Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-25
Events the World of Art and Music of Interest Washngtonas
De Marco Panel Is Unanimous Choice
For Neav War Department Building
Two Competitions
Attract Unusually
Large Entries
By Leila MechHn.

Mucn interest attacneS 10 al
competitions for works Of art held
by and under the auspices OF the
Section of Fine Arts, Public Build
ings Administration, Federal Works
Agency, but even more than usual tc
that for sculpture for the War De-
partment Building, lately erected on
the square bounded by c and D
TWenty-first and Twenty second
streets NV, which was held in the
Procurement Building week before
last.
This competition, open to "all
American artists" was to obtain a
large panel in relief, to be placed
on the main facade high above the
entrance, and two huge groups. free
standing, to be placed on either
side of the entrance, all 10 be carved
in limestone, of which the building
Is constructed. For the panel, 3d.
600 is to be paid, and for the groups,
$4,000 each. these sums not lnclud-
ing the cost of carving. whether
done by the sculptor or by skilled
artisan employed for the purpose.
Great Response.
The response on the part OF the
sculptors throughout the country
was even greater than anticipated
Eighty-Six entries were made in
competition for the panel and 800
for the groups. all the latter being
models in white plaster on the scale
of one inch to a foot. All submits
sions were made anonymously.
To be judged, the competing
models were set up on trestle tables
in three long rows in the Section of
Fine Arts work rooms, and, for
closer study, in some of the office
rooms adjacent. 1t was, indeed. a
bewildering and thought-provoking
display. Obviously, there was eager
ness on the part of the sculptors
to cooperate heartily with the
Government, regardless of eXpendi-
lures of time, labor and expense.
It is estimated that each model
submitted must have been six weeks
in the making and six days in
modelling, and all were sent and will
be returned at the cost of the COM
petitorS. But not only was the
prize tempting from monetary
standpoint, but the honor which
would accompany the award was
covetable. incidentally, it is CAL
culated that something was gained
in experience by those who made
the trial.
Unanimous Decision.
After several days of study the
expert jury, composed of Carl
Miles, the distinguished Swedish
sculptor who is now living in this
country; William zorach of New
York, one of the leading members
of the Sculptors' Guild, sculptor of
the statue of Franklin in the Post
Office Department, carver as we'll
as a modeler, and Edgar Miller of
Chicago, sculptor and mural painter,
in consultation with the architects
of the War Department Building;
William Dewey Foster and Gilbert
Stanley Underwood, unanimously
agreed to recommend for award the
panel submitted by Jean de Marco
of New York, born in Paris in 1898,
pupil of Bourdelle, who, it was
found, had already executed a COM
mission for the Section of Fine Arts
"a work in sculpture for the Weldon
IN. c. post office. But it was ap-
parently more difficult to arrive at
decision concerning the groups, for
finally three were set aside as most
good, with the recommendation
that the sculptors of these be re-
quested to restudy and resubmit
models on the same scale, together
with model of a portion of the
design on larger scale-3 inches,
instead of l, to the foot.
The three Sculptors so honored
were Leo Steppat of this city, Sal
vatore Ferruggia of New York and
Earl Thorp of Danbury, Conn. The
designs submitted by these artists
were very diverse in character. One
was for two reclining figures, class
ical in general character but rather
heavy in treatment and lifeless;
another, more sketchily rendered,
was of nude figures in a plastic
group, the significance of which
was decidedly vague, while the
third-the work of Mr.. Steppat-
displayed series of detached figures
carrying shields of weapons, very
forceful and rather primitive in
mode of expression but more decora-
tive and original than the others. If
these sculptorS agree to re-enter
their works, restudied, in the pro-
posed limited competition, the same
jury will meet again in few months
and designate the winner.
Distinctly Inferior
Not only were these awards made
by the invited jury, but "a other
submissions were set aside because
of merit with the recommendation
that commissions be given the
sculptors who made them when OPP
portunity affords without further
competition, by which customary
practice gain accrues to an aver
age of l out of every 10 who took
Dart in the contest.
There is a tendency today to re-
gard the latest in all fields as the
best, especially in the field of art,
but certainly, as compared with
work submitted in competitions for
sculpture to be acquired by the
Government several decades ago,
Chat submitted in this competition
was distinctly inferior. Little imagi-
nation was shown, and the mod
cling was far from skillful. In an
nouncing the competition the Sec
ton of Fine Arts stated for the
guidance of the competitors that
the spirit and character of the
sculpture should be integrated with
the functions, design and material
of the building on which they were