The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-02-22
The Late Thomas Crawford and the
Washington Equestrian Group.

This eminent sculptor born in the city Of
New York, March %, l8l3 and died in London, on
the 10th of October, 1851. In his early life, he
evinced decided taste for sculpture, at period
when sculpture, as a fine art, was unknown in this
country. He placed himself, when quite youth,
with a wood carver in New York, and afterwards,
at the age of nineteen, In the studio of Messrs.
Frazer and Iauritz, monumental sculpters in that
city, at the same time studying the works of ar
lists In the spring of 1885 be proceeded to Rome,
where.he went to work in the studio of Thorwald-
sen. From this moment he studied and toiled
with the most astonishing perseverance, all the
time struggling with poverty and sometimes with
sickness, brought on by his superhuman Iabors.-
In 1887, he modelled in ten weeks seventeen busts,
for which he received about the pay of an ordiua-
ry day laborer. But he knew such thing as
faint heart. He produced his Orpheus, his first
work of importance and that established his fame.
Orders then begun to pour in upon him from all
quarters and the day of his success was dawning.
Mr. Kenyon, an English gentleman, wrote at this
period to a friend: ''If Crawford is sustained in
his art and keeps his health, he will be the first of
modern sculptors nay, an American may rival
Phidas. Some of the best judges compare his Or
pheus to the Apollo. Gibson, (the great English
scuptor,) chary and cold in praise spoke of 1t to
me most extraordinary promise Of eminence
in the art Thorwaldsen, (the greatest Of modern
names,) expresses the same opinion, and esteems
Crawford bis successor In the classic style
Of sculpture. l only wish he an Englishman''
The struggle for bread was now over and he
launched on the full tide of success In 1S44 he
came TO this country and married Miss Louisa
Ward, daughter of the late Samuel Ward of New
York. In 1919, on visit to Bordeutown, New Jer-
| sey, be read in newspaper that Virginia had ap.
proprated a sum of money to erect monument to
Washington, had invited competition, and that the
designs were to be submitted at a certain date In
a few days he had his model completed and pro-
ceeded to Richmond. lie received the order, and
returning to Rome, the following year, 1850, the
magnificent work was begun. "When it was an
nounced," says Mr.. Thomas Hicks, in an eloquent
eulogy on his life and character, that the colossal
equestrian statue of Washington was ready for ex-
hibition, for days the Piazza Negnni was thronged
with royal and civic equipages. The royalists
from Europe, republicans from all countries, ea-
| vans, connosseurs, wealth, beauty and fashion,
| even the common people of Rome mingled with
the vast concourse, and paid their homage to the
genius of the American Sculptor. When the Wash
ing,on was cast in Munich, the verdict upon its
merits was unanimous; he was made an honorary
member Of the Royal Academies of Munich ard
st. Petersburg, and during the year the Academy
of Sc. Mark, at Florence, conferred upon him the
same distinction. In such esteem was the Wash
ington' held by the workmen in the foundry, and
80 entirely had the artist Won their regard, that
when it left Munich they would not allow the
binary aborers to touch the cases in which it was
packed, or put it upon the conveyance, but did all
that themselves while the roads and bridges were,
BY order of the King made free for it to pass over.
The same good fortune attended il on this side of
the Atlantic, for when it reached Richmond the
enthusiastic citizens drew it to its destined place
In Capitol Square"
The same euIogist mentions that CSawford's coun
tenaace had often exhibited traces of an unsatis-
fed spirit, and a restless longing for the future
previous TO 1850. Mr. Hicks says that meeting him
then in Broadway, Immediately after his arrival
from Virginia, the expression his face was that
OF perfect happiness, and his unconstrained and
cordial greeting tairly electrified me. On my re-
marking how well he looked, he said 4 feel we'll
have received the Virginia commission, and it is
the first real chance have ever had to do what /
want to- He had now the opportunity to secure
permanent fame, and after this never observed
the old popularity of his manner"
Alas, that he could not have lived to witness the
browning triumph of this day
MIR. Crawford left behind him more than thirty |
works of history andallegory, besides large nun
Der of neurological and scriptural compositions.