AN ORDEAL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 36, 12 February 1930, Page 7

AN ORDEAL

SCULPTURING THE POPE VATICAN SPLENDOURS A GBEAT PERSONALITY Pope Pius XI. paid me the great honour of selecting me out of over 300 sculptors, gathered together in Kome frsui all parts of the world, to make the official bust of the living head of the Catholic Church, writes Francis Cogne in the Sydney "Sun." As soon as this was decided, all doors in the Vatican were open to me, and I was given every facility to get the atmosphere of "the palace in which tho Holy Father lives his earthly life. In this way I was able to attune my mind to tho Pope's wonderfully ideal and spiritual expression which I have endeavoured to put into my bust of him. It was my privilege to sen all the art treasures oi; the Vatican. I was allowed to touch the incomparable masterpieces of Michelangelo, examine his fescues closely, and even see his models and sketches, which are . not shown to the public. I was permitted to attend service in the Sistine'Chapel, where the Pope says Mass in solitude every morning. On a hot day in July, 1922, I presented myself, at 4 p.m., at the bronze door of tho Vatican to begin work, on the bust of His Holiness. Tho gigantic Swiss guards, all well over 6ft high, who had often seen mo before at the Vatican and knew me .as an habitue, let me in without question, but as soon as I entered the courtyard the Papal gendarmes asked for my permit. My explanation as to the object of my presence did not satisfy them, and they took me to the commandant, who, having already received his instructions, ordered his men to show me in, and I was conducted to an immense hall where the audiences are usually given. Here, a priest asked for my credentials, and a few minutes later a Vatican official in a pink surplice made his appearance and signalled to me to follow him. I did so, on tipetoe, and, was conducted through a small chapel gen^ erally used for the Pontiff's private devotions and up a corkscrew staircase, used as a rule by the Holy Father only, and was handed over to another clerical official, also in a pink surplice, but having purple embroideries. My new guide mentioned in conversation that the room in which we stood was the one in which Pope Leo XIII. died. A door opened noiselessly, and another official, in black, with a white chain round his neck, made his appearance, and motioned to me to bring my implements into the next room —a marvellously beautiful place with a throne, over which was a lichly ornamented Balda'c-'chine or canopy. A marble statue of Saint Cecilia stood on a pedestal, and on the wall was a portrait of the Pope. My guide pulled a windowcurtain aside, and I realised that this was the studio in which I was to work. A DOMINATING PEKSONALITY. Next came an official of still higher rank ("How many more?" I asked myself), and inquired if I was ready to begin, at the same time intimating that the sitting was not expected to last more than ten minutes. I asked him about the etiquette to be observed with the Holy Father—what I should say, and whether I was expected to go on my knees. ;The chamberlain explained

tho very simple ob3ervancos required, and I waited. The minutes passed, and the effect, combined with all the ceremonial I had gone through before reaching the inner sanctum, was to make me very nervous. At last a door on the left opened, and, coming in from a hall of immense length, which I believe was a library, I saw tho Holy Father. He was dressed entirely in white, with small white buttons, his eyes half closed behind thick glasses. I promptly forgot all my instructions and fell on my knees, my sight failing me for tho moment and my heart beating /cry fast. As if in a dream I heard the P,ope give me his blessing in a few Latin words. I got up to begin my work, but my hands were trembling so much thai I put everything upsidedown. His Holiness looked on at my clumsy operations in patience for a while, and then said with good-natured severity: , "I think you had better try to calm yourself, as'wo shall lose time if you are nervous." This encouraged me, and I ventured to ask his Holiness if he would repeat the gesture he made when giving his benediction, as I would like to re-! cord tho attitude in marble for posterity; but tho Holy Father declined to posa in this attitude. | "All I can do," he said, "is tv give you my benediction again, so that you can observe my actions." Then the Pope gave me his benediction twice, and I was allowed to take a photograph of him. He then asked rue if I was ready to begin, and I replied that I must first take some measurements which were indispensable for accuracy. His Holiness sat down, I made some hurried sketches of him, and then proceeded to measure his head with an instrument. In the course of this operation I several times touched the Pope's head, not only with the points of the instrument, but with my fingers—a, circumstance which seemed to horrify the chamberlain in attendance; but his Holiness merely watched my proceedings attentively an<" remarked: —; "If you want to- know what sized hat I take, I can tell you. It is 66 centimetres." In the meantime tho chamberlain was looking through the book of sketches and photographs I had brought with me. Seeing some photographs of my statue of Marshal Lyautey, he handed them to the Pope.

"THE MAN OF MOROCCO." "L'homme dv Marco!" (the mail of Morocco) his Holiness exclaimed. "It ia a good likeness, and you wore quite right not to omit that small detail which belongs to the personality of this great soldier —the cigarette between his fingers." i Speaking to his chamberlain, the Pope added: '.'"What a. strange thing! Lyautey smokes cigarettes clay and night, and yet his brain remains perfectly clear, and he does excellent work." When the chamberlain showed the Pope some photographs of the bust of Mgr. Ceretti, Papal Nuncio to Prance, his Holiness remarked: "This is CeretJr to the life, although I think that in reality he is even more serene and smiling." In the meantime I had finished my sketching. The Pope looked at the drawings, and dismissed me with his benediction, reminding mo that I was to come again next day. Thus ended the first sitting. Next day the Pope was again wearing his long white flannel robe, with a wide collar, completely covering his broad shoulders. He also wore a heavy gold necklace, to which was attached a cross studded with amethysts and brilliants. His smooth cheeks, high forehead, and smiling lips radiated goodness and benevolence. He

carries his head slightly to the right. While I was modelling him, I thought of what was said about him by Mgr. Ceretti when tho latter was in my studio. _ ■. "Pius XL," he said, "is goodness_itself. He knows nearly every living language. He spent forty years in the Vatican Library, studying manuscripts day and night. .He has acquired a mass of knowledge, sueli as very few mcv.possess." _ ~ At the close of tho third sitting, his Holiness thanked mo for my efiorts, and dismissed me, and onco more I went through the series of great and splencuct halls that form'the residence o± tne high-minded and simple-living head or the Church. Everything about his surroundings is gigartic. The guards are all very tall men, of about 6ft 6m, and everything else is on the same scale.