The National Register.
London, England, 1809-09-03 00:00:00

.5 FPI. 3,

mass. oug to be held, we har:.'!y know, but certainly thc-,'
ought ri); to be held as an n'.l.lcted lady holds her 1;;1)-
bill and conceitedlv torkPd into 11;, folds of her robes,
when Catalani scr?anis out her hitrl:-:st note at the Opera
House. IVe think 1)e genius of ilas beei. curbed in
this de6gn : it is more ina!iimate than any thing we ever
beheld of his; -we recolle,.;. countenances of his Edward
and Eiianort,—we 1,..-cu gazed with admiration on the
cxp ring le.::.tures of his Faulknor,—and we look upon the
fi:cc of his Meli-Jmene with rea: iisappc in' 7uent ;—we look
in vain tOr that wangled agita'ion which belongs to the
ruse of l'i-agedy ; and RLeh we are certain that the
cl-ikw'. of Rossi could have bes;owed. The neck is ill
i:as a very unnatural juttines:f in the middle; the
left aril is Yeey stiff and feehle,—it bends inelegantly : the
whole figure, though majeslic, is somewhat chinsy. It is
a cou!inon piacc figure.; and though very few sculptors
would lave carved such a figure as Flaxman'sfor Comedy,
ny co:minon sculptor would and could have carved such a
figure as Itossi's Tragedy.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

SI a—Having already given )ott my opinion pretty copiously
on the group. of 65,,nres lately erected by the side of Russell-
square, I shall not intrude upon your oatirmce by any further
comments on that particular subject, except by draw ing your
4.tention to the practice of cal* in metal, and how far that
mac be congenial to the interests of British Artists, and the fu-
tare advoncement of Fine Arts in this Country ; this I have
pit:Aimed may not be unworthy of your consideration, as you
seem by the loyalty continually dispayed in your sheets to be
completely a well-wisher to your native land. The practice
being rather novel in England may, perhaps, among the crowd,
gain some admirers, but sure I am, the moment it is considered
either in a classical or political point of view, no English Gen-.
tleman possessed of taste or liberality can approve that which
must end in the sacrifice of genius and prostitution of talent.—
But, Sir, as assertion without proof is beneath my aim, I go o
to state that in no one point of view can the casting in copper or
bronze vie with the sublime, the soul enlivening resplendent Art of
Sculpture, the only true model which, independent of Nature, can
teach the young Artist nr Ihe experienced painter the real effect
of light and shade. Metal can have but one advantage, and that
consists in its durability, and even that may he disputed, as metal
is liable to cancer nad decay on the outer surface, by which means
the beauties of the work may be lost in metal as well as in
mar We. Perhaps I may he told that I am like the man of
leather, who was .for repairing the walls of his city with the
remnants of his swop—granted.—l wish the brass founder no
ill, may hi!, business flourish, and may our steeples resound with
the effects of his merry melting pot ;. but, Sir, while I would
allow him all the benefit his unwholesome employment can
furnish him with, let him not rob the inTenious Artist of that
which might make him merry too, for if the founder toils all the
-day, the real Artist must frequently labonr all night.
To the credit, however, of the Patrons of Polite Art, we
have at present not many specimens or modern bronze in this
country, for which I hope they will accept my hearty thanks,
and when I recollect the sample in St. James's-square, which by
the bye I think would have a fine effect, surrounded by very high
trees; such specimens I say are not very likely to charm John
E it into any great affection for it, But here it may be but a fair
tr Ate to the memory of that excellent artist the late Mr. Bacon,
to notice the figure of Thames, in Somerset- Place, than which
I ht.iieve modern times cannot exhibit a finer example of
knowledge, iu the way of art—but, alas! it is bronze, it is black

571

and its beauties are lost. The ancient bronzes certainly far ex_
ceeded ours; even mechanically considered, the reason is evident;
they adopted another process, which although known to us, we
do not practise, notwithstanding it 4s followed on the Conti-
nent to this day, and with much better effect ; the method I
allude to, is that of casting their statues whole, instead of run-
ning them in separate pieces and soldering or burning them toge-
ther, and to this, in a great measure, are owing many of the dis-
proportions and contortions mentioned in my last; and thoegk
it may be urged that bronze, being an immediate cast or impres.
sion from any given work, must of course preserve more
pure the real effect of the original model ; the contrary is
the fact, because the process which must naturally take
place, must more or less affect the metal cast, and the
least fault in any one joint may so affect the whole, that
it is no longer a fac-simile, but the spurious production. of
a bell-founder, or mechanic, and the uofortuatnae artist
is no longer master of his own work, but must submits'
first to see his original Idea spoiled by a rough shapeless mass,
nearly as mous as a sponge, ana afterwards more damaged by
the hand of a Birmingham chaser, who is better practised in
the art of making a pokes or a shovel than in the study of the
human figure. AU those objections are hpwever trifling, com-
pared with the disadvantage that must acrue to the artist, wilds
of course may lay aside his chisel in disgust, as the profit upoq
which he formerly existed is wasted upon a medal which Wimp.
him nothing hut vexation ; the fine art of the statuary will oe
longer ornament our isle, and the groupe which was formedy the
production of real genius and study, is to be replaced by the
filthy iinitations of the coppersmith. To all this may be ans-
wered, it is not new, it was the practice of the ancients. Yes
but where are the works which will recrimmend the practice>,
Are any of their most excellent performances in bronze ? Are
the statues of the Venus de Medici, the Apollo, the Lae.
coon, the Gladiator, the no less *admirable statues now in the
posseFsion of Lord Elgin ? Or, indeed, have we a single ancient
specimen of any magnitude or consequence in that composition ?
No, Sir, the ancients were tali classical, too polished, and too
great encouragers of real art, to submit to such a degradation of
taste. I ain well aware that the task I have undertaken is little
short of washing the blackmoor white; but being somewhat
flattered by the remarks I have had the pleasure of hearing made
stn the letter you have already done me the favour of iusertiug,
begin perii4s too fondly to imagine there is a fitiat prospect
that our progeny may witness a better taste than it seem pos-
sible for us, from local circumstances, to enjoy. I am, Sir, (what
I believe you may perceive), an

ENGLISH Aftrur.

FEMALE VAsHIONS,
zukc_ SEPTEMBER.

Motra N n D (LESS ES.—A slight mourning habit is compos-
ed of black gossamer net, or imperial gauze, worn oiler a whiles
satin slip. A demi-train. A. round frock front, and short
French sleeves, each edged with rich Vandyke lace. A centre
of white satin, edgel with gold bullion, finiglid in front with 4
rich cord and cone tassels, suspended from topaz studs. Pearl
necklace and bracelets, with topaz snaps. lac in the eastern
st% le, with a Spartan diadem, and comb of topaz or gold,
Circassian scarf of grey Spanish silk, with a Tuscan border in
black embroidery, and tassels ,to correspond, confined dill one
shoulder with a topaz broach. Shoes of grey catiu, with claps
of jet, or rosettes of black bugles. White gloves of French kid,
and fan of black crape, with gold spangled devices.
In deep mourning, the robe should be formed of black crape„
and worn over black sarsnet. The ornaments and Atiittioings or
every description must be of bugles er jet. The shoes of Queen's
silk. Tile scarf, black crave arimperial silk, sputtcd aria buz.
(tired to itb bugles. 4el taLLOi 4114 broach.

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L 1)0 .1 Al A ; 11S.

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