Eastern High School - Echo Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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o F7 S . I Q N Sculpture rlllullll in f lifts e ,iflgj ' os' 1 o eq . ' I Ei f any ' 5 I 2 f .f x School W ill! l f ll 'll I-We 'M SURE that almost all you Easternites have noticed the many pieces of line sculpture in our school, but I'm also sure that very few of you know anything about them. I didn't either until I discovered that it is as interesting as it is worthwhile to get acquainted with them. Let me tell you some of the things I have recently learned. Two of the best statues in the school are those in the lobby. They are Minerva, also known as Pallas or Athene, the goddess of iwisdom and de- fensive warfare, and Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, who became emperor of Rome. The original of the statue of Minerva was made by a Greek sculptor, probably in the fifth century B. C. in the time of the great Phidias. Several copies were made by the Romans, and later dug up by excavators. One of them is in the Vatican at :Rome Another is here in our own city, in the Walters' Art Gallery. Both Minerva and Augustus in our lobby are plaster casts made by P. P. Caproni and Brother, of Boston, and were presented to us by the Mu- nicipal Art Society. By Minerva's side is a snake, a representative of wisdom in ancient times. Her breastplate, called Aegis, she borrowed from her father, jupiter, when she wanted to go to war. The head in the middle of the shield is the Gorgon's head, a ghastly sight, Deformed and dreadful, and a sign of woe. So Homer describes it. The curls on the edge of the shield are the snakes of the Gorgon's head, the whole shield was supposed to inspire fear. The helmet is a kind worn by the Greeks for many centuries before and after the statue was made and is called a corinthian helmet. You should particularly notice the purity of line and the perfect representation of folds in her robe, for the sculpture of the period in which the statue was made is considered best of all times. The statue of Augustus Caesar was made in a somewhat later period, for he was emperor at the time of the birth of Christ. This particular statue of Augustus is known as Augustus Prima Porta,', for the original, now in the Vatican, was found by the excavators of a place called Prima Porta or First Gate. Augustus is here somewhat idealizedffor his face, although it looks like him, is done in the Greek style. The cupid and the dolphin represent his descent from Venus, who was thought either to be the daughter of jupiter and Dione, the goddess of moisture, or to have sprung from the sea. Cupid was her son. Finest of all our sculpture is the piece on the north wall of the first floor corridor-a repro- duction of the western frieze of the Parthenon. It, also, was given to us by the Municipal Art Society, and was cast by P. P. Caproni and Brother. The original frieze is of marble and was made by the sculptor Phidias, and perhaps by some of his pupils. Phidias, who belongs in the time of Pericles, is considered the greatest sculptor the world has ever seen. The frieze is in bas, or low, relief, for it is no more than two inches high at any place. The western part is still on the Parthenon, although most of the other sections have been carried away. All of it was injured when the gunpowder stored in the tem- ple by the Turks, who held Athens at that time, exploded. You can see on our reproduction where a leg or a head or an arm is missing. The Par- thenon was a temple built in honor of Athene fit was called this from the Greek word Parthe- nos meaning virgin goddessuj. The frieze rep- resents the Parthenaic procession, held every four years by the Athenians, when a new robe, or peplos, gorgeously embroidered, was given to the great statue of Athene in the Parthenon. Our section of the frieze shows the beginning of the procession. You will notice that every horse and every man is in a different position, Page Z4

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Trials 0 UL Puppet FRANCES STURGEON ,28 NE MIGHT THINK a puppet has no worries. VVell, I am going to tell you of some of my chief ones, and then you at least will know better. My greatest trial is the girl who has charge of me,-the greatest because all my other troubles centre around her. If she were not around I would have a glorious time but- well, I'll tell you some of the things she does to me or makes me do. My puppeteer-that's what I call her-is abso- lutely the bossiest person I have ever seen. She always wants me to do everything just as she thinks it should be done. If I donlt agree with her and want to do something else she jerks my strings and I either have to do as she wants me to or fall over as if I had fainted. If she would only let me alone for a few minutes I could show her a thing or two about how I should work. Moreover, the way she makes me act you would think I had a minor part in the play, when really I am the hero. She always stands me behind a table or a chair so that people cannot see me. I know you won't beleive me,' but itls a fact that in our last show the dog got more applause than I did. I was absolutely embarrassed to tears. But she doesn't in the least mind embarrassing me. The other day I was walking off stage and one of my strings got caught in the scenery and I was jerked up in the air and-would you be- lieve it ?-that heartless girl laughed and consid- ered it a huge joke. I was never so mortified in all my life--not to speak of the way it hurt. I hope that someday I shall have a new puppeteer -one who is more considerate of my feelings! One would think that girl would be nice to me when I am on the stage, because she knows that's the only time I am free to move about. When I am not there I am put in a suit-case with the other seven members of .my family. We are wrapped up tightly so that our strings will not I get tangled and then we are placed in the suit- case. Sometimes my feet are above my head in a most uncomfortable position and I have to stay that way for weeks before anyone comes to take me out. When I get out I am, of course, cramped and stiff and canit move about very well, but that puppeteer of mine expects me to stand on my head right away. Oh, what a life I do lead! Not only this, but some people don't even know what a puppet is. I was never so taken aback as when I found that out! Oh dear !