Evening star., 1935-03-24
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

D1 "ALA
Washington Most Beautiful, and
each year growing more so. is not a
city that merely shines by its own
fires, but rather through catching the
rays of genius from all parts of this
broad land and rejecting the best in
art and culture so that it reaches
home to all the people Washington
is the accumulation Of the best all
parts of the country have to offer, its
Identification and establishment Is
the cooperative effort of selected
talent and artisanship from each and
every State, backed by the best the
whole world has to offer-it Is the
quintescence of art. The very work.
shop of the Government-the group
of new public buildings-is an art ex-
hibit, to be a model for centuries for
the whole wide world. To give one
little example:
Completion of the Department of
Justice Building. which sprang Phoe-
nix-like from a recent slum area,
affords an observant passer-by
glimpseS of art in stone ornamental
tion-the skill and artistry of John
Donnelly. New York sculptor, mod
eler and stone carver. Probably no
man in America has attained the
prominence Mr.. Donnelly has in this
particular line.
The bronze, wood, plaster and stone
ornaments in the chastely beautiful
and stately Supreme Court Building
will stand for future years attesting
visually the genius of this typical
American whose best effort has gone
into the finishing touches on this
Temple OF Justice for the third CO.
ordinate branch of our Government
its balance wheel and anchor. Gus
todian of the Constitution.
This 69-year -old Ir1sh-born artist
personally modelled each and every
ornament of this type in the building.
The late Cass Gilbert had an abiding
admiration for Donnelly's work. and
they strove together on all Gilbert's
structures for the past 80 years. Too
old now to give his personal attention
to the widely scattered buildings
where his men are carving, Mr.. DON
nelly models his figures and orna-
ments in New York studio. It was
there that the graceful and exquisite
candelabras which stand at the en-
trance to the Supreme Court Building
took form. These pieces Of ornament
have been recognized and acclaimed
as definitely two Of the finest pieces
of carving in the country and they
blend with the Roman atmosphere Of
the entire building.
In spite of the Governments policy
OF considering the type of work in
which Mr.. Donnelly specializes as
purely contrsctual and a subject of
low-bidding, the quality of his work
is so excellent. and his reputation so
we'll known. the low prices of COM
peting stone carverS have in some
instances been disregarded by the
Government, with the result that, with
the exception Of the Archives Build
ing, John Donnelly has received the
contract for every building in the
Triangle to date In the case of the
Archives Building, Mr.. Donnelly was
engaged as supervisor Of all stone
carving and ornamentation.
The actual carving work of John
Donnelly. Inc, is now being managed
by two sons Of the famous father.
John Donnelly. jr-, 80 years Of age.
has had extensive training at the
Beaux Arts in New York and at the
Art Students League there. To him
the father Is intrusting more and
more of the modelling, and 1t was he
who designed the impressive bronze
doors Of the Supreme Court Building.
which are surpassed in this country
only by the Rogers doors of the
Capitol.
Desmond Donnelly, the other son.
studied at the University of Virginia
and at the Corcoran Art School in
Washington. It is he who is learning
from first hand and practical expert
ence just how the artistic figures
are chiseled and carved. He has
worked high up on the scaffolds of
the Supreme Court Building, the De-
partment of Justice Building and all
the Others which John Donnelly. Inc,
were carving. He has seen ornaments
and figures develop from Shapeless
masses into beautiful objects of art,
and has chiseled and carved with
the laborers in forming these objects.