The daily union., 1852-11-27
Hiram powers-New statues

President Smith, of the Marietta College, writes home
from Italy interesting sketches Of The new scup.
lures Of Powers at Florence:
Mr. Powers met us a, the door in his studio dsess.
hrimess hat OF Tuscan straw, aud wrapper OF Scotch
plaid We had fouBd him, true to the American chaac-
ter al irork Mr. Powers is gentleman. should sup.
pose forty five years OF age, moderately stout built. OF
medium stature, with strongly marked features, and a
dark eye mild and lusirous, With The modesy OF
true genns he seemed 10 shrink from compliment, and
from the simple straghuorwardDess OF hs manner YOU
sure, notwithstanding his brilliant reputation, that bis
thoughts much more occupied with the creations OF
his ehiael than the fame which they have secured. He
regretted he SAID that he bad nothing OF Every high In
tees TO show s, and, doubtless 10 his pactsed eye
most OF the beaaitnl works around seemed rude in
comparison the beau tdsei in bis mind, and even with
the beau real OF Of the same bsues after he
bic has received the last stroke oil le chse Vat hog
heasi!y did we greet The head OF Washington, ADD Mar
shall and Jackson. OF Webster, and Adams, and Cal
heun, and OF multitude Of others whom the republic
has delighted 10 honor which stand here The embems OF
liberty the midst OF Italian despotsm Here stood the
buss Of Dian and PfoserpiDe in the hnQst marble and
the model OF the Greek Slave, just the artist bodeA
forth his conception IN lhe clay Here stood the Eve
chse ever disiutered from Us marble ceremenis. Here
stood the Californian, OF which had never heard mos
graceful female figure. aegoIzing the seiaSoas Of gold
In her left hand she holds bsore her divning rod point.
ing 10 The aurferous earth; and ia her right hall
ceaed btind h, hconge oil tborns so oen destined TO
scerae those who say bks Ihe son o. Hassaa let ne
be suddenly rich" The aliegory is perfect The d.
vining rod How often have ts por,epiops Indications
banked the hopes which they ha We rasedf The ihons
They are only half concealed and the keen and prudent
eye Of Reason which secs behind and before" would
surely detect them yfi how many have they deeply and
fatally wounded whom iha passion Tor gold has made
blind
AT present Mr. Powers is engoged upca statue Of
Washington for The State Houte OF Louisiana. IL IS G
noble fgufe, and standing the artist has departed
from what seems 10 be OF the canons OF practical
sculpture in rejecting the toga and giving to hero his
own military dress, the work will be failure. II pre-
sents Washington exactly as was and as his
BILE form is familiar to every AStfican eye. II will please
the American people, whether il peases critics or not
Whilst looking at the model oil this statue could not
but ask myself . What has Ohio done towards patron.
izing her artist czenr' Powers is NeTmonler BY
bth but Ia very early life his family emgraied TO Ohio
In Ohio be spent the FIRST years OF bs MANHOOD and IN
Ohio he commenced bis an artist Yet learned
IRON an incidental remark that the South bsi apprecia
ted his talent and that the first order for statue from
America was received from Charleston There may be,
and probably are other works OF his which have been
ordered In Ohio but do not remember 10 have
heard of but two--the buss OF Judge B., OF Cincinnati
Ought he not receive from the Stale order for
work for the new Capitol, o sufficient magnitude at
ers OF the sculptor How great and vafied those powers
may be- the future oDly can determine Nohibr Ger.
anly can exceed in the rounded grace Of muscles IN
pose and in beautiful attitudes prompted by the geniler
passions some OF tho statues which have already sprung
iron his creative hand.
They prove bis intuye and perfect conception OF The
beautiful Other occasions. IL they are furnished, may
prompt TO the sindy of the anatomy Of the human figure
under The sway OF more powerful sentiments, and We
may find issuing from his studio hgufes whose muscular
corrugsons. Ike the Day and Night OF Michael Angelo
in the Medlcean chapel, whose basask eyes,, like
those which The great master has taught TO the
glare from beneath the helmet OF Duke Lorenzo, may