The Bronze Doors For The National Capitol
It is koown that tho arfist Iïogers Win comtnissioned soikö yeura 'if. !,v pur giivernmeut In otudcl ncUiiive cast in bifüX'.; folditig doors fur lllö Capítol. Tr.o dwirs have u.-t bicti casi nt Muuk-h, :■ tn 1 ui Englifh wrilur sho has sceii thtitu give ifio loüow.ng die:tion nï U.c dtfigi.M whiib i niumutt ! them : " The bronzo doors i o tended tpr the : capítol ut Wufrhin&ton, designcd uud , modellfd ut Rorrw iy üio Aitieiican nriir-t, iioyers, havo lulöly been qu view :it tho Koyal PVnindry, wheró tht'y wcro cas;. rriio woikui&uship, as is. ahvays ilic caeo . i'h uhalevtr ates Irom the Munich foundry, s adiuiriille. Theio is a Bhiirpness n iho lint'8, und u finish in tho mjnuluBt I tnil, whith aru u ihc Itihest degree ciedituble. Of the doors tliernselveti t i.s Qoteasyto convoy an adequatu dou by a mera descrintion ; for uu eniiinu-] ralion of all that is represented iniglit i induce tlio buürf tbat thero was a crowoiog oí' objectfi, and thut tho allotted spaee was overfiiled ; and this is nol lbo cuso. Each door - ihe wli(]e! fonris a folding door - is dividud uto four conrvpartirienta or panela. Thus, with a suini circular spaca nbove, wbich has the breadth 1 both iho doorn togetber, there ;iro nine divisions, in eacb oí whiuh an important momeut oí Columbus'a lifo is represented, The figures stand out in (uil relief and sotne of the groups aru eminentlv successlul. Tile erowning eveut oí' the discoverer's oareer occupies the coin(iianding spot over the top of tho doors Here Columbus, standing ou a mound forma tho central figure. He lias just hmded froin u boat, and with the atan aard of Arrögon and CubtÜe ilaniod on tho new soil. and with word upraised in hi.s right hand, ho takt-s possession of the land in tho name ol his sovereign. Sotwe boatmen uro st:ll in the skiff, others are kneeling on tho sbore, whilo a group of Italiane, peeping frorn behind a tree on tho opposite eide, look on in woodering astoniahtnent. In ono eotnpai tment i.s represented the triumpbal entry of Colutnbus mto Madrid on his first return iroin America, amid crowda of gazors at ti i tu , the horo of the triurnpli, and at iho Indians, who precedo the procession with paroquets on their npraised anns. "The next panel is occupied wkh a sadder story. Hero Columbua, in chaina, surrounded by a Rorvowiog nopulation, is about to embark for Europe. Tb en the ' la.st suone of all ' accomplisbing ' Strango oventlul hislory,' we seo liiin on his dea'.li-bed, attondcd oniy bv a nun and sotne pricsts, who adrninister tohitn tiie consolations of religión. His son stands besujo liim. In the thickness of the door itsolf niches are formed at cerUiin n'orvale, and in theso are tttiail whole lengih figures of the great conteníI orarles of Columbua - kings, stateemen, eccleiias'.ies and warriors. In the centre, close '.o each other, are tvvo sucb unes of niches, while on both eidea a single row of figures, one above tbeothor, fi'ls up the intermedíate spaco between tho outer e'd'ge of the panels and the door-post. Tlio large bosses, so often seon on doors, are hero the heads of those histonans who have written OO tlie discovery of America. "The ornamenta bélow each niche are heáds of aniinals indigenous to the country, with iruils and flowera entwined, also charaoteristic oí tlie New World. Every ornament is appropriate, ( and üiough ihey are manifold there ia no confusión. As tliero wil! be no chance of 'the work being forft-arded to the place of its dé6tintmori for soir.e time to cotne, it might be p86blo to induce the authoritioa to allow il to be sent to England meanvvhile, whero it ould not lail to be looked at with the greatest interest. exhibttión of uext year might present the deaired opportubity Uit laking such a stc. - The artist would be glad that so good an occasion oflered for niaking his work known : and the Anftèricacs would surelv not bc unwilling to show tho world how munifioently they had come forward to orect a grand nutional monument. ;'
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Old News
Michigan Argus