The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-21
WARDS MONUMENTAL STATUE OF SuARA
SPEARF.

On Saturday, July l. the colossal statue in bronxo
Of Shakespeare, by j. O. Award. Is to be placed, with
appropri tie ceremonies, upon Its foundation, the
corner stone OF which was laid by Mr.. j. Il. HacketI
in the Central Park on the three hundTedth annlver-
sary OF the poets birth, the 23d OF April 1854. 1t
Will stand on pedestal of varlegated marble pre-
pared under the direction OF the Commissioners Of
the Department OF Parks. At the time OF the COM
pletion Of the model of this statue the HERALD
alluded to 1t as perhaps the most impor-
tant production OF recent American art The
poet is represented IN contempative attitude, the
head inclined forward, the right Rand clasping
closed volume, passage in which may be sup
posed to have suggested a train OF thought shaping
itself to living character in the "DoOk and volume
OF his BRAIN" The head bears q sufficient resem-
blance to that Of the bust In Trinity church at
Stratford-on-Avon, which hundreds OF thousands
have gazcd upon ana which must be o likeness;
but is no literal servle copy is the result
of collation. OF many portraits The 'nney arched
forehead" which charaCterlZes the SIratlOrd head
Is preserved The lace and figure are full Of
vitality, and the picturesque costume OF the Eliza.
bethan era, which lends itself so well to the re-
quirements OF the artist, Is satisfactorily treated.
The short CLOAK falls In graceful folds; the
dOublet does not wholly hide the anatomy OF the
chest while that OF the lower limbs is revealed by the
closely fitting hose. The details OF the drapery are
not oDtrusive an the attention Of the spectator IS
rvetel on the powerful spiritual expression OF tho
noble features. the Work, as Mr.. Durivage truly
remarks in, Ills eloquent description OF It In that
popular magazine, The NetC anu GA, exhibits evil
dent progress III the artist and is happy promise
OF future achievements from who Is yet In tho
1ull vlgor OF manhood, Win the probability OF many
years OF study and labor before him, and whose
modesty would lead him 70 lnscribe on eacn OF his
productions yac ebat, not Ecu.
The model Of Wards statue OF Shakespeare las
been cast by Messrs Robert Wood d Co., Of the
Philadelphia Bronze works, whose Interests In New
York are exclusively represented by the Composite
Iron Works Company. The moulding and finishing
OF the cast far superior TO anything OF the kind
heretofore done In this country, and iuy equal to
the finest work done ut Munich elsewhere abroad.
1t weighs about 1000 pounds and is nearly eight
feet high Its mounting, unlike that OF SO
many other statues, dlScloseS no "unseemly seams
petrdying where the head, arms and legs have
made i'm erfect connections with the trunk. The
Chasing Is perfect, and the execution OF the entire
work establishes the positon Of the manufacturers
In the front rank OF artistic workers IN bronze From
their establishment came those other highly credita
bic wOrks-the Statue or Sedgwlck, by Launt
Thompson, at West Point; that OF Perry at Newport
ana that OF the Seventh Regiment Soldier In Central
Park, by Ward and the Lincoln statue. by Brown
ut Prospect Park, IN BROOKLYN. They also have now
In hand the new equestrian statue OF Scott by Brown,
which is to be erected at Washington. II Is happily
manifest That hencefOrth no necessity VIII exist for
sending statues by American artt TO be cast In tue
foundries OF Europe.