The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-10-28
DEATH OF CRAwFoRD, THE SCULPTOR


The English papers received by the last Liverpool
steamer announce the not unexpected death OF MIR.
Crawford, the celebrated American sculptor he
died, after protracted and overwhelmingly painful
illness in London on the 10th instant, in the forty
fourth year of his age We are indebted to the New
York Commercial Advertiser for the following sketch
of the distinguished and lamented artist
"Mr Crawford was born in the city OF New York in
1913 His parents came from Bayshannon Ireland to
this country about fifty years ago They were educated
and intelligent people and were remarked for their solicit
tude give their the best education their means al
forded He was sent to school at early age, and
though he made fair progress in his studies his inherent
taste evnoed by his spending his spare moments in
sketchng portraits of his schooleows Page the well
known portrait painter, attended the school, and
was in the class with Crawford and has often been
heard TO that when the teacher expected from them
the solution of arthmetcal or mathematical prob
lem their states exhibited instead drawings of animals,
trees horses About thirty years afterward they met
at Rome, each at the head of his profession
80 Mr. Crawford was designed by his father for mer-
camille life For this however he manifested much dis
like and preferred to learn the art OF carving In wood
He applied himself to ii for about six months, but ind
ing il too mechanical and limited abandoned it, and
directed his studies TO drawing and anatomy under the
best instructors the city afforded At this time his taste
for the fine arts began to develop ITSELF and he entered
the studies of Fazee and Iauntz The former of these
gentlemen had high reputation modeler of busts,
and Mr. Crawford found in that branch of art congo
NAL employment Here he modelled his first ideal bust
that of Ceres Other buss followed one OF his school
mate Page, being among them These were exhibited
in the National Gallery and may be said to have given
abundant promise of that eminence to which he subse
quently
Mr. Crawford went to Rome while yet under twenty
years of age He took with him letters OF introduce
ton to Thorwaldsen who received him pupil. With
the great Danish sculptor, however he did not long
MAN, but engaged studio for himself, and began to
give form to his ideals At this time he executed
several busts, among them OF Commodore Hull who
was then at Rome This branch of his art Mr. Crawford
said to have liked and rcnqushed it soon
his increasing prosperity permitted Between Thor
walsen and Crawford warm friendship existed to the
time of the formers DEATH who at an early day spoke
of Crawford his in classical art and pro-
nounced his orpheus triumph of genius.
1.-The Orpheus the first statue Mr. Crawford put
up in Rome. II long before he received order to
execute it in marble. 1t finally however, attracted the
attention of Charles Summer, esq, (who then in
Rome) now United States senator from Massachusetts,
who by appreciaory article in of our periodicals.
called attention to the young scuptors talents and
MUS. A commission, from admirers of art in Bos
ton, to execute it in marble followed This was Mr.
Crawford first elaborate work. and it may be mentioned
that engraving of it having been made the poet Ken
yon being then in Rome, took copy of the engraving
to London and exhibited it at of the social literary
gatherings at the house of Samuel Rogers The company
delighted with that it Immediately agreed
among them that If Mr. Crawford had not received from
be the necessary amount of money should be subscribed
by the company and transmitted to Crawford with such
commission. The fact was told to the sculptor by Mr.
Kenyon himself 1t is now in the Boston Athenaum
Commissions for other works flowed in upon him
He remained at Rome believe about ten years with
out revisiting his native land.
.'0n his return home he married Miss Louisa Ward
daughter of the late eminent banker Samuel Ward,
He returned to Rome, where he remained six or seven
years On his second return home he received the order
to execute, for the State of Virginia the Washington
monument to be placed in front Of the Capitol at Rich
mond. The equestrian statue to surmount this monu
ment completed, readers aware, and will
arrive in this country. Mr. Crawford also
misioned by the United States government to execute
several works for the Capitol extension and had his o
been spared brilliant would have added further
honors to his name
''Mr Crawford leaves widow and four children He
had but other relative, sister who with his
wife, has devotedly attended him during his long sick
ness The affection subsisng between this brother and
ssterboth possessing true genius though taking differ
ent directions, (Mrs Campbell being author Justly
admired for the grace and purity of her stylewas
enduring it Their correspondence con-
twenty years. and apprehend that the blow will fall
with scarcely less severity upon the sister than upon the
widow while his country also may well that he is
more
relative of the deceased writes to friend in this
city, under date of October IL, that Mr. Crawford 5
death took place at quarter past o'clock the
ing of Saturday, October 10, just day dawning
The funeral services took place the following Sunday
evening. The body will be sent home in the steamship
Arago the one Immediately succeeding her 1t is Mrs
Craword wish that the funeral services here should be
held at St. John Church. where he stately worshpped
before he left for Rome The writer of the letter speaks
in and grateful terms of the unfang, dsnterest-
ed devotion of Mr. Terry the artist during the trying
time of Mr.. Crawfords illness, and of his efficient aid in
the last sad offices to his deceased friend"