American Masters of Sculpture: Being Brief Appreciations of Some American Sculptors and of Some Phases of Sculpture in AmericaCaffin, Charles H. (Charles Henry)
History
American Masters of Sculpture: Being Brief Appreciations of Some American Sculptors and of Some Phases of Sculpture in America
Caffin, Charles H. (Charles Henry)
Sculptors -- United States
This same sculptor was entrusted with the designs of the six spandrils
over the entrance doors. The forms are graceful and repeat with pleasant
variation the curve of the arch, but they do not adequately fill the
space, and are wanting in architectonic character. Just what I mean can
better be understood by comparing them with Warner’s spandrils,
mentioned above. Then one can scarcely fail to notice how much more
structural in feeling are the latter, organically related to the arches
and to the space, truly architectural in their character. Pratt’s
strongest point seems to be expression of sentiment, exemplified in his
busts of Colonel Henry Lee and of Phillips Brooks; in some low-relief
portraits of children and in the heroic figure of a soldier for St.
Paul’s School, Concord, New Hampshire. In all of these it is not so much
the characteristics preëminently sculptural that we are conscious of, as
the quality of the sentiment; and this same quality, portrayed with
graceful inventiveness, represents the measure of his architectural
decoration. It is, therefore, in such examples as the medallions in the
pavilions of the Library, personifying the four seasons, that he appears
at his best; for in these the sentiment is expressed not only by suavity
of line, but by a sensitive treatment of the various planes. Like his
low-relief portraits they have very strongly the pictorial quality. That
he has, however, a feeling as well for the sculptural quality of form is
evident from two nude female figures which he has executed in marble,
“Study of a Young Girl” and “Study for a Fountain,” in which the charm
of sentiment and form are very happily united.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account