Saturday, May 11, 2024
One-Shot Wonders: Finishing Touches by Art Young, 1893
The opening of the Exposition was less than a month away when Art Young contributed this interesting illustration for the supplement's cover. Just for the heck of it I did a little poking around to find a photo of the finished sculpture. Oddly enough, I can find no reference to a sculpture with this subject, much less a photo of it. Anyone care to pick up the gauntlet and find us a pic of this sculpture?
Labels: One-Shot Wonders
Comments:
I think this may represent pieces of Philip Martiny's decorations for the fair's Agricultural Building. The assembled sculpture had a man standing between the two horses and the guys holding the horses sported flying drapery. Here's a picture of the completed group:
https://dlc.library.columbia.edu/mmw_photographs/10.7916/d8-cr29-t354
Click on the magnify button to get a huge image.
https://dlc.library.columbia.edu/mmw_photographs/10.7916/d8-cr29-t354
Click on the magnify button to get a huge image.
Allen, are you sure the sculpture in the drawing was a real one?
If you look closely, it's a little too ridiculous to be an actual one: two naked men riding on the animal's legs? Seriously?
If you look closely, it's a little too ridiculous to be an actual one: two naked men riding on the animal's legs? Seriously?
These horses clearly have riders, so I don't think Smurfswacker has the right one. Manqueman, the riders are in normal rider position, these horse statues are just misssing their legs at this point in the preparation process. Take another look, you'll see what I mean.
Somthing to keep in mind is that these two horse and rider figures might have been separated later in the making of the final statue(s).
--Allan
Somthing to keep in mind is that these two horse and rider figures might have been separated later in the making of the final statue(s).
--Allan
Allan, I did a Google search (yes, I know) for Chicago Exposition and came up with nothing remotely like what Young illustrated.
Are you sure that what he drew was an actual one ant something made up for the illustration?
Yes, I probably missed something, probably a lot. The synapses are firing too well these days…
Are you sure that what he drew was an actual one ant something made up for the illustration?
Yes, I probably missed something, probably a lot. The synapses are firing too well these days…
No guarantees of course, but the Inter Ocean's covers were all about showing people views of the exhibition. Of course Young might have taken liberties, but I can't imagine why. This would have been pretty hard to draw, given how the figures are incomplete and bear unwanted casting sections still on them. If he was going to work from imagination, why not make it easier and more appealing? Just my guess...
In here:
https://worldsfairchicago1893.com/home/fair/fairgrounds/great-exhibit-halls/#
If you click on the Electricity building (#8). I think I can see these guys at the right edge of the photo. If you click on #6 (Manufacturers and Liberal Arts), the background matches, and this sculpture is probably on the left edge behind the elk, but you can't tell.
https://worldsfairchicago1893.com/home/fair/fairgrounds/great-exhibit-halls/#
If you click on the Electricity building (#8). I think I can see these guys at the right edge of the photo. If you click on #6 (Manufacturers and Liberal Arts), the background matches, and this sculpture is probably on the left edge behind the elk, but you can't tell.
# posted by 
: 5/12/2024 1:03 PM
: 5/12/2024 1:03 PM
Definitely, Whygh, you've got it. Amazing how sculptures this large can disappear amongst all the rest.
With Whygh's guidance, I uncovered a good pic. The horses don't have legs because they are 'sea horses', a tail would be added. Here's a great pic, which can be made full screen with excellent resolution:
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/3896.html
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