The Hawaiian gazette., 1868-09-30

rowxss rsss ScVtrro&-Six Amcrscan
senlpt0ss have tskca up their roSidenco in
floFeHee-t,owers Ball Hart, Mead, Con-
RELY S,,i laeksoa, Powers. IN ksct. has
hec0r,e part q Flerenee 10 every Amer
icar travcier. When I entered the well-
known basement halls Ia the Via De Ser
rsg6. hreathirS eace noce thc atmosphere
q raarhle dust, hearing the delicate click
Il = aosen hammers and ehiselS oa grow
ing eSss.S ard statues, and Swing aFoand
ue he plaster reooclS u thirty years ef
steady hoor. il seemed bat day, instead
q elevea wears that hSi heen away. In
the inner sanctuary, Powers, in his cap and
Spron. WAS working with the same earnest
ABSORPTION in his hcc as when len him in
1854 Ills hair is thinner. his hcari gray
e. siDeo then. bat his hand IS just As firm.
his eve Is wonderfully luminous. and there
Is 20 trace Of sSe 10 any oi has works.
Slnea he krss came 20 Florence. in ISIS.
Powers has made fully SEQ portrait huStS,
besides a naaher Of ideal works. all Of
which have been repeated. The bust NJ
FOspsriae. for instance enjoys such ~
usSrSsh,e popularity that II has been ~
pcodaccj in marble mere than eighty times.
The Greek Slave exists in four repeti,;ons.
the California in four. and think there Is
none 0f Powers works which stand alone,
except, perhaps, the PenScroSa OF the
SeRlptosls place ard fame neei say moth
iag, They have been fairly settled by this
tine; the Judgment Of thirty years Is gen-
orally equivalent 20 that of all time.
No artist before Powers ever overcaae 20
such an extent the resistance Of the mate
riAl ia which he works, Marble in his
hands, becomes Is plastic Is clay. His
execution S 80 entirely admirable that IL
Is ulach easier 10 say what his works arc
than what they are not His ideal works,
in addition u their anatomical truth. arc
characterized BY grace and sweetness. and
the absence Of ail attempts at startling ef-
feet must be counted Is an unusual merit
in this geueratiOa of art, ind no echoes
Of foTtusr masters in his works.
Powers Is now employed upon statue
30 which be has not Yet given name. Is
might b. called The Last Of the Race,
A tail. beautiful Indian woman IS repro
ssntsi Is in the act Of running. but with
a wearineSS Of body and limb which indi-
Gates that the end Of her flight is near.
Her heai is turned 70 one side Is If listen
ing 10 the sound OF pursuit. The face ex-
presses both feAr and pain-not sharp and
desperate. but dulled by the knowledge of
"a inevitable fate. The 6gure is not only
very beautiful, bot it fully expresses the
sculpsorls intention Ii promises 10 be
the very best Of his statutes He has
modelled il in plaster by his new method.
which have never before seen in actual
practice Its advantage over clay. especial
y in fgures which express motion, is very
marked.
Powers studio comprises five or six largo
hAlls. in which . dozen skilled workmen
are constantly employed. The casts Of
his basts and statues. and the repetiiiOns
in marble which are being wro1ght out,
form tOlsrable complete gallery of his
lahoS Is q sculptor. and many q less earnest
nan would here be satisfied to pause and
rest. Tue sculptor, however, has one Of
th0Se fortunate natures which are only hap
py in creative activity; and he viii work
while he lives, which. let Us hope, viii be
for many years TO eome.-BGyGrd TiIy-
l0r'S IribHRs LstsSTS-