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Page Two
THE PILOT, Southern Pines, North Carolina
Frijilay, March 14, 1947.
MacNeils Pursue Artist’s Life In Pleasant Studio
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Southern Pines
Here are Mr. and Mrs. Hermon MacNeil and a corner oi their cheerfully cluttered studio at
PineblUff. MacNeil, one of the “greats” of American sculpture, is also a painter, and on the walls
are samples of his work and those of his friend, John Ormiston. At the extreme left may be seen
two Ormiston water colors, scenes near Southern Pines. Both artists have wintered here for many
years. (Photo by Emerson Humphrey.)
ful blend of nature with imagina
tion. Thus, commissioned to do
a historical statue for Portland,
Ore., he created one of massive
height—^two Indian figures, one
somewhat dubious, the other
waving a branch in an attitude of
welcome. Christened “The Com
ing of the White Man”, and plac
ed on high ground in a pairk at
the river bend around which the
white man’s boat actually came,
the statue keeps vividly alive an
historic moment of the city’s
past.
In carrying out a commission
MacNeil first saturates himself
in the history of the place or per
son concerned. History is just one
of the many subjects a sculptor
must learn besides his art. He
must know the laws of physics,
for working-with huge heavy
masses; geology, for knowledge
of marble, granite and other
stone; metallurgy, for casting in
bronze and the newer alloys;
mechanics, for translation of the
original design into the finished
Work.
A stone cutter completes the
piece, working with electrical
equipment from the plaster
model; but MacNeil oversees the
job, whether it’s done on the
spot, as was the Supreme Court
pediment, or in his studio at Col
lege Point, N. Y., for shipment.
Most of his heavy work is done
at his College Point home, which
is on Long Island, near the
homes of his two sons, both of
whoin inherit ability in the arts.
They have a double right to it.
MacNeil’s first wife, Carol Brooks
MacNeil, was also a sculptor of
note, a pupil of M^cMoimies.
The present Mrs. MacNeil, is
also an artist—and, better still,
an artist at keeping artists com
fortable and happy.
In complete peace and happi
ness MacNeil, his friend Ormis
ton and his gentle wife keep up
their wprk and play at the Pine-
bluff (home—the world forgejl-
ting but not by the world forgot.
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by Valerie Nicholson
One of the world’s greatest
sculptors is living quietly in the
little village of Pinebluff, near
Southern Pines—working when
he feels like it, but mostly just
relaxing, enjoying the people and
the serenity, the longleaf pines
and the weather.
Yes, the weather, even when
it isn’t the kind that the Cham
ber of Commerce ordered. Her
mon Atkins MacNeil has a love
for this country which has
brought him back year after year
for the winter and spring to his
Pinebluff bungalow home, With
its back yard studio.
Talking to this gay, charming
and unassuming man, you’d
never guess, from him, that his
work is in every important
museum in the country,’ and in
parks and public buildings from
coast to coast; that his name is in
the Encyclopedia Britannica, in
Who’s Who—and in every who’s
who of art, including those which
seldom assign importance to any
one living.
You’d never guess, either, that
he’s in his 81st year, except that
his work totals up to more than
can be done in just a few years.
He’s young in looks, manner and
vision, and you have the feeling
that his best work is yet to be.
Two Artists
Just now he’s gone back to
painting, and every day finds
him in the studio. In fact, you’ll
find two artists there, for his
friend John Ormiston, of New
foundland, N. J., who winters in
Southern Pines, is with him
often, and the two take joy in^
each other’s company.
MacNeil at his oils, Ormiston
at his water colors, stimulate
each other and also the incoming
guest, who hears each sing the.
other’s praises while keeping
mum about his own achieve
ments.
The studio walls give testi
mony to those of both. Early this
month the MacNeils staged an
Ormiston exhibit, along with a
tea, honoring also their house
guests. Dr. and Mrs. Riley of New
York. The studio was shined up,
and the artists swapped their
customary old corduroys for,
“company clothes” in deference
to the occasion. Everyone had a
wonderful time.
