Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-08-28
MISCELLANEOUS.
PoWrRs THE sCuLPToR.


the Genius md Sculpture Of Po0erS" in the last
number of the american ReUiec
All who gaze upon the Slave and the Eve, seem
to 20 away with that beautiful emotion which long
fingers around one like some ideal form that some
times in the calm sleep of an early spring morning
fits over the fancy, but cannot be forgotten:-it
wakes us--we quiet ourselves and try 10 sleep, and
bring back the vision again. In these compost
tons there is the highest style of the ideal and the
purest expression of nature. They seem like his
busts to have been copied from life land they are)
but as Mr. Powers remarked they were compos-
ed from great variety Of models Unlike other
female statues ] have seen, they combine all that
is beautiful in the that CLOVIS in the fancy
and all that is cheerful and hOmc-like in the fair
beings who cluster around out fifesides and
live in our hearts. They perfectly nude fig
ures and vet so pure is every line, movement and
expression about them, one feels that he stands in
the garden, where Eve stood, among the flowers
with Angels and with God--and C was naked and
was not ashamed" Animpure thoughs cannot rise
in the bosom Of the gazer, unless he be one who is
unfit for the society Of pure woman. think my
residence abroad has only made me PRIZE more
than the bright gem which adorns the Ameri-
can woman-that primitive virtue which recolls
from the very shade Of impurity. And so far from
feeling any apprehension that the exhibition Of
these statues in America would have any tendency
to introduce among our women foreign indelicdcy,
Characteristic Of every country in the world, but
our own and the British Islands at home, am per
suaded they would be warmly greeted by all the
enlightened and all the pure of both sexes, and
leave every spectator with more exalted concep-
tions of the beauty and the divinity of virtue And
! would even venture TO say, that should be com
PEELED to fear Of every one, who, after seeing them,
should pronounce different opinion that the char
acter Of the spectator was not right They are us
pure as Millions magical picture Of the Garden Of
Eden, and over every pure-mlnded person they Will
exert as HIGH and pure an influence
! have not spoken of Mr. Powerss genius III the
other great departments of Sculpture. But he has
gone farther. Some time last year, he received n
commission for statue of Mr. Calhoun, for the
city of Charleston, and the model is nearly done.
1t displays the same consummate talent that APP
pears in his other works-partlcularly the head
which | regard as finer than any he has ever exc
cuted The attitude is erect-in his right hand he
holds up, on leve with his eye, scroll, on which
is inscribed his political creed-the folds OF his
drapery are falling gradually around him. and the
whole expression is q fine personlhcahon OF the old
Roman Senator. But in the expression of the face
and form, there Is an air Of majesty, have never
seen equalled in full statue, and the likeness is
as perfect as any one of his busts.
But Mr.. Powers will not content himself until
he has triumphed in every field of Sculpture lie
Is TO begin, as Mr.. Calhouns statue IS done
magnificent group, the subject of which am moi
now at liberty TO mention, but which will constr
tute, | believe, if executed well as his othel
works, the most superb group IN the world. 1t Is
subject which has never been attempted in scuip
ture painting, ana yet it illustrates the greatest
fact in the history of the human race. But 1t viii
be the work of years.
In the meantime he has trained up large mum
Der Of workmen, who are superior to any in Flor
ence, and they are all occupied His orders arr
increasing faster than he can execute them, altho
his prices are higher than any other Sculptor cal
communal The Slave has been finished and sen
10 Enplnnd and two comes of il have been order
ed the price of the original was $500 but h
has $4,000 for duplicates. The Eve is done, ant
he is varying the model to make duplicate which
while it retains all its general proportions, will b'
different IN some of its arrangements, to make J
strictly speaking not duplicate. The Fisher Boz
is commissioned Ills Proserpne, a single idea
bust, was. ordered by Mr.. Carey Of Philadelphia
for $500 and large number Of duplicates mostly
from foreigners, have been ordered. He is desl
rous not to occupy most of his time on busts AM
he hoped that by raising his price, orders would
cease from $500 he rose to $500, and his commits
sions have increased 80 rapidly, 1t is probable h,
will soon double the sum. This will be necessary
for even at this price, he is obliged to deny man,
applicants He told me, he could not now MAKE
busts even at that price without loss. This MAJ
appear strange, but he not untrequently passe
many days upon a bust after the best judges sup
pose 1t is done. OF all his workmen, and he ha
some he pays as high as four dollars day, (whicl
IN Italy is unprecedented,) he cannot depend upo
one of them for the finishing of a single work. ]
is singular fact, that the hrst time Mr. Power
took chlsel in his hand, he made bust entire
and finished il in style superior to any workman
or artist in Florence. His mechanical skill is a
extraordinary as his creative genius.
There may be many who would be glad to DOS
sess some work of Mr.. Powers whose means woul
not justify them in the expense of a statue; or eve
of a bust OF themselves. To such, / would recon