The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-02-16
FroiA - Enquirer. February Is
orawford's E9uestrian statue Of
Washing gton.
70 wx. r. RIrcHrE, ESQ, |:

oi"horu,s Equestr1an Statue of
Warrington.
To WIZ. +. RIrcHrE, ESQ.,:
MY Dear Sir Yen wish me to write N vou =.
eersIy what think cf the Eauestrian Sta,na =,
"asnington. Just erected In your Capitol Square.
NO great work OF nature or of art can be righttv
judged OF without ample opportunity for lone nj
minute study and examination. On the eon,;
hent oil Europe we often see specimens of the oa
aus cockney. that most critical of all genera.
glancing for i've minutes at some magnificent sna
eimen OF ancient art, and going away with an onin
ion cut and dried for the next and book or review
butts opinions influence little public taste and
the hnai decision Is formed upon the accumulated
judgments OF those who, besides other aual6ra-
ton for the task, have had opportunity and time
for full examination. 1t Is all very we'll 10 throw
up the hat and shout, or 20 turn up the nose and
sneer, on the first view Of any great work; but that
first view can offer only one side of the auestion
even with those most fitted for critical Judgment
the general effect. Beauties and defects in the
details must naturally be left out of such esti-
mates.
] saw the statue BY Crawford twice, and only
twice and much, both Of excellence. and of defect
if there be any, may have been overlooked; but
still, as you request it, will present to you fully
the general impression produced upon my mind.
/ will confess, it that of uumixed admiration.
To give 10 no other credit, / believe no one can
DOUBT that this is one Of the most striking stat
ues in the world. The position of both man aud
horse perfectly natural. The horse full of fire
and Of ardour, subdued, but not extiDguisbed by
the strong hand upon the snaffie the man full Of
calm power, as if he felt that he could rule the
future destinies of his country with the same VI
gor that governed the lightning crested creature
beneath him. Ia the horse there h an effort to
obey at once, n full career, the mighty hand that
rules him. In the man there is effort. It is all
power.
Such, think. the general expression of the
group. The particular expression, rather the
Interpretation to be given to it, for statuary 10 q
written ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IL you please.
bat still needing an interpreter-has been read
wrong, think. by many persons. heard it sta
ted by gentlemen around, tnat the moment
chosen for the depletion of Washington, was at
the battle of Monmouth, or at half dozen other
battles. But it seemed to me that such an
idea all mistake. 1t cannot, of course enter
into the mind of the great artist, n.w aas gone.
and say what was in his thoughts; but ! do not
eleye Crawford intended to represent any par
ncular moment or any particular event in Wash
ington's life. 1t was only Washington Washing
Rton embalmed in memories, such as leave behind
all spices Of the Egyptian tomb--the love of his
countrymep, the gratitude Of ages, the admira-
tion of worid-Wa Washington leading on, not 20
much to victory and fame. as to duty and liberty.
If we must give more material view of the
conception, 1t presents the colossal figure of
man Of fine and digniied department. and of
form. powerful, yet graceful riding n splendid
charger in full action. The mans left hand ia on
the snaffile bride, which he has drawn tight
enough to suddenly check the horses course bur
not to throw him far back upon his Launches. 10
is position We have all hundred times in the
manage, when young horse is between the pill
lars, and the ground is lightly struck with the
eraoache behind him. The man sits the beast with
majestic ease. and as If something had sudd -nly
caught his attention in the distance, be is pointing
forward and rather upward with his hand, while
his head and face are slightly turned to the left
and might indicate that he was either calling the
object that had just struck his own eyes to the
notice ofhis companions. or was giving command
f.h tod tha9 70 tio La
The figure is erect the chest thrown forward, the
knees pressed TO the saddle, the heel nearly be-
meath the shoulder, and the sole Of the foot almost
horizontal. The seat is military and not hunt.
ing seat; and the whole impresses the mind with
the idea of perfect eaae, calmness and command
The horse is full of restrained eagerness. The
bronze eye seems to flash fire aud the nostris .'to
snuff the battle from aiar." The model mast have
Teen most carefully selected to afford such CON-
bination of blood. bone and muscle. To have
mounted man of Washington's size and weight
upon full biooded Arab, would have been to re-
duce the warrior to the mere sportsman or horse
jockey; and every tyro knows that for service and
for the hunting field, cross of other blood 10
absolutely necessary for the sake of muscular
power-probably for the purpose Of marking that
he was modelling charger, and not merely fine
booded horse Crawford dim inished the distance
between the root OF the ear and tho maxillary
gle, while he retained most of the other character
stics of the Arab. adding, however, great muscular
development to give the impression of sire myth
mat muscular C6SeiOpileDt Is most apparent
the limbs on which the strain, caused by the sud-
den check. must have been thrown; and probably
there is not finer illustration of equine anatomy
in the world than in the near (left) hind leg aud
Group of the charger. The Pasterns and dtife
Joints show more of the pure Arab: but if this be
little toe much for charger, something must be
allowed for the bsaa ideal | do not suppose that
Crawford stroye to represent the horse that WASH
ington actually rode, but horse in blood and
spirit fit for such man.
The ancient delighted in representing action
both in marble and brenze but most of the finest
specimens of equestrian statuary, at the high pc
riod of Atsenian art, except those from the fieZe
of the ParthenoD, are gone. The famous broHZes.
once on the Hippodrome at Constantinople, we're
melted by the Latin invaders of the lower empire.
to make into serviceable pennies. We have thus
lost the means of comparing Nr. Crawfords statue
with the finest speciments of the horse in action,
which Greece could imagine portray; but am in-
cliDed to believe that the horse under Washing ton
on the Capitol Square would not suffer much by the
comparison, could it be made. This may provoke
smile in those who think that moderps can, in no
degree. rival the ancient, but would only sug-
gest that before they smile, they will compare the
charger We speak OF, with most of those represent
ed on the Elgin Marbles They will find there,
beyond doubt, extraordinary beauties of cCucep-
tiou and design; but they will fiud also a great
number of cobb shaped yew-necked beasts, very
different in every form from what we expect in a
fine horse.
Since the revival of the arts, till after the COM
equestrian groups which show the horse really 10
action. In Venice, Paris, London, Berlin, Lisbon
and eisew here there are several fine statues, on
horseback, by Donatello. Barocchie, Schulter, ia
cobb, &c, but in almost all, the horse is, at most
paving the ground or slowly advancing. There is
one fine group with more action, if | recolleet
right, in Paris, and one splendid bronze horse,
sculptured. by Bailey, think, in London, 20
% years ago The animal is full of fire and life
but, unfortunately, he has got George III with
long, straight, sticking-out pig tail on his back
and there WAS little TO be done with him in the
way of beau ideal. The statue of Frederickin Ber
lin, and the famous equestrian figure in Lisbon as
we'll the fine, but rude aud hard, fgure Of Peter
the Great, have all, far can recolect-I will
not call them defects, but wants-which do not ex-
ist in this statue.
0n the whole, may sincerely congratulate you
on having, in Virginia, not only the finest work of
art in the United States but one fine as any in
the wOrld-one worthy to commemorate a man
whose mind was capable of comprehending, that
duty is superior to glory. patriotism more great
than power.
Believe me to be, my dear sir, yours, faithfully
G. p. II, JAMEs