Evening star., 1934-04-15

marble of little boy, by Augustus
Saint-Gaudens which has not been
previously exhibited This bust was executed
in Rome in 1874 and is of Frederic G. Torrey,
at that time years of age and now one OF
the masters of the Landon School.
1t happened that Mr.. Torrey's father, rail-
road builder and man of exceptional attain
ment and culture was in Rome during the
Winter of 1874 with his family. From RAN
dolph Rogers, older American sculptor, at
that time residing in Rome, he had secured
very satisfactory portrait bust In marble OF
his little daughter with which he was SO well
pleased that he decided to have one made OF
his young son, and concluded it would be well
to have 1t by different sculptor. consuming
with friends, he learned of Augustus Saint
Gaudens, who had already won reputation as
cutter of canoes and was rapidly attaining
recognition as sculptor. Mr.. Torrey decided
to try him. and with very satisfactory result
In all probability this was one OF SAINT
Gaudens' first, if not his very first. portrait
commission. 1t has been a treasured possession
Of the Torrey family ever since
To an extent this portrait evidences the great
sculptor's genius and foreshadows his character
istics in its subtlety of modelling. in its beauty
of surface treatment in its sensitiveness OF hne
Indeed in the profile of this work in the round
there is a suggestion of the portrait in relief
which Saint -Gaudens a few years later mod
eled of his own little son Homer, well known
both through reproduction and exhibition.
The Torrey family lived in the LAKEWOOD
region of New jersey. and perhaps lor TINS
reason the portrait bust became an intimate
family possession and has not heretofore been
brought to public notice. On the pedestai De-
meath the bust is cut the name, 'Freddle, ana
at the back Is the inscription, Aug. st.
Gaudens, Roma, 1874. Oh lts au1heh1city
there can be no doubt.
This was a notable year in the life OF Saint
Gaudens. "At the age of 19 he had gone to
Paris mentally and physically grounded In the
fundamentals Of drawing and low relief work,
to quote from his sons "reminiscences, al
ready taught by hard discipline not TO walt
upon inspiration but TO think best WIN
modelling tool in his hand. For year in the
Petite Ecole and two years in the Beaux Arts
he had developed his craft through vital
succession of weekly figures set up from h1e
until the alphabet of the human ngure De
came firmly planted in his mind. Last OF ALL
his trained artistic sense had pronted from
hve-year residence in Rome; since, knowing
by then what was wise to select, what TO leave
untouched. he had discerned below the poverty
of the contemporary classic movement the
spontaneity of the early Italians, he had &C
uuired from them an ability to choose MS SUD
iects from among the important hgures OF tne
moment and then to give his best eHorts 70
transforming them into vital ana eternai
SYMBOLS" What is more, he had met and be-
come engaged to Augusta F. Homer, who later
became his wife, Putting aside the craft OF
cameo cutting which he had pursued Tor ~
wears he felt himself to have become Iull-
fedged sculptor, associating with but not 1ol-
lowing the sculptors OF his day, yet believing
in the great tradition-beauty and an ideal OF
perfection Those must have been great days!
The elder Torrey, when he gave the young
hedgling sculptor the commission, made
brighter mark for himself than he could nave
foreseen at the time.
Saint Gaudens returned to the United States
in 1875. when my marbles were finished 1
went back to America and took studio on the
corner of Fourteenth street and Fourth avenue
in New York" In his "Reminiscences" we are
told of his homesickness for Rome and how,
to recall the pleasures Of the past he let the
water run in a little wash-basin adjacent to
his studio to remind him of the sound Of the
fountain in the garden at Rome.
Not only will the bust Of the little boy, that
Prof Frederic Torrey was in 1874, be found
of intrinsic interest as a work of art. but as
memento of most interesting chapter in the
great sculptor's life, encompassed about, as it
WERE with host of associations, rare and fine.
It is much to be hoped that Prof. and Mrs.
Torrey will consent at subsequent time
to the public exhibition of this engaging and
valuable work of art
A DELIGHTFUL exhibition of pictorial photo
graphs (unsigned) by staff photographers
of the London Times is now on view in the
Arts and Industries Building, United States Ma
tional Museum These record the Charms Of
England" and the great airplane flight over
Mount Everest and if one wishes to journey
by magic carpet" here it is.
Spread out before US through the medium Of
these photographs is the beautiful English
country side with its moors and meadows little
rivers and picturesque forest England may in
deed be tight little island" but it has scenery
so varied and of such nature that it gives the
impression of bigness. In the first of these