lover of liberty and ad-
venture; at that early age he ran
away from home in search of his
own fortune. He had a little money
in his pockets in addition to a pock-
ct knife.
Early Recognition
With the knife he carved thin
sticks and small canoes, selling
them to passers-by and thus pro-
curing means for a livelihood. There
are many today who treasure these
samples of Glicenstein's early,
graceful bits of sculpture.
After wandering for several years,
he came to LODI at the age of sew
enteen. At once his work received
public recognition. The critics
spoke highly of him. art lovers gave
him commissions and patrons Of art
sent him at their expense to the
Munish Academy in Bavaria.
Here, his progress was palpable
and constant. So rapid was his ad-
vancement, in fact, that several
months later, in competing for the
Prix de Rome, Glicenstein earned
the splendid stipend.
At Rome
1t is at this point that the real
career of Glicenstein begins. Com
ing to Rome, he never left it again,
except for minor visits. 1t is inter
estding to note that the Italians
consider Glicenstein thoroughly 1tal-
ian, specially in view of the fact
that he has acquired Italian citizen
ship: the Poles, on the other hand
consider him a genuinely Polish con-
tribution.
The manifold beauties of the
Eternal City, its complex and varied
views, the spirit of classicism witt
which it is pervaded have held Gil
censtein so firmly that he has never
been able to abandon that soil which
has become incxtricatly n part Of lli
art.
ImpressiOnism and Realism
When Glicenstein began his worl
in Rome, Italian sculpture was pass
ing through crisis. Impressionisn
and realism dominated the works o
even the foremost sculptors of th'
time. The inflated, the melodra
matte, the anecdotal. with theil
spirit of commercialism, were the
factors with which he had to con
tend. Glicenstein was one of thos'
very few who initiated the renais
sance of constructive, architec
tonic sculpture in Italy.
To the pasty reproductions Of thu
truth then in vogue, he opposed thu
research of plastic values His art
which conhicted with all the current
methods, in order to lift itself to thu
good tradition of the Greek perot
and that Of the Renaissance, irritat
ed the colleagues OF Glicenstein whC
believed him to be hostile upstart
] But he continued on his patch, hew
ing out his own niche of fame, oh
livious 70 the sntagonism which
might have discouraged lcs'
valiant spirit
A few years later, Glicenstein cx
hibits in Paris-side by side will
Rodin, who expressed great admira
ton for the work. Then came {
,,,id succesgion Of highest honor