International studio (81.1925)

5*'

inueRTiACionAL

"head of a greek girl" by roy sheldon

those of the American Academy in Rome, is
greatly indebted to Paul Manship, and in no re-
spect more so than in his technique of portraiture.
Once asked whether he would treat a portrait
with the same decorative freedom as he did his
purely imaginative creations, Manship is reported
to have answered nonchalantly, "Why not?"
Why not, indeed? If sculpture is to be judged,
not by tests of historical accuracy and psycho-
logical precision, but in terms of its own beauty
of line and esthetic significance of form, shall it
not achieve distinction in decorative portraiture
as well as in architectural decoration? To the
obvious answer, that ancient art critic, Pliny,
added a keener corollary. Writing of Kresilas'
portrait of Pericles, he concluded: "The marvel
of this art is that it has made men of renown yet
more renowned."

twenty-eight

April 1925