Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-10-31
HOW STATUTES AIIE MADE.


George II. Calvert, through the Liter.
airy World, gives the following interesting
account Of the process of manufacturing
statutes, in noLics of Powers Greek
Slave:
The Greek Slave is the second ideal
work of the American sculptor, Hiram
Powers-the Eve being his FIRST. The
clay model was begun inthe summer and
autumn Of 1912. American sculptors
having been hitherto obliged to work
abroad, but Cow Of our citizens have OPP.
portunities Of witnessing the lRbors OF the
studio; and acceptable, therefore, will
be some explanation Of the several pro-
cesses through which work in sculpture
must pass ere tho artist can present his
conceptions smoothly embodied in marble.
The visitors of the "SlaVe" will thus
be made acquainted with tho bodily
lily birth and growth of the wonder
CuI creation that stands before them in
dazzling bcuaty.
The conception being matured in the
artists mind, the first step in the process
Of giving form to it, is to erect on q firm
PEDESTAL a skeleton Of iron whose height,
breadth and limbs are determined by the
size and shape Of the proposed statute.
In this cnse, it would be above Ave feet
high, with branches, frst, at the should>
>ers, running down forward for the arms,
then ct the hips to support the largo mRss
Of clay in the trunk and thence divided in
two for tho legs. About this strong sim
pic frame is now roughly built, with wet
clay, the predetermined image. Rap~
idly is this moulded into an RpPro1ima.
ton Of the human form and when the
trunk, head and limbs have been definite
y shaped, then begins the close labor Of
the mind. The living models are sum-
moned. and by their aid the surface is
wrought to its last stage of finish. With
these breathing figures before him, and
through his precise knowledge ofthe form
and expression of every part Of the hu-
man body, obtained from the study Of ma
ture and HIS own deep artistic intentions,
the clay under his hand gradually grew
into life, assumed the elastic, vital look,
which no more anatomical knowledge or
craft can give, but which is impaired by
tue genial sympathy with INJURIES living
forms in alliance with warm sensibility
to the beautiful qualities which crown and
render etfeciual the other less elevated
endoWments for art. Thus; by the
most minute manual labor, directed by
those high and refined mental gifts, the
clay model Of the +" Slave" was wrought
out and here the artists work ended
The process whereby it was 70 be trans.
ferred TO marble, though of a delicate,
difficult kind, and requiring labor and
time, are purely mechanical, and are per-
formed, under the artists direction, by
uninspired hands.
In order that the soft clay image be
| transformed into harder substance with.
out suffering the slightest change in its
surface, mould is applied TO It in the
same way and with the same material a
when cast is taken Of the living face OF
head, by means of semi-liquid plaster Ol
Paris. The clay figure is entirely coy-
cred with this substance from one or two
or more inches thick, provision being made
for taking of the arms and for splitting the
trunk after the plaster shall have hardened
The clay is then all taken out, the hollow
mould is cleaned, and then reflled with
semi-hquid plaster Of Paris. When this
which now occupies entirely and minute.
I! " the place Of the clay, has in It's turn be
come hardened, the outside crust Of plas-
ter is broken frog, it, and then is laid
bare an exact facsimile of the origina
clay figure in hard, smooth plaster o
Paris capable of bearing the usage Of the
studio, and Of receiving the many mark
that are to guide the marble cutters
whose work now begins.
j First comes the blocker-out with hi
, heavy malIet and coarse cbisel, unde
whose rough blows the whole block SCOT
begins to grow into rude likeness Q
: humanity. Then finer workman, VIII
i loosens more Of the folds that oyeflay th
I beaming image that the artist Is bent d
disclosing from the centre Of the marble
8 And finally the artist himself, or, 9