Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-12-10
NUMBER 80
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| President Smith, If Marietta College, writes
home from Italy, some interesting sketches Of the
new sculptures Of Powers, at florence:
Mr.PowerS metuS at the door, in his studio dress,
brimleSs hat of Tuscan stiaw, and a wrapper Of
Scotch plaid. We found linn true tothe AmeFtean
Character, at sOOrk., Mr.. Powers is a gentleman,T
should suppose foIty-fye yearS ofage, moderatelY
stout built Of medium stature with strongly mark
ed features, and dark eye, atonce mild and lustri.
GUS. Withthe modeSty of true genius, he seemed
to shrink from compliment, ndofrom the simple
strnlghtonineSs of his mlnner, you are sure, not
wIthstanding his brilliant reputation, that his
thoughts ale much more occupied with The SfeA-
ticns of his chisel, than the fame which they have
secured He regrettedg he said, that had moth
ing OF "yeryhigh interest to show US; and, doubt
less, 10 his Practced eye, most of the beautiful
works works around IN, us seemed rude insolnpafisoh to
the beau IDEAL in his mind; and even with the
beau real OF some of,the same figures, after the
marble has received the last stroke of chsel.-
Yet how heartily did we greet The head of WASH
ington and Marshall and Jackson, OF w Webstef and
Adams and Calhoun, and of a multitude of otherp
whom the Republic has delighted to honor, which
stand here, the emblems of liberty in the midst of
Itulian despotism. Here stood the bpsts of Dian
and PrOSeTpihe, in the finest Of marble, and the
model of the Greek SLGye, Just as the artist bodied
forth his conceptionin the clay. Here. stood the
Ere, one of the purest and loyeliest forms which
the sculptor chiSel ever dsnterred from lis maE-
bic cerements Here stood the California, of Nficlr
had ever heard, most graceful female figure al
she holds before her dvining rod, pointing to the
auriferous earth, and in her right; half concealed
behind her, scourge Of thorns, so often destined to
laceIate those who say, ike the SON HasSan, Let
me be suddenly rich. The allegory is perfect
The divining rodl How even here its portentions
indications banked the hopes which they have
raised. The thorns They are souly half con
cealed, and the keen and prudent eye offReaSon,
which sees "behind and before,Y would suEely de-
tect them; yet how many have they deeply and IA
tally wounded whom tie passion for gold has made
blind. Hia r ~ - y i'd5Eliea e-aa
At present Mr.. Powers Is engaged upon statue
of Washington for the State House of Louisiana
1t is noble figure, and notwithstanding the aflisa
has departed from what seems 10 be one OF the can
ons of practical sculpture, in rejecting the togEs
and giving to our hero his own military dress the
work will no failure. Itpresents Washington
exactly as he WIS, and as his venerable fom IS IA
miliar to every American eye. 1t will please the
American people, whether It pleases critics pT uot.
Whilst looking at the model ofithis statue, could
not but ask myself-what has Ohio done ttes4ards
patronizing her artist citizen? Powers IS Z Yer
monter by BIRTH but in very early life his family
emigrated to Ohio. In Ohio he spentth first years
of his manhood, and in Ohio he commenced lhjS ca
reer as an artist. Yet learned from an incidental
remark, that the South first appreciated his talent.
and that the first order for statue from America
was received from Charleston. There may be ant
probably are other works of his which, have beeLk
ordered in Ohio, butI do not remember to have sest
or heard of but two, the busts of JudgeB., df Cn-
clunaIl OugnI ne mol 70 IecelVeuOul Lhe koLntf Az
order for work for the new wiCaptol, Of sGtfcien.
magnitude, at once to do honor TO the State and to-
call out the highest powers of the sculptoIf How
great and vared those powers may be- the future
only can determine. Nothing certainly can ca
ceed, in the rounded grace Of, muscles ip repote
and in beautiful attitudes prompted by the gentlef
passions, some of the statues which have already
| sprung from his creative hand. - =, "a
b TheyfpIove his intuitiye and perfect conception
lof the. beautiful. Other occasions, ifiEthey ats
FURNISHED, may prompt TO the stuiy of the anato
my of the human figure, under the sway of morr
powerful sentiments and we may find issuing from
his studio, figures whose muscular conugationH,
like the Day and the Night OF Michael Angelo, its
the Medicean chapel, or whose :ibasalisk eyes,"
like those which the same great master has to glare
from beneath the helmet of Duke Lorenzo, may
appeal TO other passions besides the simple love
the beautiful and good. How many noble scenta
of basreliefs does the history of Ohio PRESENT.
the massacre of the Indians on the Upper Mus
ikingum, the landing of the Pioneers at Marietta.
the formation OF the Constitution at Chillicothe,
and many Others which will suggest thenselyes.-
Let Ohio do her duty by giving her artisan an op
portunitY to test his strength. ~
After half an hour of unmingled Qualification,
we left the studio of Nj. Powers, fnl4iof adniEo-
ton both of the artist and his works.