The daily union., 1852-10-10

the blessings ii produces.
The Colossal Bronze Equestrian statue or Gem
-N& ra eraI jackson. n. N@
We visited yesterday the studio and workshop OF Mr.
Clark Mills, the sculptor who has generally known
The contract for making the bronze equestrian statue OF
General Jackson Mr. Mills had just made the last cast
ing, and is preparing finish and elevate the statue
preparatory 10 lis being removed TO Fayetle Square He
informs that he has commenced TO build the pedestal
the appropriation of five thousand dollars by Congress
having been placed in his hands for that purpose and
that he confidently expects have the statue ready be
inauguraed on the eighth Of January next. We were
much grafed hear this because day appropriate
for The ceremony that OF the anniversary of the glo
nous battle OF New Orleans. On that day--ihe day
of our second independence, when British power and
arrogance were Frustrated forever this contnenwe
shall have revealed to us. bursting upon view like
tho shade OF the hero rising out OF the earth, the
great Jackson, with the form, the features, the express
sion, and the dress, as he appeared at New Orleans
Through the extraordinary genius OF the artist. we
shall always have in Washington city faithful like
nsss of that wonderful man, not in the habilimens OF
antiquity. but as an American general mounted the
field OF battle We anticipate with great pleasure the
imposing scene the approaching eighth OF January
OF the siatue critically considered as work of art in
the detail and finish, we are not so competent
to speak. But when we consider the original and
grand conception OF the artist in making the horse stand
on his hind fee, rearing attitude, without any other
support when the perfect anatomy of both the
horse and the man. the ease and expression OF the rider
the muscular action and fire Of the war-horse and the
appearance Of the whole group as true to Nature,
L HI A.
it is the first work OF art of the kind in the world II is
claimed by the British press extraordinary merit in
the artist that the colossal bronze equestrian statue Of the
Duke OF Wellington Edinburgh. inaugurated hisy year
the anniversary OF the battle OF Wasrloo supported only
by the hind feet and the tail London paper says "The
only parts of the horse which touch the pedestal the
hind feet and the tail and, accordingly, in order pre-
aerve the balance, great skill required in appor-
tonng exactly TO each part its proper weight Of metal
We believe the only other equestrian statue in simi-
lar posture that of Peter the Great at ST. Petersburg,
where the difficulty is chiefly by the not very
appropriate introduction OF serpent, upon which the
horse s trampng, and which not only strengthens the
hind legs but projects far behind, and serves bal
ance" What this English writer says of the statue OF
Peter the Great is true and is equally true that there
are no other statues with little support these Most
other statues rearing position supported by prop
under the belly, by other equally unnat-
ura and unsighy hut Mr. Mills has not even the sup.
port OF the tail for his hose is its hind feet only
and that with of metal greater than is in the
statue OF the Duke OF Wellington, and only sixteen
hundred pounds less than is in that OF Peter the
Great The statue OF Peter the Great weighs 80 636
pounds, and that of General Jackson will weigh
about 5000. And how has Mr. Mills discovered the
principle by which he balances his colossal groupl He
has studied Nature, which the foundation OF true art
and has applied the rctesi rules Of science prove the
truth Of his discovery We listened with great attention
and much interest to his observations He has taken the
attitude OF horse at the moment when all it's muscular
force Is in play in bringing itself in rearing position
This not only brings the centre OF gravity in dividing
line through the half Of the horse and de but gives
degree Of animation and grace. al natural and beau
tiful which cannot be obtained in any other attitude
There be doubt about the truth OF this principle OF
balancing the horse Iii as demonsable the planest
mathematical question Though this be the main feature
Of the statute, there others very striking and OF
common beauty We cannot here go into detail OF all
the points worthy TO be spoken Of express all felt
but there are a few remarkable that we must notice
them In The head OF Gen Jackson were struck with
that expression OF mness, houghtfulness. and great
perception blended with benevoence and religious sen
ment, which was characteristic OF the great man. The
head OF the horse, with the extended nosr and starting
eye, and the neck curved and drawn back with great
majesty and beauty, reminds OF the war-borse OF
Job" his neck clothed with thunder, his nosrs terri.
ble and smelling the battle alar of" The form OF the
legs and body. with the veins and muscles distinctly
marked and properly placed, is perfect that one
could almost fancy he looking at a natural horse
On the whole. perfectly satisfied that Mr.. Mills
is not only going to succeed, but has succeeded We
were moi less pleased than asonished al such triumph
OF genius
II has been said by artists and travellers and, among
bem by Tupper, the English poet that II Mr. Mills sue.
ceeded he would immoralize himself. Many have
doubted they could not realize the fact that genius is
superior to art; that gentleman who has never seen
the old masters studied under the modern-who has
never been out Of his country, and, consequently,
never seen equestrian statoe-tbat he could design
and execute colossal and beautiful work OF this char
acer Artists and founders have said that there was
not foundry in The United States where such work
could be cast; but he has done il by building a
foundry. which does not look large enough to cast
ploughshare. To make such immense castings in
such place appears impossibty; but this gen.
teman, like Mirabeau, seems not to comprehend that
word For four years-whch, after all, is a shorter
time than such statue has been made before--he