, 1873-06-29

every repetition
| HIRAM POWERS.
| The brief dispatch from Florence, announcing
! the death of Hiram Powers, after lingering i'll
ness, will be received with feeling OF sorrow
! by all tho workers. in his fold Of a1t, and by all
who have felt pride in his works, as creations
| which Indicated the commencement at leagt CT q
| distinctive school OF American sculpture. The
plastic art in America has riscn to position
! worthy to be called school within the present
generation. Painting had already reached this
dignity when Greenough frat demonstrated
to the world that Americans could
work with the chisel as well as with
the brush Since his time, Powers, Crawford.
Rando1f Rogers, John Rogers, the wonderful
modele1 in clay, Miss Hosmer, Miss stabbins,
Palmer, Paul AkerB, Story, and Ward have la
bored faithfully to uphold the American reputa-
tion, and have reflected credit upon American
with the appreciation and sympathy, not to speak
Of the remuneration, which they merit. It may
we'll be doubted whether tho American people
hayo Jet risen to that high standard
Of art criticism and culture which will
enable them to recognize the dignity and
grandeur Of expression in marble It is doubt
ful whether they ever will, as long az they OBJ
tain their ideas from such inferior artists ns
Clark Mills and Vinnie Ream, who stand es
types OF o multitude OF workers in marble in
n;tv
whose talent should be employod upon grave
stones and mantclB rather than upon the human
form, in its real and ideal phases. It may
be questioned whether this first rank of
artists has succeeded in establishing q dis
Hnctive school OF American sculpture as clearly |
as the modern English. German, and Italian !
schools. They have, however, laid tho founda~
tion for ono, By careful study and patient labor.
They have made place in Europe for American
art, and have compelled feeling Of respect for
it. The little colony which has settled in Rome /
and Florence surrounded By the great works OF
tho old masters, has laborod on quietly and
unostentatiously, having no connection with the
outer world except through their works, and no
l
when Mr. Powers, his temper getting the better
Of his discretion, rebuked Congressional
jobbery and empir1cism in art, and admins
tered IN unmorciful chcstacment to the politi-
cians OF Washington for their degradation Of
American nrt by ignorance md vonalty.
Tho events Of Mr.. Powers life arc fem and
ample. He has lived nearly forty years Of that
life in tho seclusion Of his studio, and Jet that
F1orentine studio has boeu m art-Mecca, whith-
ar American connoieseurs have always gladly
made their plgrimages Of delight and
luty, to be gladdoned with all beauti-
.ul sights and cheered With the artists |
hospitality. The early features Of
Lis lifo havo already been narrated in The Tn1B-
me. It waa not until 1887, when SO years Of
ge, that he was enabled to go to Europe and
udy,-through the liberality OF the Cincinnati |
aillionaire, Nicholas Longworth, who had dis
enoug to foreEee his aptitude for q ]
Ugh position as sculptor. Ho remained in Eu-
ope from that time until his death, Us do all
cu1ptors who have tho means. The sculptor s
ho tries to achieve SUCCESS in this country has
ard task before him. He works without I
dvantago- In Italy, he has tue aid Of living, | I
Professional models, the models of the antiques Z
u about him, and the workmen who can chise1 q
ae marble from the design which he has made
J the clay, besides great saving in expenses. '
he 1abora Of all these years nre summed up in ]
1e statues Of "Evo," "The Creek Slave" t
Proserpine," California" 'sAmerica," and y
unerous portrait busts. He is best known in i
lia country by S'Tho Greek Slave )" in Europe u
: lis TIVE" No statue which has ever been ex- g
bled in this country has provoked such widely il
ferinS criticisms as Tho Greek Slave" In Il
ia country, the real friends Of art had q severe
,ht With the "prurient prudea over the e
1dity OF the figure. This e1aggeration Of mod tt
ty still prevails. In the memorial picture Of c.
g Chicago fire, painted by Armitage, for pre-
ntation to the City, the figure Of Chicago, rs Il
first painted, was nude woman. / photo 81
aph WAS sent in advance for criticism to those Il
1inent art~critcs, the membMs Of ths City tt
,yernment. The only criticism which they Il
ade was, that the figure Of Chicago should ia
draped. The concession was made by the te
list, and he draped his figure. To have COM x
eted the farce, he should have dreosed it as q b,
Il Of the period, with redingote and panier. til
10 question Of nudity, in connection with "The u
eek slave,' WAS perhaps a natural one to o.
se Al that time, as the public then was not 80 a