Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-01-02
Correspondence OF the,S. Y. Commercial Advertiser
CRAWFORD'S STUDIOS.


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Correspondence OF tbe,N. Y. Commercial Advertiser
CRAWFORD'S STUDIOS.
RoMs. November n, lS36.-Wheu it was decided
by the United S:aies Government TO enlarge aud
,mbelsh III. Capitol at Washington, designs for The
statuary were requested from American artists
Crawford forwarded bis ram this city. They were
Immediately accepted AID already the models '"r e
series of sr0G1s dssGned for toe Eastern pedinen'
rave heen sent home, sud are being wrought IN
| American ,nsrhir a. Washington. Having heard
| .rea, dsa! about these su;ues sad OF The other
works now in progress tor the Capitol extension and
feeling, al Do, us,iaabe pride IN tue grow
ing love for ar; that il naurstus itself In our conn
Try. it Yves with ,r interest my steps we's o.
rected TO the studio II the artist.
Passing I'll. fountain where tho waters OF tue ac'
Gus Feiice t. Of tic crea Pratidcae OF Si1tns w.
| You como upon the magnificent chn'ci OF SANTA
Marin d.y'i Apge bull; by Michael Angelo, in the
great hall OF tho baths Of Dioceilan Part t these
same baths form the studio, or rather eiudos Tor
there are eight, Of Crawford, and strange ssooois
tons are called up willis standing Within the walls OF
hrss massive ruins OF uuee imperial Rome, Tbeuce
4-s sent forth master wrgk, ~ bsautity our young
Republic.
IN fir, studio Won eater Is :he one in which were
modelled tho statues Tor the virginia Washington
uouameut. The Idea is srggehted OF g,aut asvng
been e. work OF such huge SIZE are tie various parts
If the equestrian group which has been cast in bronze
a. Munich, aud il now waiting tfoferninent reS'e
70 carry II 10 tbs United States Two of The statues
nond. When Crawford begun these colossal works
it was sugured tina, ten yeara would be taken for
their comp.,iou; bur the artist, faithful 10 bis con
tract q. Virginia has been to srs, had them hnished
within the stipulated time and HE recent visit TO
America signed the contract 10. the remaining fur
'a,u-s. which he is now making vigorous Efforts to
toward.
In ,ni, frs, studio i, the colossal America, designed
:or the dome of the Capitol. No mere description
, eau give you al adequate idea of the subEmiiy snd
of Il orE.
high and stands viii! the right baud resting on a
stirehcd ewnrd, aud the let. on the shield ~ our
country On he breast the initials ct the United
States ana delicate dr.pery IS so arranged a. TO
f,rr rays oI l!:h. proceeding from The letters. The
ample folds Of an outer dra2egy inli WDasuca!iy
round the statue iesvlrc oy Tho nanua anu aporton
ofth neck ucoeered u-dscap, the artlst mss
substituted heac;. tn: crest OF which IS al vag!-
head, with Il richly failing iu,ne OF REALTORS he
cuunte usnce ia Svndrousiy beautiful full "t dignity
aud lofty PURPOSE earnestly and tnough'iG! looking
out into the great iurre Grand, majestic "no ii!s
of noble seu;'l.u,, this sta,ue Should not only be
przsd as work e! arr, but houored or the grandeur
and beuisnity Of Il. sileut teachings Cfawinrd o.,
made two statues Of AUl-rici, Que for the Eastern
pedinent aud the oue have attempted ~ descfipe,
each entirely different from the other tor II IS oCe OIL
the peculiar traits Of this sculptor fertile genius that
he never initiates never reproduces even from him
| self. Go through these eight studios, 1t'ed With
statues. groups, basrelles, all by the same hand yet
YOU lind no compositions alike either ~ attitude
| ORE
| bronze doors Of III. Capitol, representing various
scenes in our revolutionary history aud incidents IL
tbs lifo Of Washington are e be- sent TO the SAME
foundry where the Virginia statues have been 50 sue
ceesflly cast the Munich bronze being the uuast III
III. world and not Roi" 10 be Changed ny time rs
are other brunses of less purity.
Among the statues for The Eastern pedirnent, that
Of the Indian, the only nnde Ignre IN Tie scrl+s st
ting alone nation 10 puwai, Is truly .nons ID is
grief The anatomy and pose Ut the tSuro are ad'
,nr rr.gS
head upon one open palm, while tho ether hand s
cleuchad in agony, is triumph q! art. The Indian
woman, too bending over the cha calmly resting on
her BOSOM Will, before her lis III. lonely graves OF
her race those graves beside which ia her only place
of rests q sud, swe-, poem; aud q touching enho
diment Of q woman and uo;he re grief
Tie statue OF OTIS, Tor the chapel Of the cemetery
at Mount Auburn, vii! Dc lifting monument Tor The
man and the place.
beautiful group OF .T,uauts" is for Mr.. Van
Rensselaer, Of Albany This !, one o! those tender
uad graceful. compositions, which. in contrast with
the immense monument, snow the prolific end versa
tile uuius ui the artist, Two Children boy with
his books. and rl with her gathered wild flowers,
are the truan;s lu the' ranbes, they have found
birds nest, w:ch the boy Is bodinS, while he AMI
tho srl cautiously peer,rS into the treasure -
The look of chidIko wondnr aud curiosity on The
cuuulepances vi the children il very trubtu. and
sweet. In this composition th@le Is tue aame decste
poetica though: that characteristics the artists Chill
dren in the Wcoj'-a group IN the possession U; Mr.
james Lennx of New York.
"a thing oil beauty is JOY forever" thought
while looking h, tbs Peri statue for MIR. Arthur
Burr of Philadelphia Iu varous ra:nbes about
Rome have sesn many Fcuptuied auSels; Out mol
oue Of thmn conii, in delicate beauty oil form and
spirnsty Of .xpres.inu surpaSs this exquisite work
The figure is Of lauee. symmetry; the pure Whit
siu.a eot a. fea,hcry fake. are folded at the
side. the small hand, are ciaspsd deectedly, ana The
fscs indicates thu: holy purify which could belong
only to an uufa,lzn sJ:rit. while dreamy sorrow
shadows tho eye and tre'abce round the iovelj
! ,,nn,b y.