The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-11-13
GRENoUGH's STATUE OF WASH
1NGTON.
By EDw. EVERETT, Minister to great Britain.

s,aod ahout twelve feet high. ltrepresents the
great hero statesman, ana ciuzen, WIN ="
RIGHT hand pointed 10 Heaven ana inc lei, manu-
holding a sword with the handle turned rom
the person The upper part OF 'ne nsoie -
from the middle Of the body down u IS covered
with senatorial drapery. very pleasing ell
f.ct i produced by the manner IN which The
hack Of The chair is carved In open WORK, so as
10 display the back of the figure. The sides OF
The chair are wrought in low reefs symbolical
of Inc character and fortunes of North and Soutn
America and on the top OF the char, risht. anu
left. are figures of Columbus and OF NAIVE o.
our continent The face is composed rom 'i,a'
III Houdon. with ,udicous comparison oil the
other contemporary authorities. II represents
all the elevation, benignity. and force OF WASH,
inoton,s character his tirmness, tempeieu
with pure benefcence; and II possesses an au |
VANTAGE not shared in an equal degree by tha'
Of Chantrey, and still less by that OF Canova'
in faithfully reproducing the wen known lea-
tnres with which every American claims per
sonal acquaintance as of familiar friend or
yenerated parent II will be seem however
that Mr.. Grenough has by no means slavishly
copied Houdon. II
This grand work is Of one single piece OF
marble, not of pure white, which u IS impossi
bic 10 procure in masses OF sufficient SIZE LOT
such statue without stains fatal TO Ills beauty,
but of blush tinge highly favorable to The effect
IA
now preferred for works of this description,
There are two points, in reference to which
we have heard of Mr. Grenough's Washington
criticiseJ and on which we beg leave 10 stale
our impressions. One is the absence OF drape-
nv from the upper part OF the figure the other
is The precise significance OF meaning OF me
statue and the propIiety OF sitting posture
The first topic, that of the costume OF works
of art, Is of course, too extensive 10 DC exhaust
10 III In n
doubtedly, some difficulties. There are two
schools among artists in this respect, and two
opinions among Judges Of art. Without en-
gazing in the discussion, we may with safely
saw. that TO con6ne the sculptor, IN great
monumental work like the statue OF Washing
ton, TO the exact imitation OF the clothes and
the manner in which tie hair was dressed. IS
greatly to limit the field in which the creative
skill Of the artist is TO be exercised and TO reduce
TO a low point the standard Of the art. Il rests
upon The false assumption, that the closest pos
sible imitation Of life is the object OF the art Of
sculpture 1t leaves little but the face which
would not be purely mechanical imitation, and
not only so, but the imitation OF the most gro
tesque and fantastical Of human Inventions
The caprice of man has certainly never wan
dered so far into the tasteess and extravagant,
as in the department Of the tailor and hair
dresser. With all due respect even for these
personages, az they existed and iourished in re-
evolutionary times, we must boldly say, that
there are few things more ungalnly than the
powder and pomatum, the earocks and dubbed
hair, the coat and small clothes OF continent
tal maior-general of that PERIOD If II were
deemed desirable TO perpetuate them, and II The
imitation Of nature were, without qualification,
the principle Of the art it would be better, as
they do in the wax-work museums, instead OF
rorturing the marble, 10 put bona tde peruke
and cloth uniform, faithfully fashioned, alter
the model Of l776, upon the head and shoulders
of the statue.
Mr.. Chantry, who belongs to what the En-
gsh considered the school OF historical lmita-
ton, in the English costume, has given Wash
ngton drapery destitute OF the only merit
such drapery can have that of resemblance to
the costume Of the time-Canova gave to Wash
ngton the Roman military costume, bearing no
resemblance to the modern, covering the upper
part of the person, but leaving portion OF the
leg bare, conforming 10 ancient usage In militia
nv statues, but unlike as possible TO any dress
actually worn in America and Europe IN mod
ern times. Mr.. Greenough has adopted dra-
perry which meets all the requirements Of deli
cacv which is sanctioned by the authority OF
the greatest masters of art in ancient and mod
ern times, and TO which the public is now recon
ciled and famarized inb usts, which are almost
Invariably made either wholly nude, or with an
artstical drapery unlike any thing actually worn.
This drapery, in the statue OF washington,
gives the artist the opportunity OF displaying
the nervous arm, the broad shoulders, the full
throat, the arching breast, and swelling muscles
Of an heroic figure in all their be autful and man
" proportions and symmetry. That some OBJ
jections TO this mode Of representing Washing.
ton will be felt by those who have not reflected
much on the subject, nor traced the necessary
details and consequences of any other system,
we the less doubt as we have already heard
IL, L., end haua Of
them ourselves We have, however, a conf
dence, founded on experience, that the more the
subject is weighed the more these objections
will be found to lose their force; and we are
strongly inclined to the opinion, that the public
taste will finally settle down in the conclusion,
that Mr.. Grenough has, in this respect, adopted
the plan most consistent with the dignity OF the
work to be performed, and most likely to afford
a refined pleasure, independent OF the caprices
of fashion, in all future time; for the period
can never arrive so long there is any taste or
fondness for the beautiful creations of art, when
the sklu deneation and idealiZaon Of :" the
human form divine,n will not be considered one
of the highest efforts of initiative skill.
The other point on which we presume Mr.. CTS
statue will be criticised, because we know II has
been, regards the congruity of sitting posture
with the action supposed to be indicated-that
is, the resignation of Washngton's command
at the close Of the war. We emphasize the
word suppose, inasmuch as this idea, however
current, aud even natural on hasty inspection
OF the work, is wholly groundless. That mill
{ ry officer would not perform the act OF resign
ing his command IN a sitting POSTURE Is SO ex-
ceedlngly obvious that II could not have escaped
an intelligent artist. Common pollteness re-
qures the performance Of every such act in
standing posture. Again, IN point OF fact,
Washington resigned not his sword, but his
commissions Ii is not to be supposed that an
artist, undertaking to record a specific event,
would have wandered so far from the well known
mi a sword a