Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18


a most distinguished figure Deeply
as we may lament the fact that Daniel Chester
French has finished his work. will create no
more, we cannot but rejoice in the thought that
he will live indefinitely through the work that
he has done, the beauty which, through his
creative ability, has already found permanent
form in imperishable materials.
We are most fortunate here in Washington
to possess several of Mr.. French's most success
full sculptures works covering a wide range in
years and Of extremely diversified character.
At Kendall Green stands his beautiful group,
the Gallaudet Memorial, representing the great
teacher of the deaf seated in a chair, with lit
tie Mary Cogs~ell, his first pupil, at his knee-a
work Superby wrought. yet with infinite tender
ness; a work as widely separated from the
mere literary production in sculpture illustra-
tive in intent and catering to public fancy as
black Is from white. For here we have a truly
sculptural conception intelgently rendered. In
the Corcoran Gallery of Art acquired but few
years ago from the sculptor, is marble group
entitled The Sons OF God Saw the Daughters
of Men That They Were Fair" a purely ideal
1Stlc composition which had its origin in chance
forms produced by a gushing geyser in Yellow
stone Park-a sculptor's dream come true In
Dupont Circle stands Mr.. Frenchs Dupont
Memorial Fountain which happily replaced, by
permission of Congress and through the gen.
crosby OF the Dupont family, an absurd efhgy
OF Admiral Dupont which for many years occu-
base Of this fountain represent the Sea, the
Wind and the Stars. Each is beautiful, but
the three are but part of great design,
subServient to the whole. Finally, there is Mr..
French's heroic seated statue of Lincoln in
the Lincoln Memorial, wrought with deep rev.
erence and rugged strength. Certainly Mr..
FTenchS ability to work in more than one STYLE
and to see IN more than one way could not be
better evidenced than by these four examples
But undoubtedly Daniel Chester French will
be longest remembered by his exquisite Milmore
memorial, Death and the Young Sculptor"
bas-relief memorializing a young sculptor who
was called by death all too soon, erected in q
cemetery near Boston where Mr.. French's ashes
now rest This is undoubtedly one of the great
works in sculpture that have been produced not
only in this country but in modern times,
evidencing on the part Of the sculptor great
depth of feeling as well as skill of hand
Anna Seaton Schmidt once said in an article
on Mr.. French published in contemporary
magazine, above all else, he was an American
sculptor, for not only he born in America
but OF an old New England family, rich in the
inheritance of our best traditions and ideals"
And from first to last she found his work
typical Of America and unlike that of the sculp-
tors of any other land.
Doubtless this is true. Born in Exeter, N. H,
IN 1852, Mr. French had traditional New Eng
land upbringing and associated from his
earliest days with men and women Of excep-
tlonal intellectual quality and attainment. His
aptitude for art was manifested when he was
very young and was encouraged and developed
by his parents. His first work was q frog
carved from carrot-seemingly q crude begin
nng, but merely evidence of plastic instinct.