New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-16
THE STAFFORD BUST OF SHAKESPEARE.

ITS MAKER A Observation-Disclosures BUST NOT
MISUNDERSTANDING LIKE SCAR SHOWN IN
PHOTOGRAPHS.
To tho razor OF The Tribune.
SIR: 1t is likely that many who have READ
Mr. Charles g. Gray's letter in your issue OF the 5t
inst will infer from 1t that there is conflict OF opinion
between the authorities he quotes and Mr. Page as to
the worth OF the Stratford bust Not that Mr. Gray
can he said TO have had this another purpose in view
hut IN make record Of his love Of our poet, and II
through stress OF this absorbing passion, he mas mace
himself ame wrong construction he can out DC
pleased TO be set right again. He says that MI rage
in his lecture OF November H. Is said TO nave hunorousH
dspeled the idea that the Stafford bust was anything
At all like William Shakespeare; the bust did not ex-
bbit in any way those evident marks OF intellectually
which people were accustomed to see In every picture
Of Shakespeare 1t was too fat, and entirely lacked the
noble neaents Of the poets face Your correspondents
quotes from essay or MI bdihoH, f. o.
A., British artist, and author OF dictionary
OF art terms, who believes the bust 10 DC
a careful and accurate transcript OF tho features
Of Shakespeare Mr. Farholt POUNDS his belief on the
probabc fact that the bust executed under the I'M
direction OF the poets family and IS strength
ened this opinion by the statement OF Mr.. Bullock
who made "A cast from 1T in 1874 and who says IL Is
fine work. and perceive on its face evident signs OF ls
being taken from a cast, which at once stamps the
validity Of its being real likeness. Mr Farholt gives
II as his opinion that the whole face is scuptured with
s,ncular dclicacy and remarkable Tho exact
meaning intended TO be conveyed by these seemingly
strong Communications l. possibly shown by what Is sad
further on the eyes are not only Dady enecu'cu
bur are to nature. In this he mas eVGehce III
snpport of the theory that the bust was copied from
mask and concludes that workman OF so little artistic
knowledge is shown In the treatment OF TUG EYES
could not have got much OF nature in his work had he
not bndly copied from mask. After admitting tuo
Obvious ignorance OF the person VINO made the Dust MI
Fairholt gives il as his opinion that the whoe oi Tue
head is singulariy satisfactory. . - -.
These seemingly contradictory statements may nave
resulted from an inadequate knowledge OF the uses OF
words rather than from ignorance or the subject IL
can hardly that Mr. Fairhot could nave Thought tls
hust portrait IN the right That 10 was copied
from mask H. generally believed by artists VINO nave
given the matter attention and this belief IL an esse
ticiry OF the mask. that thus far Mr. Pages
belief in harmony with that OF Slr Francis Chah'rY
Mr. Fairhot and Mr.. Bullock. The person who made
the Stratford bust Gerard Johnson li0ander
who carried on tombstone business and there IL
nothing the bust TO prove that he had any knowledge
beyond the requirements OF his trade lie evidently
bns and rather than begin the work over again he re-
paIred the accident by finishing the nose, making III
much shorter than 1t ought TO be. lie sinoohed the
face eauazed either side OF IT, fixed the back or the
head ina some way other and possibly thought that he
had done very neat bit Of work. We need not be sur
nrsed that Shakespeare's daughter and her husband
have 70 be satisfied with the best they get and 1t
probable that Mr.. Johnsons reputation was as good Us
rb STAFFORD bust "a valuable only az a record Of
few facts aud Mr. Page would have been no more than
eht mad he said IL entirely lacked the noble neaments
the poets face As to the photographs from the
mask certainly show something very IKE one, though
about IL had he fully appreciated the enormty OF the
dissertation and that one VIII more deeply regret
than he pain he has innocenty no DOUBT caused 50
worthy gentleman as MI. urdy io'e Vi ohahospeafe
,'rnves him TO be- A SCULPTOR.
Neu York, May H. 1874