New-York tribune., 1868-04-23

three-quarteIs of an hour for our baggage, the Off
of the OcrOi allowed 1t to pass without eXani-
nation on my simple assurance that we had moth
ing subject to duty. b. 7.
AMERICAN sCULPTORS IN FLORENCE.
From Our Special Correspondent
first came upon the track of our artists in Vece
where found Mr.. Yewell making admirable copy
of very lovely Madonna of Padovanno, and Mr.
Loop similarly employed before the noble Santa
Barbara of Palma Veccho. l only saw tho first of
these works completed. The coIoring of the original
reproduced with great truth and purity of tone
and the picture shOne like star among the plentiful
crudtes of the Italian copyists who equally de-
hcent in color and form. These latter, however
seem TO paint simply as business but the marvel
still remains-wbither 90 those neyer-ending carica
turesi Who buys themi What happy ignorance re-
joces in their possesslonf have idea that somo
Of them find their way TO America!
looked upon the canvasses of two men who were
painting before Titian's Assumption" Verify. q
sight of them would have been draught OF poison
the old master. The glorious coloring of the Venetian
school was not only wanting, with its hannOnies
ST. king the ike grand chords of music but
the cOpyists had somehow managed to suggest dis
cord instead. These are probably the pictures
bought mp by dealers at 40 or 80 francs apiece, and
they painted in manner TO correspond wit the
price. Here. in Florence an altar-piece of FRA
Angelica is constantly surrounded, three OF four
painting ut time. Fra AngelcOs angelic musicians
are fashionable Just now. and there Is thriving
trade in brilliant copies gold ground They are
not bad either-the originals being fiat, and chiefly
| painted with unmiXcd pigments.
l recognized no American artist copying III tine
Fl0rentne galleries except Miss Lee OF Philadelphia,
| who has since gone TO Rome, where our painters
| mostly congregate. was about to say that
represented only by scuptors in Florence but must
/ not forget the exception made by Miss Alexander
who takes up the art which her father seems TO have
relinquished: had the pleasure OF examining a
large collection of exquisite pen-drawlngs made by
this ladystudies from nature portraits. and lllr1-
traive sketchCS--all showing an eye of Tarest keen
ness for seizng form and character The artlstswho
have these drawings are delighted with them
Holman Hunt, especially, was quite unreScryed III
| his praise have seen but one picture by Miss
! Alexander-a peasant girl Of the Apenuines-but 1T
was enough 70 show genuine feeling for color, III
| addition to her otLer fine qualities as an artist
Six American scuptors have taken mp their resi-
dence in tlorence-Powers, BAL, Hart Mead, Con-
nelly, and Jackson. Powers, in fact has become
part of Florence TO every American traveller. When
| ! entered the well known basement halls in the Via
DE- Serragl breathing again the old atmosphere
OF marble dust hearing the delicate click of dozen
! hammers and chises growing busts or statues.
and seeing around the plaster records Of 30 years
Of steady labor it seemed but day. instead of II
years, that had been away. In the inner sanctuary
Powers, in his cap and apron, was working with the
aamo earnest absorption in his face as when left
Him in 1856 His hair - thinner. his beard gfayer,
since then. but his hand is inst as firm ais eye as
wonderfully luminous and there Is 10 trace OF age
! in any of his works.
made fully tive hundred portrait busts beside num-
| ber of ideal works. all of which have been re-
peated. The bust of Proserpine, for instance,
enjoys such a remarkable popularity, that it has
been reproduced in marble more than eighty ii
mes The Greek Slave exists in six repeti-
| TONS the California in four, and / think there
is none Of Powerss works which stands alone
except, perhaps, the PenserOsa. OF the scuptor's
place and fame. need say nothing They have been
fairly settled by this tme the Judgment of 20 years
is generally equivalent TO that OF all time" No
artist before Powers Overcamo 10 such extent
! the resistance of the material in which he works
Marble III his hands, becomes as plastic clay His
execution is entirely admirable, that il is much
easier to say what his works than what they
not HIS ideal works in addition to their anatocical
truth, characterized by grace and sweetness and
the absence of all attempts at startling effect must
be counted unusual merit in this generation of
art find no echoes of former masters in his works
Powers is employed upon statue. to which
be has not vet given name. IL might he called
"Ihe Last of the Race tall, beautiful Indian
woman is represented in the act of running, but
with wearinesS of body and limb which indicates
that the end of her flight is near. Her head is
turned to one side as if listening to the sound of
pursuit The face expresses both fear and pain not
sharp and desperate but duled by the knowledge of
an inevitable fate. The figure is not only very beau
tfu but it fully expresses the scnlptors intention
It promises TO be tho very best Of his statues He
has modelled IL IN plaster, by his new method which
had never before seen IN actual practice. Its ad-
vantage over clay, especially i'll figures which express
motion, is very marked.
Powerss studio comprises i've or six large halls in
which dozen skilled workmen are constantly en-
repetitions in marble which are being wrought ont
form tOerably complete gallery Of his labors as
sculptor and many less earnest man would here be
satisfied to pause and rest The sculptor, however,
has one of those fortunate natures which are only
happy in creative activity; and he will work while
he lives, which, let us hope, Will DO for many year
to come. 'H
Mr. Ballhns been In Florence about three years
IN addition to busts for which our American people
seem 10 have the same passion as the Romans Of the
Imperial time he las two important works in his stu
do one Completed and one still in the clay. The for
mer records LmcOlBs decree of Emane pationin sim
pie yet expressive manner, The President holding the
shield of the Onion in his right hand, extends his
left over the figure of kneeng negro, from whose
wrists The broken chains have just fallen. His head
is slightly bent, and his eyes are east downward,
which, nevertheless, does not in the least lessenthe
force OF the portrait Ii is Of the very few heads
of Lincoln have seen which gives the beautiful, sad
benIgnity OF ms face, as in life. should object TO
the word Liberty on the negTOs Phryg1an cap, as
beng unnecessary and am not certain that the
Introduction of the shield, though correct an em
Dlen, does not detraet from the telling simplicity OF
the group. The head and figure Of Lincoln, however
are very nObly and successfully done. N i.i .H
The other work is a figure Of Eve lust awakened
TO life from the hands Of her Creator Her attitude
is original and stikipgy graceful, the body slightly
bent forward and resting the right foot The
head, lifted is turned to the same side with an ex-
pfeSslpn Oi innocent wonder in which there is
trace OF Joyous seDsation Ono hand plays abstract
cdly, with her long. npphng tresses held there
simply By the feolng Of their soft ABUNDANCE Ii is
pity that tho ycltional stump Rendered neees-
- 49, -. IA 4" "