Evening star., 1927-12-03
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

What a scandalous thing it might
be that Miss Janet Richards. the
famous lecturer. has started-all in
fun-by her joke that the new statue
now in the making by the famous
sculptor, Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney,
for the Society of the Daughters of
the American Revolution. has not
enough clothes for so staid and re-
spectacle an organization, Shame!
Just imagine a giddy Daughter In
costume au naturel, posing on the
front steps of Continental Hall. where
all the members ct al. pass in enter
ing and leaving the sacred precincts!
Time was when George Washington
sat IN such bathing habfliments be-
fore the Capitol. until shocked Sena-
tors and Representatives veile,. their
virtuous faces whenever they ap'
preached That bather who was sup
posed to he closely related to orig
inal Daughters has now dived into
the dark cellar of the National
Museum. and the statesmen may
again look up without blushing. But
snail Daughters rush in where states
men fear to tread?
tTpon the grounds of the court
fawn. both done in goldleaf instead
of figleaf. Somebody explains that
the nude young lady represents the
purity and innocence of a worthy
Judge. though judges are sticklers for
their judicial gowns. Perhaps the
skipping fawnF depicts the nimble
LAWYERS who used to cut capers be-
fore His Honor. Both are equally
nude.
This nude style seems to some peo-
ple-humorous lecturers included-to
be going too far, even in these DAYS
when STYLES ascend above the knees.
shall there not bela4 limit, somewhere?
Mussolini has issued an edict that
Italian officers shall not dance Ameri-
can dances, for such folly is 'un-
becoming an OfficeI and gentleman.
Miss Janet Richards may yet be the
female Mussolini of the ID. A. Riff
she ever loses her sense of humor.
Speaking seriously-for this statue
is no Joking matter after all-the Of
ficers of the Daughters of the Amer
lean Revolution protest that the al
legged scandal is sheer nonsense.
The committee of which Miss Salo-
mons, a skilled artist. is chairman. Wis
tied the studio of the sculptor, in New
York, to inspect the work OF art IN It's
incomplete state. They saw only
clay sketch. before the figure had
been draped at all.
Be it known, oh We laymen,-and lay
women.-that when a clay model is to
he made, the first requisite is an iron
skeleton or a skeleton of skeleton,
crudaly in the pose of the figure to he
modelled Clay without such a brace
would not stand up. thorough
sculptor must know his anatomy, for
the next thing is To equip the iron
skeleton with the muscles of the fig
ure. He must know where the CON
trolling muscles are attached to the
bones and how each muscle swells
when contraction in action is required.
Later, the figure takes on its proper
layer of flesh and skin. Through the
skin, the forms of bones and muscles
protrude or suggest their presence at
the natural points. Finally, over the
complete figure. the artist adds the
clothing. draped naturally and show
ing. by the way it hides. yet discioses.
the presence of the limbs and form be-
meath it. that it is really draped over
living. breathing human soul and is
not hung over a barrel.
So a high-class sculptured figure
comes into this world just as baby
is born. without q stitch of clothing
untl after birth. And committees
have no right TO find fault with the
styles until the figure is really |
dressed Even a baby would cry out |
at such prevnusness,
y y ~
There is a, great divergence Of opin- |
ion as to how much an ideal figure in |
art should he hidden by clothes. In |
New York City there is a statue of |
"Civic Virtue" by Frederick Mac
Monnies OF COURSE when the very |
idea depicted is SO virtuous. the de- |
piction must indicate most worthy |
virtue itself. SO the figure of man |
Is feet high is shown in the very |
cIadiatorial act of pressing half his |
weight upon the neck of a PROSTATE |
woman How brave. No squaw Is go. |
ing to tyranniZe over man in New
York City while that inspiring model |
stands before City Hall.
The point is that neither figured
seems to have heard of bargain sale |
of clothing. The man stands heroi- |
cally with his sword at right shoulder |
arms, just like any A. E. f. hero |
never learned In drill, Some people in T
virtuous New York demand that he +
should he supplied at least with pa.
anna a huf t2so ecftlyfnr 10 6~V.. 4 -