Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-05-02
HOW STATUES ARE MADE.

| HOW STATUES AFtE MADE.
THE GREEK SLAvE-George n Cal.
vert, through the Literary World, gives
the following interesting account of the
process of manufacturing statues, in no.
tice of Powers 6 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 and finished in the
summer and autumn of 1912 American
sculptors having been hitherto obliged to
work abroad, but few of our citizens have
had opportunities of witnessing the labors
of the studio; acceptable, therefore, will
be some explanation of the several pro
cesses through which work in sculpture
must pass, ere the artist can present his
conception smoothly embodied in marble.
The visitors to the '' Slave" will thus be
made. acquainted with the bodily birth
and growth of the wonderful creation that
stands before them in dazzling beauty.
| The conception being matured in the
artists mind, the first step in the process
OF giving form to it, is to erect, on firm
pedestal, skeleton of iron, whose height,
breadth, and limbs, are determined by the
size and shape of the proposed statue. In
this case it would be above FIVE feet high,
with branches, first at the shoulders run
ming down forward for the arms, then at
the hips, to support the large mass of
clay In the trunk, and thence divided in
two for the legs. About this strong
simple frame is now roughly built, with
wet clay, the pre- determined image. Rap
idly is this moulded into an approxima-
ton to the human FORM and when the
trunk, head and limbs have been definite
ly 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 of the form
and expression of every part of the hu-
man body, obtained from the study oEna-
ture and his own deep artistic intuitions,
the clay under his hand gradually grew
into life, as it assumed the elastic, vital
look, which no mere anatomical knowledge
or craft can give, but which is impaired
by the genial sympathy with natures liv-
ing forms in alliance with warm sensi-
bility to the beautiful, qualities which
crown and render effectual the other less
elevated endowments of 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 creation was complete The process
es whereby it was nov to be transferred
to marble, though of delicate. difficult
kind, and requiring labor and time, are
purely mechanical, and are performed,
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 as
when a cast is taken of the living face or
head, by means of semi-Eiquid plaster of
Paris The clay figure is entirely cover
ed with this substance from one tc two or
more inches thick, provision being made
for taking off 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 re-
uiiCu WIN oCiHiHduiu Fidotci VI L al ilo.--
When this, which now occupies entirely
and minutely the place of the clay, has in
it's turn become hardened, the outside
crust of plaster is broken from it, and
then is laid bare an exact fac simile of the
original clay figure. in hard, smooth plas
ter of Paris, capable of bearing the usage
of the studio and of receiving the many
marks that are to guide the marble-cut
ters, whose work now begins.
First comes the blocker-out, with his
heavy mallet and coarse chisel, under
whose rough blows the white block soon
begins to grow into a rude likeness of hu-
manity. Then finer workman, who
loosens more of the folds that overlay the
beamlng image that the artist is bent on
disclosing from the center of the marble
And finally the artist himself, or, as in
this case, refined worker, schooled under
the eye OF Powers, gives the finishing
touches, reproducing, with unsurpassed
accuracy, in the transparent~pure marble.
every swell and indentation. and minutest
curve, all the countless delicacies of de-
tail, the which, combined with and form
ing grand sweeping lines. characterize
the original as moulded in clay BIZ Pow
ers' hand