Evening star., 1940-07-28

equestrian statue of Washington in
Union Square, New York, is ad-
mitted by all to be a masterpiece.
Less fine, but also worthy of COM
mendatiop, is Browns statute of Gen.
Winfield Scott in Scott Circle, Six
teenth street and Massachusetts,
avenue, in close proximity to the
Thomas by his young pupil. Ward
spent seven profitable and happy
years in Browns studio, first as
pupil, then later as an assistant.
Field Once Barren.
1t is hard to realize how barren
was the field of sculpture in this
country before 1850. In the earliest
days of the Republic, when sculpture
was desired, sculptors were brought
from Europe. Then when the Capt.
tol was built and sculpture needed
for its adornment, there was an
exodus of young American sculptors
to Rome, all of whom, with perhaps
the exception of Crawford, fell COM
pletely under classical influence and
feebly re-echoed the past. Another
obstacle in the way of progress was
the public attitude toward the nude
Before Hiram Powers Greek Slave"
could be exhibited in Cincinnati it
had to be seen and approved by
committee of clergymen, and the
exhibition of Greenough's Chanting
Cherubs," with their little round,
plump bodies unclothed, caused
furor. What would. the censors
of those days have thought of un-
uglified, distorted nudes to be found
in almost every gallery and exhibi-
ton in this country today? Per-
haps it is just as well not to know,
for, according to reliable sources,
these who so valiantly upheld
Puritan tradition were not always
restrained in the matter of speech.
From the least fertile soil, how
ever, there sometimes springs an
amazing flower, such, for example,
as Henry Kirke Browns George
Washington of Union Square. 1t
was Wards good luck to see this
Towering and to take part in it..
When the time for casting this
statue came, the French founders
struck for higher wages, and it was
Ward who carried the work to a
happy conclusion Not anly did
Ward learn much in technical way
from Brown, but also through him
made contacts with other sculptors
and with thoughtful leaders of the
day. Much of Wards production is
said to have been in advance of his
day and generation, but he built on
the foundation acquired while work.
ing with Brown. For one thing, he
seems always to have known what
he wanted and, when acquired, what
to do with it.
Portraiture provided chief outlet
for the talent of both sculptors and
painters during the first half of
the 10th century. In 1859 Ward
came to Washington and spent two
winters here doing portrait busts,
chiefly of lawmakers. Most notable
of these were the portraits of Sena-
tor Hale of New Hampshire, Joshua
R. Giddings of Ohio and Alexander
H. Stephens of Georgia.
In 1862, back in New York, in his
own studio, he was elected an asso-
ciate of the National Academy of
Design and the following year a
full -f1edged Academician. His first
work of Importance, that which
brought him to general attention
was his Indian Hunter" modelled
first as a statuette, then full size,
acquired in 1864 for placement in
Central Park, New York. 1t is hard
to understand why so much impor-
tance was attached to this figure of
an Indian hunter and his dog, un-
less we remember that it was a
daring departure from what was
then the usual. Primarily, it was
an american theme, and it was ac-
tive rather than passive. With q
broad leap the sculptor separated
himself from past tradition. This
was done, however, not deliberately,