The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-05-29
Female SCsslpfO3-s.

Grace Greenwood, in long letter on the
paintings and statuary at Washington says,
those "at present scattered around pro
miscuous' in the capitol, taken together,
speak poorly enough for the artistic culture
of the republic"
Then passing to the appointment by Con-
gress of a young lady TO prepare for the ro-
tunda life-size, full length statue of Mr..
Lincoln at an enormous cost, she says
Think what that is-the work of young
lady, at present in Washington, modelling all
the great men and few of the little ones
as busy taking off heads as ever was "Saint
Guilotine" in the time of the red revolution.
This statue will stand in the very centre ofthe
rotunda, under the keen light that beats down
from the dome, challenging the criticism of
the world-a proof of the splendid temerity
of genius, or, l will not say what. "If it
were well done, when It's done, then 'twero
vel" and no one would be prouder than /
to point to it and say "Femiaa ,tecit." But
the young lady has undertaken what her
great subject would have called 'big job"
and l must confess l have some misgivings
about the result"
Grace seems to have rather poor opinion
of women who undertake do mems work.
She says:
But if the work must be DONE and by an
American sculptor, is there not j. O. Ward,
an artist Of eminently manly genius |? ] am q
Womans Rights woman, of course am !; but
when there is an Atlantic Cable to be laid, or
tight-rope promenade to be taken across the
Niagara-an Arctic Exploration to be made,
or an iron-clad to be built--a Mount Gents to
be tunneled or Abraham Lincoln to be mod
eled, full length, life-size, why, / strike my
colors-for generation of women, at least.
BY and by, we shall have the franchise, then
Miss Kate Field may lay the cable from New
York to Australia Mile Blondin may "trip
the light fantastic toe" over telegraph wire,
| from the Cataract House TO the Clifton; then
Lady Franklin, muffed and tippetted, may
discover the open polar sea then we may
have women-ot-wars -women, and the civiest
of civil engineeresses then any women who
will, may make n colossal statute of-An
drew johnson, without any possibility of be.
lifting her subject.
1t seems that the yonng sculptor before
mentioned had few or no competitors for this
| llnpOItdut HdtlOldl COullIllSSlOn, ana encOun-
tered little opposition. 1t is true that Mr.
Sumner made a very eloquent and learned
speech against the appropriation, in the Sen.
ate, bringing to bear upon that venerable
body his scholarly judgment, and his artistic
taste, not forgetting practical economic con-
siderations. But as judgment, taste and
economy had never been much consulted in
Capitol appropriations, the honorable sena-
tors probably failed to sec why they should
be ungallantly lugged into the debate on this
occasion.
was told that the artist engineered the
matter through herself with true feminine
perseverance and tact, unawed by this power
full Athenian opposition. Angels rush in
where mortals fear to tread I have heard
too that she is fair to look upon, with soft
eyes and lovely blonde tresses. But the head
must boast something more than fair locks,
that can compass the grand character OF
Abraham Lincoln the eyes something rarer
than soft lights that can pierce into the sad
depths of his soul the hands something more
than whiteness and softness that can mould
the form that stood firm amid the shock and
surge of political CONFUSION.