Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-10-22
f:reenOusI's Statue Of Washington

In one Of orr recent foreign journals we ind
the following Incidental notice Of this colossal
statue. l, is from the pen Of continental
tourist, whose communications are under the
title Of Modern Arts and Artists in Italy, be-
ing portion Of Continental Fragments. The
safe arrival Of the statue in the United States
must make this notice, though brief, accepta-
bic. A committee has been appointed by Con-
gress to provide for the removal of the statue
TO the Capitol IN a,ional Gazette.
''Arrived at Florence, my ears rang with
the fame Of two American sculplors: Green
ough and Powers. know the Americans
write beautiful poetry, and therefore did not
see why they should not be capable OF produ-
cling marble epics at all events their advent
was sort Of Helaical rising OF Italy, which
is at once the cradle and the tomb OF the arts.
As have strong presen'lment that Ancient
America, in the myri..1 century revolutions OF
time will one day be talked OF as we now talk
Of Ancien, Rome, had great curiosity 10 see
the first lanching Of her children's presents to
pos,eri,y; still had my doubts, for heard
that both these artists excelled In busts, and
take il that the perpetua'ng human ugllness,
or even human beauty, on canvass or In mar
BILE. is the utter destruction OF the ideal, which
is the soul or essence OF either art, as |: may
be said Of sculptors aud painters that devote
themselves exclusively 10 this sort OF efhgy-
ic colonization, what has already been SAID oil
Cardinal Mazarin and Sir Robert Wapole--
that is, tina. they would do mean things Tor
profit, and thought Of doing great ones tor To-
ry." | had mel Powers previous TO visiting
him in his studio, and finer face is not pos
sible TO conceive. or one more oVernowlhe WIN
genius and imagination; there Is an almost SUI
W.
an idea tina, they in themselves contain Gre
alive power, and that he could look soul in-
10 the images he forms. From that impress
sion received from the man, ana inc high-
wrouohl expectations | formed OF his works,
!, would have been next to miracle if had
No, bpen disappointed in his studio. AS for
his husts. the power Of art, almost of nature,
can no further 90 but | sadly missed what
| one ALWAYS seeks in an artists studio-the lde-
al. There were but two attempts at ia
head of a Roman Genevra, which told nothing
Of that exquisite story, and being much older
than the poets youthful creation, might have
| nassed for Cornelia or any other Roman mat
ron: the other was a statue OF Eve still IN the
clay. the figure beautifully moulded. But the
attitude is ungraceful, tina. of the night elbow
resting on the hip as she holds out the apple !;
and while every feature in the face IS perfect,
the face itself, like the face OF Generva' mas
the faul, of being too discreet and expressing
nothing. Why does not such an artist leave
dull realities, and draw little upon the ina
oination that feel sure he must possess -
Truly it may be said, blessed are they that
do not expect;'' for where lexpected to De dis,
appointed was more than delighted. had
heard much, so much, Of -Greenoosli's colos-
sal statue of Washington, that thought It ut
terly impossible that it could produce an enec'
upon me pIoportionate to the praises ! nao
hered the almost disgust with which had
looked al Ihorwalsden' s modern statnte--that
is. modernly dressed statue of Lord Byron
and to saw the least of it, Washington, partic-
ularly when magnified, was more unpoelic
al. therefore more difficult subject. Blu, the
manner in which Greenough Inns executed his
almost impossible task is only another proof