The Sculpture of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition 
THE HALL OF FESTIVALS 
Designed by Cass Gilbert 
excellently. We have been busy rebuilding 
and beautifying our cities ; local pride has 
had to be satisfied; and men of wealth, 
whether from promptings of real culture or 
fashionable vanity, have rendered generous 
assistance. As a consequence American 
sculpture has allied itself irrevocablv with 
architecture, as it must to reach its fullest 
expression, without sacrificing its monu¬ 
mental purposes. 
In this respect the Columbian Exposition 
came as a revelation to most of the visitors 
to the Chicago fair. Until then, for obvious 
reasons, the activity of our sculptors had 
been scattered over an immense territory. 
A few favored localities, such as New York, 
Boston and Washington, had seen Saint 
Gaudens and French and Ward at their 
best. Even MacMonnies was relatively 
unknown. For the most part the fame of 
our lesser sculptors had not traveled far be¬ 
yond the circles of their fellows in art and 
their immediate spheres of labor. The cel¬ 
ebration of the discovery of the Western 
H emisphere by the holding of a great na¬ 
tional exposition afforded an opportunity to 
assemble their productions in one compre¬ 
hensive group for the inspection and admi¬ 
ration of the world. It united them in a 
common effort and enabled them through 
the manifestations of their powers to make 
a common appeal to the political and social 
ideals of the whole people. Eleretofore they 
had been a silent, inconstant and almost in¬ 
effective force. The time had at last come for 
them to declare themselves with one voice, 
to make their mission understood and to prove 
themselves worthy of confidence. These 
results could not have been achieved solely 
through private munificence. The aid and 
authoritv of the State were necessary to give 
adequate effect to so vast an undertaking. 
It was not only a question of a lavish outlay 
of money, but of making the occasion truly 
national in significance and grandeur. The 
call to American sculptors to put forth their 
truest and best efforts was imperative. For 
just as the singer or orator is lifted to his 
highest flights by a noble theme and great 
audience, so must the artist, if he be not 
less than man, yield to the exaltation of so 
solemn and impressive a situation. 
THE DANCE 
By Michel Tonetti At the entrance to the Ha/l of Festivals 
208 
