Frederick E. Hart, 1982
Washington National Cathedral
The Freiburg Münster is not the only cathedral
to carry a sensuous human form above its doorway
and 700 years later
the message is not "sin"
The story of its own creation is remarkable
as told in his own unique style by Tom Wolfe
Hart was a college-dropout mail clerk in his 20's at the cathedral
(I'm thinking of Goldmund in Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund)
when he approached the cathedral's master carver, Roger Morigi,
to become an apprentice. Morigi thought him... "promising".
By 1971 Morigi encouraged him to enter a world-wide competition
to create the panels for "Creation" over the western door.
He won that competition... and more
He met the beautiful Lindy Lain on a street in Washington,
courted her by asking her to pose for him... for Creation,
and married her.
even Tom Wolfe couldn't make this up.
A tribute can be found in the Congressional Record
and for another of Hart's creations
look to his The Three Soldiers
With luck these will last the 700 years of Ms Lust
Imagine what they will see