Evening star., 1937-01-09
By Leila Mechlin.

By Leila Mechlin.
Paul ManShip'S Sculpture Shoun
At Corcoran Gallery OF Art.
- CULPTURE exhibitions are rare,
but rarer still are such exhibi-
tions as that Of sculpture by
Paul Manship, which opened
the first of this month in the Cor
coran Gallery Of Art, where 1t may
be seen until January 81. This ex-
hibition, installed in the gallery OF
tapestries and sculpture on the first
floor to the right of the main stair
case, comprises 81 works, not includ-
ing two cases Of medals, Is exceed
ingly varied, but at the same time
very individualistic. extremely engag-
ing in regard to subject matter. Of
very fine quality artistically and very
beautifully set forth. In fact. it does
not seem as though the installation
could be better. The impression one
receives instantly upon entering the
gallery is pleasurable, and as one lin
gers the attraction is strengthened
and verified by the extraordinary
merit of the work itself.
Paul Manship, ever since his re-
turn from his three years at the
American Academy in Rome in 1912,
has held conspicuous and very i'm
portant place in the field of American
sculpture. No one has profited more
than he by the great traditions of the
past, but none also has been more
tenacious of the right Of individual
expression or more successful therein.
It Is possible, in fact inevitable, to
trace in his works the influence of
those streams which have flowed from
antiquity, but not in single instance
does this appear as imitation, so evi-
dent Is the sculptor's own personality,
80 clearly dominant his strength of
will.
"Manship," wrote Albert Gallatin in
critical essay in 1917. lis striking
example of Sir Joshua Reynolds as
sertion that the more extensive your
acquaintance is with the works of
those who have excelled, the more
extensive will be your power of in
vention.' His mind has acted as a
crucible into which various influences
have been poured. The works Of
the great Greek sculptors, those of In
dia, and the radiant and glorious
italian Renaissance have inspired him
to create-(he is not an imitator or
mere interpretor)-one always finds
fire and vigor in his work"
Perhaps the works by Manship
which are regarded as most indicative
Of his original gift are the groups
and figures illustrative of NEUROLOGICAL
personages and themes, such as THE
Flight of Europa Europa and the
Bull" DIANA" "Actaeon" and
'Eurydice," works in bronze, which
IN this exhibition have been given
prominent placement. These are in
deed remarkable. They have, first
of all, decorative quality-they cut
delightfully."- in silhouette against their
background, whatever it may be
they are drawn as we'll as modelled by
a sure and skillful hand, and they
impart to the beholder the enthusiasm
Of the creator, which must have
reached very high pitch. In almost
every instance these bronze groups are
full of action-"Diana" and "Actaeon"
are seen fleeing as on the wings of the
wind, in the first case accompanied by
o dog, and in the second followed by
two raving wolves. But, strange as
1t may seem, they are not unquiet;
neither does one feel that they are
frozen. So great is the symmetry of
motion and so beautifully is it ex-
pressed, that in some mysterious way
q union is effected with the funda-
mental which is, as always, static.
This is a very unusual and great
achievement.
Works OF Creative Imagination
And Beauty.
OBVIOUSLY these are works of
creative imagination; they do not
reflect life, but they enrich it; they
delight the eye and stir the emotions.
With reference to THE Dancer and
Gazelles," Martin Birnbaum has aptly
remarked. THE wise spectator skips
about with the fragile little animals
instead of pondering on the fine archi-
tectonic qualities, the perfect triangu-
lar design of the group or the obvious
debt 1t owes to the bronzes in the
Naples Museum"
From whatever source Mr.. Manship
derives his inspiration, he is invariably
skillful in hiding all traces of strug-
gle in Interpretation; whatever he
does looks as though it had been done
easily, and consequently the observ-
er's mind Is free to revel in the result.
But what study and discipline must
have been undergone to produce this
result! As colleague has said,
only his intimates can know what
deep thought and effort 60 to the
making of these facile-looking, capti-
waiting figures" Their charm is ir-
sesistible, their beauty bewitching.
How beautiful" Royal Cortissoz
once exclaimed, "are Manship's sculp-
tures," adding: ITO know beauty as
he knows it is to have won half the
he has at the tips of his fingers the
victory Is secure. 1t is complex order
of beauty that his art embodies. To
say that it embraces grace of form
and purity Of line, that he has the
ingenuity of Renaissance goldsmith,
that his designs have bewitchingly
decorative quality, that the whole
fabric of his work is animated by a
positively realistic feeling for nature,
for movement-to say all this Is to
say good deal, and yet 1t leaves the
full tale untold"
The fact is there is not one but
several Manships-one who creates
these fascinating, lively bronze groups,
another who with oousummate sktll