Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1858-03-11
MISCEL L A E0US.
Miss Harriet HOsnicr, the Amer
lean sculptor.


achieved already high ar lstic reputa-
ton, is only in her twenty.sevemh year.
Her father is physician of Natertown,
Mass, and this molherlesS girl was left
in his charge at an early age. She was
delicate child and her fathers first cure
was 10 strengthen her cons tuition. With
this view. he encouraged her to take a.
much outdoor exercise as possible, and
she suon learned 10 love those exciting
sports usually monopolized by boys and
Young men. She walked, rode Oh horse
back, pulled mn oar On the Charles River,
fired guns and pis, Js. clmred trees,
and prepared with her own hands the
specimens Of natural history which her
skill might secure. Among her early
accompi. were music aud drawing.
A core respondent of the New York
Mirror thus speaks of some Of her handi-
work in her home at ater,own:-.
There were birds nest Of various kinds,
with their different colored eggs o e u
crows nest she climbed forty feet to se-'
cure, then having tied ii TO her back, slip.
ped down the almost branchless lr NIX,
Standing beside the nests, or perched up
on the window castings, as if Just alighted,
are birds killed, cured and stuffed hy her
own hands; Minerals bird is perched
over the door, beside which, on rustic
table covered with moss, her tovorite
white hen will ever stand surrounded by
her chickens, and her pet kitten, mount
ed and wired by her own hands, stands
ready 10 purr in the corner AT least
five hundred species Of butterflies, arts.
ticaIly arranged, form one picture, so to
speak, between the front windows; vari-
GUS reptiles, preserved in alcohol, are her
| cen,er-,able ornumc nts; deer-antlerS, with
cured esg-shelis on the branches, are her
candelabras; bluejay her inkstand; n
turtIr.shell, suspended by chain, her
card.receiver; thr e half lemons triin-
med with gold leaf, bound together, are
her wufer-box. saud. box, etc. Here; too,
are her first efforts at drawing, painting,
and in plaster; Cher first marble bust
Napoleon, is in her fathers library.) As
we guzed around the parlor which her
mind fashioned aGd her hands arranged,
and felt the originality 60 which pen of
mlne cannot do Justice OF all lis little de-.
tails, we involunnrily did homage to her
genus and felt frnIer faith in her fu-
turc."
Some years ago, she evinced decided
taste aud talent for sculpture, and wrought
a bust fnom the marble with her, own
hands. Her father accordingly decided
to send her to Italy to study; and a, Rome
she placed herself under the tuition of
Gibson. p Among he works she sent
home as proofs Of her industry and skill,
were a statue Of the nylnph Gnone, and
a statue of Puck. In Europe, she execu.
ted uledaliion head of Lady Constance
Talbot, and monument 10 an Italian girl
in the church Of Andre della Fraitre.
This design represents young girl sleep
ing on couch which rests upon sar-
cophagus; the drapery and attitude are
described as admirable, and the likeness
striking. But her chef d eare Is the
Beatrice Cenci, a full-length statute
which attracted ereu, attention and elicit
ed warm praise in Londoa, and which
has recently been exhibited wnh no les:
success in this city. When she had com
pieted thi; work her master, Gibson, de
clared that he had nothing Iaore TO teach
her. The statue represents the unfortu
! nate Beatrice on the eve Of execution
Her biographer tells us that the jailor, ii
entering her cell. found her tranquil,
asleep. II is this point of time IN he
sad story that Miss Hosmer has seleele'
for iliuIration. The wreiched girl, worl
out by physical and moral suffering, ha
v yielded to the pressure of exhaustion.
One hand, relaxed and dropping, Yet hold
her rosary; the o,her lies under he
: dropping head. The swee. countenanc
is modelled after the famous picture q
Guido, SAID tohave been painted immedI
ateiy after seeing Beatrice on her way {
the scaffold. The limbs are arrange
with great grace. aud the 1ues are iiow
I, ing, from whatever point of view tn
+, work is examined. The drapery is heat
ufully wrought, and defining and ha
revealing the limbs beneath. There
little TO crilieize ia the design and execl
lion, and its Completeness anu finish giy
brilliant augury Of the future Of the glf
ed artist. We might fear that the al
plause which this work has elicted wou
injure the prospects of Miss Hosner, d
!. we not know her firm and elf.reliani N
d. ture. She has masculine strength
mind; which is proof against the dange
Of fauery, and very high conception
The attributes Of her art Before 81
veltnred 10 appear as an artist. she we
ell throug severe preliminary trainin
ever S,ndying ans,omy in the dssec''n;