Tradition and Progress, by Louis Potter

This lantern slide shows a bronze sculpture created by Louis Potter and titled “Progress and Tradition” (1908). The sculpture depicts a youth leaning forward with a scroll in outstretched hands, followed by a man trying to loosen the ropes wound around his body.This sculpture was given to the International YMCA College, now known as Springfield College, by the class of 1914 during their commencement dinner. For some time, this sculpture was featured in the foyer of Marsh Memorial Library. Louis McClellan Potter (November 14, 1873 – August 19, 1912) was born in Troy, New York. Although little is known about his early childhood, his ambition to become an accomplished artist began after his matriculation to Trinity College, where he studied under Charles Noel Flagg and Montague Flagg. After graduating in 1896, he traveled to Paris and enrolled in the Ecole des Beaux Arts, where he worked under Luc-Olivier Merson and Jean Auguste Dampt. Under their auspices, Potter’s artistic style matured, and his sculptures were displayed at the Paris Salon in 1899. Sometime before 1900, Potter traveled to Tunisia, where he immersed himself in Islamic culture. His portraits from this time reveal a genuine interest in and respect for their spiritual concerns. Potter’s talent did not go unnoticed by the Tunisian people, whom he depicted in his sculptures exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. The Bey of Tunis recognized his unique service to the country and awarded him an Office of Nichal Iftikhar (“Order of Victory of Tunisia”) that year. Returning to America in 1901, Potter’s interest shifted from Islamic culture to Native American cultures, and he became increasingly attracted to mysticism, occultism, and other modes of spiritual exploration. In 1905, he traveled to the Pacific Northwest coast to experience the ritualistic behavior of the Tlingit community. Potter’s sculptures regularly appeared in exhibitions until his unexpected death on August 19, 1912. His popularity after death did not wane, and the 1913 Armory Show displayed his sculptures alongside those of European modernists, including Constantin Brancusi, Pablo Picasso, and George Braque. His work has found its way into numerous collections, including the Wadsworth Athenaeum, the Art Institute of Chicago, Trinity College, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.Text on border reads, "Progress & Tradition.