New-York tribune., 1868-04-23

spared from this fgare It's pose is light aerial
gladSOme; one sees the mature, perfect mother Of
men, taking life as an incredible gift She is not the
tragic Eve Of the Fali; but on the other hand she
never could be mistaken for nymph or bacchanto.
Her nudity is nseparable from purity This beanti-
full work will add greatly to Mr. Balls reputation.
Mr.. IIart's residence in Florence, including his
temporary soiOurBs in England and America, dates
from 10 years back. He is best known at home by
both in Kentucky and NewOrleans. tle has been
employed. for two years past, IN modelling q group
representing Woman, as she y IN our day, n9t to be
and containing the full might OF love-. She has
taken the last arrow from the culver OF the little
AmOret at her side, and holds 1t archly above her
head The pose of the figure is very good and the
masses Of the form Gt is not yet developed furtherl
broadly and harmoniously Indicated. The Cupid
saves the introduction Of stump OF pillar, whereby
the group acquires freer, simpler air. Mr. Hart is
such patient artist so little baSty TO see his concep
tOns completed in marble, that lear some time will
yet eapSe before this work can be gwen to the world
His ingenious machinc-whLch might be called
compound system Of calllpers-for taking two or
three hundred meGsiremenlS OF the head ~ the same
time, is a great saving Of labor TO the sculptor in
cases where he must work rapidly Olerable like
ness may be blocked ont by 1t IN very short space
Of time 1t cannot, however, succeed tho intellec-
tual labor of sculpture, any more than the photo
graph can supeTsede painting Expression. reduced
to its final elements may be simply material form,
but il cannot be caught by merely mechanical
agencies. The same remark will apply to what -
called phOtosculpture. The technical term Of the
artists" Jtelag g'-expresses that line and subtle
representation cf character which come; from
spirit ro be- measured or calculated, working from
the MtiSs heart and brain through his hand. This
srint viii NV ava rludo machinery.
Mr. Mead las 4 large studio, or series OF studios,
ard CmpicyS eight or ten men, For so Young
sculptor, he has been very fortunate IN making hm-
s,h name and receiving the commissions which iol
low thercupon. The most important work he has on
hand is figure Of America Tor soldiers monument
in Vermont. IL is a proud, defiant IltaneSs, with
the eagle at her feet and sword in her hand. Inc
profile Of tho face is superb though 1t belongs to the
Ia fi,aut tnt thak thgIn
The f,onid,Is are thrown back, the bosom slightly
adyaurcd, and the whole figure thus acquires an AR
power, Of maiesy of fearless independence winch
is truly imposing. lt seems TO me that tho disposl-
ton of the dTapeTy does not quite bear out TINS caI
acter; but ought not perhaps, to criticise work
which is not yet fully completed -.
Mr.. Mead has a group OF Union soldier telling
the story of battle and suffering 10 his little daugh
ter The head Of the former IS particularly good
Two statuettes of Echo and the Mountain-Boy show
a more ideal tendency. which rises TO mysticism in
tgGre called Mystery holding the Lamp Of Lie"
Here he has passed out of the proper province OF
sculpture into that of poetry The temptation to
do so is great because there is always class OF adj
mirers for works of this kind, which may be as
beautiful in form as mistaken IL conception. Inc
imaginative element III u sculptor Is severely re-
strained by the character OF hs art but IN every
branch of art, allegOry is dangerous ground con-
fess | like Mr. Mead's soldier best. Ho has un-
doubted genius and evidently great facility III CIV
ing form TO his ideas which ought not TO make diff
cult to mm the stern. conscientious study that leads
TO the highest success
whom MIR. POweTsS announcement turned To sCulp-
ture, and he has already, at the age OF 20 disin-
gpishcd himself in the latter art lie lBherits much
of the antique sense of grace and symmetry. In
looking at his works felt the presence of a great
aud Joyous activity. Ny CHEF fear IN his in
Dlr. Mead's, is that no may be tempted to work too
rapidly. / see. also the same tendency 10 ttespass
on poetic ground "1he Silver Cord and the Golden
Bowl" cannot be made evident III sculpture without
good many words of explanation. But he has an
exquisite figure of Arethusa, and group mot yet
finishedl oi two Spartan warriors. which has most
admirable points In portralture, especially OF ladies'
Ec is also very successful
There is evidently. great deal Of Greek fire" in
of mblance-that OF the Venus of Milo in biz
Diana" But il is Ike spirit, working in modern
ideas and conceptions. In losing the NEUROLOGICAL
world, sculpture lost tenfOd more than the other
arts The beautiful Nude is not found in our life,
scarcely in the figures of our religion Perhaps the
tendency TO represent abstract imaginative fanCics
comes from this. But the sculptor should always
remember that he has least liberty. He cannot
throw ilcetng idea into pcndrawinR, lyrc or a
sonnet. HunoT. except in ts sUbtIest and archest
form. is oXcudod from his realm HIS drapercs must
speak equally with the trunk and limbs: the very
accessories of his figures assume new sOlemniY as
a cup transferred from the banquet-tabe 10 the altar
have been greatly delighted with my visits 20 the
five studios (Alr Jackson il az present in Amercal
So much more is being accomplished than ten yodrs
ago aud the most OF II Is excellent that feel sure
our American era of Ant has already dawned. H. 7.