-I just thought of something-maybe you are one of those who have never heard of me. That's hard to believe, but just in case it may be true I will tell you briefly what I am like. Of course there are many different kinds of puppets but I am going to tell you about myself. I used to be a doll-oh, for those happy, care- free days again !-until one day they decided to make me into a puppet. They completely dis- jointed me and then put me back together loosely so that I could move easily. Then they dressed me and fixed my face and hair so that I looked like a boy. After I was dressed they started at- taching the strings. I had one above each knee, one on each wrist, one on each side of my head, one at the back of my neck and one in the middle of my back. With the aid of these strings I can walk, move my head and arms and do most any- thing that other people can. But alas, as I said before, I am never my own master. I hope you now have a little clearer idea of what I amp and if you ever hear of any persons who don't know about me, please tell them, for it is awfully embarrassing to hear someone say that he never heard of you. I hope too that this account of my trials may win me a little of your sympathy. I I Q 1 Y 9 ' o 5, , , Q3 4, s I i ' It Page 23

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THE EASTE.RN ECHO one is tying his sandal 3 one is arranging his cloak, some are riding, some are trying to mount, some are walking. Slab VIII is called Phidias and his horse, for, although it is not the sculptor himself, the perfection, both of horse and man, could only have been done by the master. The entire frieze is considered to be, perhaps, the most perfect piece of relief ever made. The horses are the most life-like and spirited ever rep- resented in marble. The forward movement of this western frieze will probably never be repro- duced as wonderfuly as it is here. All of you go and look at it, and see if you don't notice its perfect rhythm and movement. I suppose you all have recognized Venus de Milo in room 109, where, I imagine, she sees a great deal more of what goes on in the classes than we would want anyone else to! The figure was found at Milo, in about 1840, by a peasant, who, not realizing its value, sold it, for about three hundred and forty dollars, to a Frenchman. It was taken to the Louvre at Paris, where it is now. Venus de Milo, as she is now, has no arms. They were broken off, somehow, and no one has ever been able to make, a pair that are perfect enough for the figure. 'An article published some weeks ago says that there is an authentic descrip- tion of her, written by her purchaser, and that her arms were not broken till after she was found. Some people do not believe this, although the paper also says that her arms, iii several pieces, were taken with her to the Louvre, and that they are there now. Venus de Milo is the most beautiful female statue in the world. The graceful outline and simple modeling have never been equaled, and probably never will be. Besides the Venus de Milo you will find a copy of the bust of Venus in room 102, and another full length figure, holding an apple, in 109. You all know the story of Venus and the apple. This story is probably the history of the first beauty contest! The plaster face hanging.from the wall of 109 is that of an unknown Roman maiden. What a tiresome position that must be! You will find the bust of the statue of Apollo Belvedere in the library on top of the bookcase. Some people think his is the most perfect male figure, others think his position keeps him from perfection, for he has both arms outfiung. The original was probably made by the sculptor Leo- chares in the first or second century B. C. The original, or rather the Roman copy of the Greek original, stands in the Belvedere Gallery of the Vatican at Rome. He gets his name from this Page 2 5 room, Belvedere,' means beautiful view. He was first owned by Pope Julius II, and was the first piece in the Vatican collection of sculptures. The large relief, in the library also, is called Bacchantes, Dancing. You all know about Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry, who held his orgies every few years, these are his female followers, or at least some of them, for when Bacchus started reveling, everyone reveled with him. The real antique original, not a Roman copy, is in the Louvre at Paris. It was made in the fourth century B. C. The statues of Venus de Milo and Venus with the apple, and the busts of Venus, Ajax, the Greek hero in the Trojan War, the poet Virgil, and the head of the Roman Maiden belong to the S. P. Q. R. See if you can find Virgil and Ajax, they aren't hard to locate! We have three copies of the same bust of Shakespeare, one in l0l, the second in the of- fice, and the third in the library. The one in 101 has a history, for he came from the old East- ern High. You may find out something of this history from Miss Buchholz. The bust of the poet Dante is to be found in 302, Look at him closely before forming an opinion, for at first glance he looks a little like an Indian. There is another member of the stafi' of the Echo who will tell you that. It was her im- pression, not mine! Although the sculptor is un- known, the bust is believed to have been made from nature. The original is in the Naples Mu- seum. Of an entirely different style of sculpture are the two pieces in the Assembly Hall. They are Mother and Child by Charles Agusta Fraican and Precious Time, also thought to be by him, but his name is not on it. They were made in the period in which baroque sculpture was popu- lar, that is, the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. In room 309 are several small plaster casts rescued from the basement. Among them is a little copy of a Barye Lion. You know of the fine collection of original Barye pieces in the Walters' Art Gallery, I'm sure. Also in 309 is a collection of originals, all of them animals, I think. If you have made one of these yourself, you know that I am referring to the things known as soap sculps, made by some of the first-year classes. If you haven't made one, you've missed lots of fun, for what joy is greater than that of a creator? You see your lump of soap pass from one thing to an- fC0ntinued on Page 1151