Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-10-23
Row STATUES ARE MADE.

now STATUES ARE MADE.
The following letter. in the Literary World from GEoner
H. CALVERT, describes the process of sculpture and con-
ains information hat will undoubtedly be highly interesting
to large portion ofour reader 1t contains also some most
admirable remarks upon the Greek Slape," by PowEns
which still further commend it to Iotice
Process OF ScULPTuRE.-Ue Greek Slque.-This statue
having, its first presentation TO the American public
cited unboundel admiration and enthusiasm brief account
Of It will be Interesting to its auhTs fellow coun,rymen
The Greek save is the second work of the American
sculptor. HiraS Powers the Eve bling his first The clay
model begin and finished in the hummer and autumn Of
1912 American scupors having ben hitherto obliged to
work abroad, pt few of our citizens hive had opportunities
of witnessing he labos OF the studios acceptable therefore,
will be Explanation of the several processes through
which work sculpture must pass the artist can pre-
sent his concefio smoothly embodied in Maple The
tiers to the " Save" will thus be made acquainted with the
bodily birth anil growth of the wonderful creation that stands
before them 1dazzling beauty
The conception being matued in the artists mind the first
step in the process OF giving form TO it is to erect firm
pedestal skeleton of iron, whose height, BREADTH and limbs
determined by the and shape of the proposed
In this would be about five high with branches first
the Shoulders running down forwards for the arms then
at the hips, support the large of clay in the trunk
and thence divided in two for the legs About this strong
simple francis now roughly built, with wet claw the pre-
determined image Rapidly this moulded into an approx
nation to h human form and when the trunk head and
mbs have en definitely shaped then begins the close labor
of the mind The living models summoned, and by their
aid the suriae is wrought its last stage Of finish.
models for achieve adequately high IDEAL several are
needed. Nature rarely in individual all her gifts
Of coporea beauty For the Eve Powers had than
of models The modern Christian artist canuot be IA
voed the painter Zeuxs OF old, TO whom Grecian
city, that had ordered from him picture Of Helen, sent
number Of lis choicest madens, that out OF their various
graces and BEAUTIES he might it were extract one match
less FORM For the Slave the character Powers had esab
shed Foence for purity and upghness obtained Tor him
oh a
ton of form to furnish all he could derive from model
With this Breathing figure before him, and through his pre-
else knowledge Of the form and expression Of every part Of
the human BODY obtained from the study OF nature and bis
own deep artistic ntuons the clay under his hand gdua
y grew e assumed the elastic vital look, which
anatomical knowledge craft give, but which is
impaired by the genial sympathy with natures lvnt forms
in alliance with sensibiliy to the Observation-Disclosures
which and render eectua the other less eeyed
dowmen,s for Thus by the most minute manua labor,
directed by those high and refined mental gifts, the chy mo-
del Of the Slave" wrought out and there thaass
work ended; the creation complete. The processes
whereby to be transferred TO marble though of
delicate. difficult kind and requiring labor and tme ah pure
y mechanical and performed under the artists dtcon
by uninsplred hands.
In order that the so clay image transformed into
substance without suffering the slightest change in its sace
mould is applied il, in the way and with the
material when cast is taken Of the living face head, by
of liquid plaster of Paris The clay 6gure
tirey covered with this substance from two
for splitting the trunk after the plaster shall have hahened
The clay then all taken out the hollow mould is eaned
and then reflled with semi-qud plaster of Paris. When
this which occupies entirely and mnutely the Face
the cay has in its become hardened, the outside crust
plaster broken from it. and then is laid bare exct fac
smile Of the original clay figure hard smooth plas of Pa
m capable bearing the Of the studio, and Of receiving
the many marks that guide the mablecuers who's,
work now begins
First comes the blocker-out with his heavy malet ant
coarse chise under whose rough blows the white bok
begins 10 grow into rude likeness Of humanity Then
finer workman who oosens Of the folds that h,
beaming image that the artist is bent disclosing fom h,
centre Of the marble. And finally the artist himself, or,
in this case refined worker schooed under the eye Of Pow
ers gives the finishing touches reproducing, with urFurpass
ed accuracy the transparent pure marble every swell
ndenaon and mnute curve, all the countless decacIes
detail the which, combined with and forming grand sweeping
lines characterize the original moulded IN clay by the hand
Of Powers
And now in the midst of us here is the marvellous work
drawing from our hearts food Of vvifyng purifying emo
on revelation made by its author to his countymen
the power and majesty Of They who have looked silen
delight the Venus of the Tribune in Florence, M longer
enjoy unique privilege On our native shore, sprung from
the bosom of native strength fresh emanan iron
the exhauess soul Of beauty stands work us resenden
with the impress Of genius the famed Grecan goddess
submey simple, wildly graceful and more touching III ~
moral appeal The stronger the genius the simpler le ce
mepts wherewith it delights to work How simple, how com
those by which such ovepowerng effect wrought
young maiden condition Of painful constraint But thu
two great of human ineresthe human bod, and
shining through il, the human souare here lie arts
had the creative vgor reproduce, in its Understandable sym
merry its matcblcss grace infinite beauty, that ch
vel Of the earth, the human body making transparent through
these attributes deep inward power and emotion and Is he
he has had this inspired mastery that standing before
his work. the behoder is only spebound by beauty bu
awed by solemn neible feeling, and myseriousy drawn
g. IT. CALVERT