Ormiston’s water colors, scenes
around Southern Pines and also
of the "Virginia and New Jersey
seacoasts, were ranged along one
wall. On another they ran into
MacNeil paintings in an inextri
cable blend.
Friendship and Art
And that’s the way the two
friends are. Their conversation
goes in counterpoint punctuated
with their echoing wit, wisdom
and laughter. You listen, you
laugh—and you wind up with
the idea that friendship is won
derful,. art is fin|,,, and the two
together are an unbeatable com
bination.
MacNeil points out the strength
the way he captures the “feel”
of a countryside. Ormiston glows
with pride in MacNeil’s work,
and hauls out a scrapbook con
taining photographs of his major
pieces.
Probably the'’ best known of
these is the eastern pediment of
the Supreme Court building in
Washington, D. C.—10 figures in
a vast triangular composition.
This was completed some eight
years ago.
Born in Chelsea, Mass., Mac
Neil graduated from Massachu
setts State Normal, then taught
industrial art for two years at
Cornell university. He then went
to Paris, and studied sculpture
under Henri M. Chapu and Fal-
guiere. Winniiig the Rinehart
scholarship to Rome, he studied
and worked for four years in that
sculptor’s paradise.
He was elected to the National
Academy in 1906.
Indian Sculptures
Back in America, his interest
was captured by an Indian model
he used in Chicago, and he went
to Arizona for further study of
the Indians. From this sprang a
series o^ some of the most beauti
ful of American sculptures, on
which his earlies fame was based,
such as “The Mo«qui Rayer for
Rain,” now in the Chicago. Art
Institute; Primitive Chant,” in
the Metropolitan Museum pf Art;
■‘The Sun Vow,” probably the
best known, in the Metropolitan,
the Corcoran Art gallery and
other museums, with dozens of
copies also in private hands;
“Moqui Runner,” “The Snake
Dance” and others, showing the
splendid grace and lean fine
musculature of the Indian body.
Beautiful memorials are loved
and admired by thousands who
see them daily, yet who seldom
think to ask the sculptor’s name
—one of numerous occupational
hazards of this chancey profes
sion. Among those by MacNeil
you may have seen, and thrilled
to, are the Fort Sumter memorial
at Charleston, S. C.; the George
Rogers Clark memorial statue at
Vincennes, Ind.; busts of Rufus
Choate, Roger Williams, James
Monroe, Judge Parkman and J.
Q. A. Ward, a fellow sculptor, in
the Hall of Fame; General Wash
ington On the Washington arch in
New York city; the Orville
Hitchcock Platt memorial in the
state capitol at Hartford, Conn.;
the Ezra Cornell memorial at Cor
nell university; the “Father of
Seattle” at Seattle, Wash.; the
bust of Chancellor Brown at New
York university; the superb
horse and rider commemorating
the “Pony Express,” in Central
park at St. Louis, Mo.
Coin and Medals
His design was used for the
25-cent piece issued in 1916, and
he has designed many Vnedals for
expositions and in art and eduv
cational fields. He is also con
stantly called to be a judge in
competitions in which such
sions, are awarded.
He did important commemora
tive work for the Columbian,
Chicago, Paris, Buffalo, St. Louis
and Panama expositions, and
here is just a partial list of honors
he has won: the designers’ medal,
Chicago exposition; silver medal,
Paris exposition; gold medal,
Buffalo exposition; silver medal.
Charleston exposition; commem
orative medal, Louisiana Pur
chase exposition; gold medal,
Panama exposition; medal of
honor of the Architectural
League of New York; the Saltus
medal of 1923.
He has taught sculpture at Cor
nell and at the Chicago Art in
stitute, and hais (helped [many
young sculptors on their way to
success.
One gets to be a sculptor, says
MacNeil, through knowing that
that is the one thing one wants
to do. Every young person feel
ing this urge faces far more ob
stacles than encouragement. You
can’t fool around or make mis
takes where each work repre
sents the investment of so much
time, money and effort. A major
piece takes months, sometimes
years of work.
Historical Statue
MacNeil’s best successes have
been arrived at through a force-
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