The Sculpture of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition 
channels is caught up and repeated in the 
environing sculptures. Mr. Bitter’s confi¬ 
dence in the success of the ambitious project 
is amply justified. Hermon A. MacNeil, 
whose studies from the life of the Indians, 
and whose group, “ Despotism,” won him 
the medal of award at the Pan-American 
Exposition, has modeled the central “ Foun¬ 
tain ot Liberty,” as well as the related 
groups marking the spreading course of the 
main cascade. With a vigorous and versa¬ 
tile hand he has illustrated the national qual¬ 
ities and characteristics, such as “ Liberty,” 
“ Justice,” “Truth ” and “Patriotism.” In 
his unrestrained treatment of the human and 
animal forms he is decidedly audacious, but 
the air of confidence with which he makes 
his point carries conviction. 
The sculpture of the two side cascades 
has been executed by Isidore Konti. At the 
head of each are fountains representing re¬ 
spectively the “Spirit of the Atlantic” and 
the “ Spirit of the Pacific,” suggesting the 
historical fact that the two oceans were joined 
when the Louisiana Territory passed to the 
LTnited States. In these commanding fig¬ 
ures, as in the lower groups which mark the 
descending grades ot the embankments, Mr. 
Konti has manifested over and over again the 
grace and sweetness of a singularly refined 
style. The beauty and delicacy of his softly 
modeled lines are beyond question ; but, 
surely, to symbolize adequately the majesty 
and turbulence of the two great oceans some¬ 
thing sterner and less sentimentalistic was 
required than the delightful young figures 
which he selected for his types. The lighter 
vein of the series of figures of children 
astride spouting fishes is perfectly suited to 
the accessory groups; it is the entire absence 
of the strong and severe sentiment to which 
Mr. Konti had resort in “ The Despotic 
Age,” at Buffalo, which is to be regretted. 
Looking northward across the Grand Ba¬ 
sin, or southward up the Main Court, the 
most conspicuous monument is the Louisi¬ 
ana Purchase Monument, which was de¬ 
signed by Emanuel L. Masqueray. Sur¬ 
mounting the majestic shaft, which rises one 
hundred feet in the air, is a beautiful figure 
of “ Peace,” bearing in her outstretched hand 
a spray of palm, by Karl Bitter, who is also 
the sculptor of the groups at the base of 
the monument. The principal one shows 
214 
