, 1873-06-29

much accustomed to the nude figure as it il
now. It did not, however, interfere with tht
final decision OF the public, and, d
course, it had no influence whatever upor
the verdict Of the critics. It made great pop
| u1ar success, and it is to-day perhaps better
known than any other ideal figure everproduced
| By an American sculptor, although it has neither
| the strength Of Rogers, the poetry Of Akers, or
the modelling Of Story. One Of the most search
ing criticisms which PoTarB has over received
Was written by Jarves in the Second Part Of hia
tart Idea" and as such criticism ia more to
be desired than mere fulsome eulogy, We repro
duco portion Of it. Mr. Jarves Gays:
It would have been better for the permanent fAme Of
Powers II he had confined himself to bust-mn6ag.
His facility in giving the likeness rafned by his sense
Of beauty and popular wa1-like finish, make him the
favorte sculptor Of wealth and fashion, I'm this re-
epect Hr. Powers WIS to sculpture what Mr. Heay is
70 Pa'ntng.-Ep.] Like Sir Thomas lawrence and
Sir Thomas Lily, In painted portraits, he is sure to
grafy his sittars by satisfying the superficial notions
Of good tssta and the beautiful.
Hiram Powers atty represents the mechanical pro-
clves Of the nation. His fernale statues sfe toera-
bly, wclmodaled figures, borrowed in conception from
the secoud-rate antique somewhat arbitrarily named.
all Of one, naoootonoua type, but cxqutsitely
wrought out under bis supervision by Italian artisans
BY nature, Powcrs is mechanic, and his studies are
chiefly In that direction. He has paid moro attention
to improving the tools with which he works than to
developing his esthettc faculty. The popular esteem
for his statuary lies In ita finish, which Ia like ivory
turning. No other American hns suddenly won fer
himRef reputation; but, bsing founded simply on
talent for the manufacture Of pretty forms from
given model without sufficient intellectual power to
alt vary his subjects to b. original in CHOICE or to
compose group not even student Of All, but con-
tent with transitory triumphs his fame has solid
basis although his manual skill and taste still preserve
for him an honorable rnnk
This measurement Of Powers ability Is the
exact antipodes Of the popular estimation in
which he is held But it must be remembered
that Jarves is one Of the sevcrest Of critics. and
demands that all work shall come up to tho
" Greek slave," he places it side by side with
the Venus Of Milo, and he compares the " Pro-
serpine" OF Powers with the Neapolitan Psyche. |
His criticism Of other American acuIptors, with |
the exception OF Story, is as seyero in many re-
spects as that OF Powers One tact, how
ever, remains beyond the reach Of criti- |
cism. Powers has refined and dignided Aneri- |
ican art, and has dono US much IS any other
artist to bring it before the world, and create t
place and reputation for it. Whatever his
abilities may havo been: his devotion to art has
never been questioned He has been a aconscien-
!iouB worker to the extent Of his genius, and ho
has reflected credit upon Amorica In Europe.
While ho has been very intolerant Of shams, he
las never been slow in his encouragement Of
'oung artists Who hava manifested any
signs Of talent. His daath will leave
! blank in the world OF art dif-
lcult to fill, but his works will
:emain to bear witness to his 1abora, and they
nil always be Of interest as marking the efforts
Il ono OF the pioneers in American sculpture.
Yhen American sculpture gets beyond pediments
or mantel-pieces, efigies for graye-stones, and
gure-embe1lishments for buildings, his works
ill be assigned to very important place, cot
Nr. Jarves' assertion that he has
70 enduring fame,-because he did not carve the
'enus Of Milo OF the Apollo Belvidere.