Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.)
The International Room, No. 108, on the east wall between Sweden,
Holland and Portugal, contains but a small portion of the foreign
pictures. Its chief feature is the exhibit of German art. Franz Stuck's
"Summer Night" (459), Heinrich von Zugel's "In the Rhine Meadows" (549),
both winners of the medal of honor; Curt Agthe's "At the Spring" (3),
and Leo Putz' "The Shore" (387), gold-medal pictures, are worthily
characteristic of Germany's best art. "El Cristo de los Andes," by E. W.
Christmas (bronze medal) is interesting. The bulk of the pictures under
"International Section" are in the Annex.
Holland, in Rooms 113-116, shows an art so different in its
characteristics from that of Sweden that she might be at the other end
of the earth. Where the Swedish artists show boldness, sometimes almost
to the point of crudeness, the Dutch are intent on some degree of
finish. Modernity of color is apparent, and while there are few strokes
that indicate timidity, there are fine touches of the poetic in which
the Hollander's heart shows its love of home and gardens. Those great
tulip beds are real and luscious. Family life in the Netherlands is
shown in several fine interiors, and the portraits by Dutch artists are
more graceful than those of the average modernist. The grand prize in
the Netherlands section went to Breitner's snowy "Amsterdam Timber Port"
(17). Bauer's "Oriental Equestrian" (7) won the medal of honor. Gold
medals were given to seven artists, named in the list following this
chapter.
A thoroughly delightful portion of the art exhibit is the sculpture
shown in the colonnades and on the grounds of the Palace. This is the
first time a great exhibit has been displayed in such a manner. It adds
everything to the effectiveness of the sculpture, wherever the pieces
have been designed to be erected out of doors. It has been possible to
show much of the fountain sculpture in its actual relation to real
fountains, and to give the hunters and Indians, the nymphs and the
satyrs, the advantage of natural backgrounds. In addition to the
contemporaneous sculpture there are some famous pieces here, such as
Saint-Gaudens' Lincoln, brought from Chicago, and the copy of Bartlett's
equestrian Lafayette. Among recent sculpture, one of the most
interesting works shown is a group by C. L. Pietro, of New York, "The
Mother of the Dead,"--a powerful story in bronze of the burden which
the war has brought to woman. (See p. 120.) Pietro's modeling is worthy
of an older artist. Another human tragedy is well told in "The Outcast,"
a graphic figure by Attilio Piccirilli. (p. 136.) Charming bits of
comedy are the whimsical little fountain pieces by Janet Scudder and
Anna Coleman Ladd. The honor-winners in sculpture are named in the
following list.
Awards
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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