Evening star., 1936-01-14
BY LEILA MECHLIN.

BY LEILA MECHLIN.
The exhibition Of So bronzes by NAL
vina Hoffman, which opens to the
public tomorrow in Explorers Hall Of
the National Geographic Society at
Sixteenth and M streets. is an out
standing event Of the season. These
bronzes come here from the San Diego
Exposition, where they were a leading
attraction. When they were shown
last Winter in the Grand Central Gal
leries, New York, great interest was
manifest by an enormous attendance,
and so many sales were made that
but for the generosity Of the pur-
chasers in making loans the collec-
ton would have been disseminated.
The interest in these bronzes Is
threefold-they are very distinguished
works of art, they represent the races
of mankind with an accuracy and
spirit acceptable to anthropologists
and the lay public, and they were pro-
duced from living models in strange
and remote corners Of the earth. Their
making constitutes one Of the most
romantic adventures any artist has
ever undertaken or experienced, and
their consummation was not only q
triumph of courage and artistry on the
part of the sculptor, but conspicuous
instance of a felicitous union Of
science and art.
The bronze groups, figures and por-
traits to be shown here are reductions
of the full-size originals in the Hall OF
Man-known as the Chauncey Keep
Memorial Hall-of the Field, Museum
Chicago. About six years ago this
museum OF natural history commits
stoned Malvina Hoffman to go to the
lands where types are anthropolog-
ically purest and there model. as g
permanent record, men, women anc
children representing modern breed:
or races. The number was originally
set at l00-one of the greatest COM
missions any sculptor ever received
BY June, 1888, 80 examples had been
completed and were in place for the
formal opening at the time of the Gen.
tury of Progress Exhibition-a colossal
achievement.
Figures Appear Alive.
No one who attended that opening
and saw these works then, for the first
time, will ever forget it. Excellent as
are the small size reproductions In
bronze. they tell only q part Of the
story. These figures and faces Of
peoples of all races are not merely
types. They are alive-sentient beings
and they witness collectively, as does
no other exhibit in the world, to the
brotherhood of man.
But this Is not all. Malvina Hoff-
man, who, by the way, IS the daughter
of musician and first studied paint
ing under John w, Alexander and
then sculpture under Rodin, has sue
ceeded, with rare gift and perception
in creating with likeness a sense OF
environment through attitude or occu.
patton. Her figure, for example, of
Senegal native shows him beating q
drum, head thrown back, left hand
about to fall on the drum head, the
quintescence Of rhythm, the acme OF
oral emotion. Her Afghan type Is
money lender. With the Bushwomac
of South Africa she has modelled q
child-the perpetuation Of type. Rep
resenting the brown race Is a Kash-
miri sitting crossed legged praying
infinitely quiet. A merchant Of Tibet
also seated cross legged, the personif-
cation Of patience, represents the vel.
low race.
Referring to Malvina Hoffman's
skill and achievement, Sir Arthur
Keith, the distinguished British ah.
thropologist, has said: "Her eye ha.
picked out and her hands have regis:
tered in her models the essentials OF
race. Take for example the Australian
aborigine and her child. A regiment
of anthropologists, guided by millions
Of exact measurements, could not have
achieved such q nfelike presentation
of the most primitive living races"
Artist Free In Methods.
Luckily those who commissioned
Malvina Hoffman to do this work left
her free to do it In her own way arl6
to make her own choice with regard
to manner Of presentation. In some
instances she did groups, more Otter
flll-length single figures, or, again
heads. Some Of the last are amonl
the most moving Of her works anc
most unforgettable.
The way the artist went about he,
task Is noteworthy and In measure
accounts for her success. Despite hel
training as an artist and her very
considerable achievement and repu'
tation, she left no stone unturned Il
assure equipment for the huge com.
mission she had accepted. Not only
did she inform herself as fully q.
possible with regard to the local con.
ditions that she would meet, but sht
sought the advice Of the best informed
scientists. everywhere" she says, "ws
sought out the higher government
officials for advice and cid" Amons
those consulted were such eminent
scholars as Dr.. Davidson Black ant
DR.. Paul Stevenson Of Peiping, China
DR.. HUI Shi. Chinese poet and philoso.
pher; DR.. Philip Fugh Of Japan. ant
many others. Rarely II ever did sht
model the first man she saw-hun.
dreds Of photographs were made ant
measurements taken. Going first x
Africa for Negro types In 1891. hei
first expedition, she found that TIN
best were in the Colonial Exposition
In Paris and Travelled back from
whence she had come. Four months
before starting out on her second ex.
pedition. to Japan, China. Maiay
Peninsula, the SqGth Sea Isles and
India, plaster, nlDdeling tools anf