Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-08-20
MR.. GREESoUGHs GROUP OF srATuARY.

The arrival in this city Of the Group Of Stauary
cuted by Mr. GREEyoUGH under vote Of Congress- for
the establishment Of the Capitol has been announced
accompanied with brief description The work has not
been examined since its arrival in this country but
rangemens are now in progress for putting it in the po
ston which it is destined TO occupy The Boston Daily
Advertiser publishes letter from Florence written three
years ago, which gives interesting description Of this
stauary differing in some respects from the description
before published The Advertiser, however, places full
reliance in the taste Of the writer OF this letter. who
now living in the vicinity Of Boston, and who committed
his impressions to paper Immediately after visiting the
studio Of Mr. Greenough For the information Of our
readers We cory the material part Of the letter. which
was addressed to citizen Of Massachusetts, and is
dated a; Florence on the Sd Of April, 1850:
passed yesterday morning very pleasantly at the
studio Of HoEATIo GREESoUoH Mr. Greenough lives
like prince among the artists Of Florence and his studio
built by himself is Of the finest have ever seen
All his best works to be found there in plaster or in
marble.
The work Of which you will care TO hear most particu
ary Is the great group for the Capitol which Is now
working out in the marble. Mr. Greenough has given
intense thought to this work. and excited in my own
mind an almost unqualified admiration The conception
Of the work IS grondly simple An Indian having
prised white mother and child is about to put them to
death, when his uped arm stayed by the strong hand
Of colossal baekwoodman. The baied savage turning
ldCc ~ ~ hoeless rage upon his captor quas under
the calm expression Of conscious power which gives dig
nifty TO the face and mighty form Of the white man and
this group, which might have represented only on ordi
nary incident Of border life in the West l. elevated
Ply the genius Of the artist into tyne most plaiu
aud most impressive Of the inevitable relations between
the Indian and the Caucasian races in the New World
know no piece Of modern sculpture Of which the
thought surpasscs that which animatcs the Qroup in
the simplicity, dircctness and force OF the appeal Il
makes to the imagination Of the spectator The erecu
ton Of the group is in Mr. Greenouzhs best manner
bold vigorous, and truthful The figure Of the mother
covering with terror and clapng her child TO her bosom
in agony Of fear which does permit her 10 perceive
the presence Of deverer The child is fairly beside II
self with alarm, and its face is distorted 10 na;nf de
gree. Mr.. Grecnough defends this Representation b,
saying that baby under such circumstances Dut lool
thus, and not otherwise. cannot think that emotion
which thus disfgure the human face divine ought 70 b
represented in sculpture. Those eyes will be fercye
screwed up those infant lips forever stretched out
shape, those chubbycheeks dstended through all time
and il seems TO me that such creature is most unfit
ting foster-child Of silence and soy.tme sin Mr.
Greenough has authority for his representation The nj
ude and expressions Of face Of some Of the children
Niobe conceived in kindred spirit The snare form
OF the Indian Is finely contrased with the umbed her
cucan proportions Of the European and the
superiority absolute that II scarcely needs N he en-
forced by Is not plainly expressed in the fac
Of the latter than is the humating but inevitable
milton Of that superiority the angry features Of Ii
former"