In his letter of application, he proposed to study stone and wood cutting and to gain "a better understanding of the human figure" in Paris for a year, then spend another year traveling through Asia, exhibit his work, and return to New York.
Pada surat lamarannya, ia menyatakan minatnya belajar memotong batu dan kayu di Paris selama setahun agar "dapat memahami bentuk tubuh manusia dengan lebih baik lagi", menghabiskan setahun lagi melakukan perjalanan di keliling Asia, lalu memamerkan karya-karya sebelum kembali ke New York.