Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 251, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1912 — UPHOLDS HIS WORK [ARTICLE]

UPHOLDS HIS WORK

Sculptor Rends Veil From Memorial to Wilde. Designer of "De Profundis” Voyages In Night to Avenge AffrontWeeps With Codntess De Bremont In Cemetery. Parts.—Jacob Epstein, the New York sculptor, made a midnight race from London to vindicate his professional honor and the memory of Oscar Wilde. At the goal he tore from the Wilde monument 'in Pere Lachaise, this city, his handiwork, the covering placed over it by Director Hedequor of the cemetery. Hedequor insisted the work violated the sanctity of the dead. After traveling all night, Epstein had. a dramatic meeting at the- cemetery with Countess de Bremont, who i was ; a close friend Mid devoted ad-1 mirer of the brilliant writer and upheld his genius, as proved in her recent book, "Memoirs of Oscar Wilde." , The countess went there to protest i against the action of Director Hede- ■ quor without knowing that Epstein was in Paris'. She came face to face with the sculptor in front of the tomb, | There was a moment of intense emotion and then, tears in the eyes of ■ both, Epstein dramatically sprang toward the monument and tore the im- \ mense tarpaulin from it, revealing the work which is likely to cause a controversy that will be a sensation In the artistic world.

To a correspondent, Epstein said: “What sacrilege to basely try to efface a monument to a great poet! I’ll remain here until I gain my pur-pose-rthe monument must and will stand. “The glory of Oscar Wilde’s genius shines despite air attempts to belittle and blot it out My six years' work on this monument will not go for naught. Rodin, my stanch supporter, aad-the real artktlc world will rise to my support.” z The monument in dispute represents in granite Oscar Wilde’s story “De Profundis.” Its advanced type of art lays it open to criticism of those of the stereotyped school of monumental art.