New-York tribune., 1874-06-01
AMERICAN ARTISTS IN ITALY.

THE CHARGES MADE IN MIR. HEALY's LETTERS
NOTHING LIKELY TO RESULT FROM TIE CON
TROvERsY.
1t is difficult to see what good purpose has
been served by Mr. Stephen Weston Heays letters rom
Italy charging certain American artists by name Win pro-
fessona frauds and throwing out ntmatons that other
culprts in plenty remained TO be disposed or Of COURSE
nothing else was 10 be expected than that the artists ac
cused OF lying cheating, stealing and, generally OF
getting their money under false pretenses would deny
such a soft impeachment or that their lriehds ~ouu
deny it for them and this having been, In nearly every
case promptly and enegetcaly done, MI Heay Is iet
in an uncomfortable dilemma Either ne must eat his
own words. or he must go on and prove them true.
Now Mr.. Heay Is not nameess slahderer; nor Is no
an obscure person whom 1t Is easy 10 pooh-pooh We
beeve bin TO be an honorable gentleman; we know
that he is educated cultivated an Oh wealth. anu
he given the best proof that he Dee'es what nc sS
TO be true by bringing his charges puDicy ana signing
his name to his accusation These facts give much weight
TO his statements and have made IL necessary III 'c
opinion Of some Of the sandered persons to take some
notice OF Them and the other hand the accuser ought
10 see that he is also obliged take some notice OF the
answers to his charges He cannot afford, FOR the sake
OF his own character stand by his rst assertions anu
vet refuse to back them with proof And, as we nave
sad he will probably find that his dilemma Is serious
one. On the hand. II he acknowledge that he was
he is cool he sees had foundation, he Will come Oh
with little credit-for he will have shown not only want
OF Judgment but what want OF consideration
for the rights and feelings OF others. Ana yet' IL he
shall try to prove his facts he will find 1t very had
matter No proofs but the most positive VIII suffice, ana
TO satisfy world that artists who have hitherto borne
good characters, and who have been intrusted with
important commissions, public and private, are really
dishonest men, 1t will be necessary to substitute for
vague general statements, proofs good In court OF
law. Mr.. Healy may have such proofs at hand,
but 1t does not look at present as II
he had and unfortunately II now appears as If such
proof as he has OF doing will lie only against one
or two who had any character to lose, aud
who are not known at all in the artist world.
On the other hand it must should think, strike any
one who follows the controversy is carried in the
Italian newspapers-chiehy in The Italian Necs, an
English newspaper printed in Florence, and circulating
principally the English and American residents
that the replies Mr. Healy rather t and spritless
IL wanting in conviction. The signatures to the
letter published in vindcation OF Mr.. Story are GER
tainly those OF gentlemen above suspicion, ana MT.
Bayard Taylors letter which has since appeared, and
winch We printed on May G, adds another import
ant witness on Mr.. St0rys side as to that gentle
mans character But the letter signed BY the Hou
GO p Marsh, Jas Russell Lowell. and Others, is really
a very unsubstantial document and five signatures ~
sculptors would have been worth much moio 10
hOnorably distinguished.
Certainly IL Mr. sory's friends thought that NJ,
ealy's charges against him demanded an answer ihoy
should have reflected that these charges woro brought
against him as a sculptor and they should have seon to
it that his practice a sculptor was declared above
suspicion Ivy those among hs brethren In the profession
whose names would have settled the matter beyond
peradventure. For part regret that the letter.
was ever written publishcd wish that Mr. story =
friends had had the wisdom to that 80 honorable
his stands in need OF projection, ani that
Mr. Story had been allowed to occupy the same attitude
in regard to these charges of Mr.. Heay that Mr Mead
has taken-the attitude slmple reliance repura-
ton earned by honorable conduct. That the publca-
ton o; the letter defending Mr. story has done but Little
good in settling the matter is shown by the sequel Mr..
Heay made specific charges against M. story,
and he does not Withdraw them now that
Mr. Story's friends have asserted their belief in
his innocence. On the contrary, he reitritcs
his belief IN them. "Aiter ALL" he says. what is such
manifesto worth against the testimony OF several
sculptors (ye-witncsses 10 the conraryr And 80 Ne
are brought back the starting point and the grouL
Is to he all gone again.
Now what in our opinion, would have been the right
for Mr. eay TO pursue to have first satisfied
himself that the state of the scilptors profession IN
Italy Is such to searching examnation-a
matter about which there be possible doubt. In
one month he could have collected in Rome and Florence
all the proofs needed that great deal OF swIndng
and great deal of small cheating all the time prac-
ticed I'm Italy and that both tle swnders ana their
victims chiefly Americans. We think that, to calm
deliberate statement of the melancholy condition OF
things in this field art in Italy Mr. saly could have
easily secured signatures every Amerc sculptor
living in that whose name would nave carried
weight with it, II would then have been impossible for
the scuptors to refuse to investigate the ject and
we might have seen the field wecied OF OF its
dsgraccfuI members Bat now there l. little hope
Of any result. Tae newspapers will publish
columns OF replies and rejonders, and then the
public viii insist course being served up the
whole matter Will be forgotten. an1 the next Waters
rains in Italy will fall alike the just ana unjust scup
tors, they keep working IN the old way.
The whole matter is in a nutshell Mr.. H'ay's
letter contains great deal Of unquestonct and unqucs
tOnabe truth Way d. many scuipiors ~ to Italy
Marble Is cheap living cheap, they live in artistic
atmosphere. and-the labor OF killed assistants is
cheap" This Is the but the gist OF IL all il in
the last seven words Tie great majority of American
scuptors who have studios iu Florence and Rome
employ Skilled assistants-many of them clever
scuptors so far mechanical ability is concerned
who hand in the work from the time the clay ia
to the time when the marble receives Its hnal
polish. In modelling the clay, sculptor worthy OF the
will receive help but il there single sculptor In
Italy who works upon the marble with his own hands
unili the time comes u hhish me slac5i lhe D'eh,
Iug out the roughng out the c!nselng the carving. all
ant and in many the marble is touched by
The sculptor whose name Is attached 10 IL s Its author
We know that tins is recognized riglt and that
long as does his modelling lie is considered
fairly and legltimately the author OF the marble
statue that has been copied from IL with
mathematical exsctness 10y labOrer paid for the work.
At the time IL Is also rue that few scuptors who
have achieved fame have allowed the Flushing of their
marble 10 be done completely by others nor indeed would
men like Reinhardt, Bail, Story call upon their
assistants for other help than IN the mere rongh
work of blocking ont the bgure aud preparing 1t for their
own creative labor. But any that with the
tlIuf fha
pies Of assistance, the open for charstaury
and swindng, and nobody have lived In italy ana
not been made that chariatans and swndlcrs
finding the field white for the harvest need very little
persuasion ~ induce them TO thrust IN their sIcle..