Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-10-08


net. and may be considered as without a paral-
e and therefore worthy of all attention.
In remote, and as far as the fine arts are con-
cerned, uncultivatcd part of America, inhabited
by husbandmen and shepherds, in the village of
Woodstock, in Vermont, Mr.. Hiram Powers was
born about the year 1905. 1t happened to him
in his youth, to be removed to the neighborhood
of Cincinnati in Ohio, then village but now a
considerable city. By this change of place, he
gained little or nothing, in reference to the de-
velopcment of his latent capacity. On the con-
trary. he soon had the misfortune TO be deprived
of his father, and left without means of support.
Constrained by this disaster to embrace what
ever mode of livelihood first offered itself, he
engaged in the construction and superintendent
of the mechanism of public exhibition at Gin
cinnati.
An inward feeling. however, convinced him,
that this was not his destiny; he formed a con-
cepion in his mind of something like sculpture,
while vet ignorant of the very existence OF that
art. So strong was this passion, that If he had
not afterwards found the art in use, he himself
would have invented it. The flexible materials
on which he made his first experiments, partic-
ularv wax, did not give him full satisfaction
He reached the age OF seventeen years, in this
state of restless desire; when he saw single
bust in plaster, the head of Washington, an or
binary work, which, however, attracted his pro-
found attention
After considerable interval and many strug-
giles, he met, at Cincinnati. with an individual
who possessed some knowledge of the art of
sculpture. and modelled in clay the likenesses of
one or two public characters. lie learned from
him the general method the material adapted to
it. and the mode of taking cast from a model.
This was for Powers most happy discovery,
and one that seemed to realize his vision.
Eagerly to endeavor to initiate the works of
this individual then to make an attempt from
life, first with Il view to equal and then to sur
pass what he had seen; finally to succeed in
making beautiful likenesscs, such certainly as
he had witnessed no example of before all this
was so rapidly accomplished, that it is not easy
to relate the steps of the progress, so swift was
his flight, borne on the pinions of happy genius.
II this artist, urged by native inclination had
succeeded in initiating servilely, though wtlfex-
actness, it would not have been matter of great
astonishment. Bat at the very first glance Mr.
Powers rose to the Just conception of kind of
representation which should contain, IN union
with all the characteristic parts, the natural and
expressive spirit of each individual. He has
dedicated himself to the preservation of the
whole character. while at the same time he i'm
itates the porositcs and habitual wrinkles of the
SNih 81 tiIdt Hc iII8ht NC luc DelillcT vi
Sculpture. He spares no pains to make every
head preserve, in every, the smallest part, that
harmonious type-composed at once of unity
and variety. which belongs to itself; a special
quality of nature which escapes the eye of ma
ny Such union OF rare capacities becomes
marvellous in one who could have no previous
knowledge of the labors Of the Greeks nor of
the works of Donatello, of Mino d Flesole, and
Gambarell.
Employing himself with ever new delight in
modelling in clay, he passed through several
considerable cities of his native country, and
reached Washington at fortunate moment
Congress was then in session, composed of some
of the most respectable persons in the United
States Among its members and the men of dis
tnction collected at Washington at the same,
time Mr.. Powers had ample opportunity to exer-
else lis talent in making busis. Among those
whose acquaintance he made at the scat of Gov
eminent, were persons who had visited Europe
and possessed some notions o. the fine arts. This
is equivalent to saying, that he met here with
those who were competent judges of the merit OF
his labors.
Perceiving that he was not likely to want en-
ployment, he wisely determined to repair to tia
/ ly. for the purpose of executing his works in
marble, and perccting himself in this art. Ar
rived at Florence he applied himself to the man.
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