New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-12-18
FINE ARTS
PHorosoULPTURY

cS5fS. Huston ~ hUII, TWO cnldfVlS.Ug young
phooarhers who about year ago 6t Acquainted US with
The porcelain photograph have at great expense made
bid for fortune the introduction public Of the
cent French invention Phoo5oupure As their worroom
nearly completed and everything necessary 10 the success OF
the Undertaking readiness II cannot be many days before
shall have satue bsts ard medaons Of our own ciit
placed before addition to those admirable ones OF
French and which have been sent TO the Amer
purchasers Of the patent right samples Of what can be
accomplished by this ingenious invention and propose,
therefore, tell readers something about the process By
which they are produced Phoosouptuc may be easily in
fec1 the AT Of bringing photography to the aid Of scup
trc and the invention Of Mr. Wemc Of Paris, who has
pTacticed successfully that capital since 1863 and who has
recently so The right for England company in London for
fabulous And wonder for the invention is 50 useful
that every who can afford IL is ayang himself OF IT, and
nothing but their necessarily high price will prevent these le
statues from becoming common the ordinary visiting
card Photograph to have been pophesicd as one
may say tho stereoscope bat although that produced
tho eye required quick wit and perhaps the
suggestion Of happy accident to suggest the method Of
complisng Toundne5 10 the touch and that quick wit
was found in the brain Of Mr. Wilene. Let the
reader 60 with Mcssrs Huston Kuzs work room and
ask them 10 explon what find there Mounting TO the very
top building find the carpenters and painters busy a.
putting finishing touches TO large room having "a
sides and lighted by roof composed entirely Of glass like the
roof Of greenhouse In the exact middle OF the room
small circular platform which be raised or lowered at
pleasure bring center Of the subject whether sitting or
standing adult child opposite the center Of the camera
In The middle Of each Of the q sides the chamber is samen
the anc AZ tina, ordinarily used by photographers aud tho
Of the whole p arranged with cords and pueys
that they can be opened AMI shut with simultaneous
ness II the reader will place himself the platform aud
assume any attitude may either standing sitting
AZ given signal q will hy open q separate
pictures Of his psonhoSng /, on all sides as to one walk
ing round hiuw be taken many negative plates pre-
pared the usual way at another signal the "a covers VIII
close simultaneously they opened and so far rs ne Is con
ccrncd h, ended The photographers are now in
possession negatives which when looked at together
give as we have said, "a complete picture OF his
cniiro person, complete series from the fnn Aee
round % the full again m every fold In the dress from
head 70 foot AMI it easy that point Of connection
can be found by which all these twenyour peures can be
brought in one and transferred clay nothing viii be easier
than to secure statue himself With likeness as accurate as
could be produced the photograph 1t is this point o'eon
necton between tie picture the clay which in reality con-
stutcs Mr. Wienes Invention and Is equally simple and
ingenious The OF clay which TO be converted into
statue divided nstunaly by lines drawn on lis surface
twenty sections each corresponding by number to
one OF the twenty negatives These negatives having been
meanwhile reproduced Of greatly magnfed size No let s
say SCI up bore the answering to it and the panto
graph bgougtno operation The reader does not know what
hi. nsiruncn, H. pcrhaps Well for all It's hghsouning
name which by tho way has the distinction Of being spelled IN
hrce different ways tho pantograph simple thing enough
being nothing fact but rol suspended in frame with one
pointed and the other containing either pencil or eiaper
according TO be used for drawing on paper or working on
clay It Is not invention but has been long in use the
only novelty ia this case is in It's application
II, use is TO make a copy OF drawing statue that shall
exactly reproduce original model in any required size
although /, generally used for reductions The beautiful
small copies Of the Of Moone three feet the other
foot high Tor sale the satuarcs shops madc by the
p,ntogrnph and in Paris all the famous antiques have
been reproduced by with The fidelity The process Is
simple one end Of the rod applied the Surface OF the
original statue while The other end scapes of the surface Of
the ormcs lump clay the modelling stool TO the same
profile the sic being regulated by the point at which the pan
ognph swung being moved end the other
The copy Thus made is OF course automatically exact and
the same process being followed with each OF the twentyfour
photography similar result follows for Of course it makes
difference whether tie end the pantosraph traces the proe
Of picture or statue there be only proles enough the
clay must finally receive them all and the result be ronndness
and portraiiurc.
80 far all in the process mechanical and nothing gained
for ar by Mr. Wemcs ingenious invention But in reality
m, proes is ouly partially completed when the Photographs
work is ended Il il necessary that the clay be submitted
10 the hands artist sculptor who shall carefully 90 over
il with his and apply his taste and skill TO peFeeting the
finish OF is details When this has been well done the result Is
statue whose life and grace in proportion TO the natural
perception and technical ability OF the artist The different ex
ample Of MI. Achc ihtl4ltlult 'N'' 'N4''
70 Mcssrs Huston Kurz and which be seen at their
rooms viii make very plain. Compare this bust in baked
clay for instance with this small statue Of Dsder the well
known photographer Both mathemaisy exact copies Of
their subjects but the one been worketupOn after the me-
ehanca process finished By the hand Of some accomplished
arts, who has touched with his own spirit and skill that
all trace OF It's mechanical origin has entirely disappeared The
other on the contrary although bust and probably
better portrait than be made by many protested seuPors
il more mechanical than artistic viii BE- most easily seen
perhaps by comparing the treatment OF the hair win
that Of the same feature in the statue OF Disdcri
MANY persons On seeing these little statues 50 l Of life and
character win excaim This viii put end to sculpture as
others said when the rs photographs were made This VIII
be tho death Of portrait painting" But in reality there
nothing 10 fear II may indeed throw many bad seulpors out
of work but this viii be matter OF regret and beside
many them will find employment and needed training IN
these very figures just the good results OF
photography are beginning 70 be In the demand the Pnbc
makes on the artists patient study and more careful
work so that school of pantinga nineteenth century
scbos being built up broad and foundations that
will resemble no predecessors viii this device OF photo
sculpture accusom the popular eye to natural ease OF attitude
and anatomical accuracy and truth OF drapey and VIII give us
new standard by which Judge the work of future scpors
And the sculptor the OF genius the creative mind
when such an shall be- born America viii find work enough
10 and audience which not prepared To comprehend his
thought will A. least have educated by the peetOn of
these very mechanical arts appreciate his technical skill
However We hold it borrow trouble in view OF the
pos,be harm that follow from tho Introduction OF an M
vention which become as hrmy seated m rs popn
larfy ns IL the photograph II may possibly be abused by
oharaans although IL in such danger IN the hands of
Nessrs Huston Kun who too intelligent to force II 70
undertake tasks ont OF IT, sphere but art NOT so lnherne
tnt she nbes every invention She can adapt er
self TO every agc aud all Varieties OF circumstance nth
we believe that sculpture-ong SICILY grSwth Tue wou
oyer-wi take life from this invention which by scatter,
ING s beautiful fruits freely through the whole community viii
erc love for the art its higher fields that IN turn may
breed a man to CRAFTY the new desire
--~-------
THE SOUTHERN SLATER