The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-18
AMERICAN ART In ROME.
What Some Of Our SculptorS
and Artists Are Doing.
Randolph Rogers-Miss Foley-P. Simmons
Martin Milmore-Mr. Freeman's Pic
ture and "reminiscences"
ROME. March %, 1875.

1t Is not such an easy thing at first fancies
70 visit the dozen or fifteen American scuptors In
Rome, and then write intelligent account OF
what you have seen. In the first place. you are
very likely TO find the artist gone to dinner. or
engaged with MODEL or his studio full OF visitors.
aad take your departure, intending TO return
when visitors are not there, when all the models
have been sent 10 Jerusalem and 1t Is not dinner
time. So days pass by, ana you find that what you
had expected to do with the greatest ease In few
days. Is at the end OF few weeks only hall
finished. l Will give you in this le'ter some
account OF what these artists (scuptors and
painters) whose atehers have visited, are doing.
intend simply to tell you now industrious they
are; not to give you criticisms OF their works.
place the names In the order in which gathered
my notes.
SOCIAL LIFE.
According to the lists published In the little poly
glot journal LIE Cosmopoltte, which appears once
week In Rome, there are some twenty American
painters and about fifteen sculptors residing in
the Eternal City. Respecting the peculiarities OF
social life among them there Is little to be said.
The majority OF the artists reside here with their
families in quiet, comfortable manner, and each
one has his own peculiar sphere OF society IN
which he moves and lives. The colonial era OF
American art life in Rome Is thing OF the long
gone past. and with 1t must have gone, TOO, that
cordial social intercourse which generally dstin-
gulshes the life OF a related body OF strangers IN
far OF land. Now our art countrymen are divided
here into cliques and social circles; some nave
swung themselves up into the realms OF the
Roman aristocracy, and Others are climbing up
that way as fast as they can manage It, There
has been OF late some excitement In the artist
circles here caused by the revelations made about
certain members OF the craft, especially In Flor
ence where an enterprising sculptor or two, not
o. w
labors, called In the assistance OF Italians, not
only to DO the so called mechanical part OF the
work-tnat Is, copying the model In marole-out to
furnish the model itsell. The sculptors OF Rome
ought to De the arst in sending that ''revelatorn
a cordial address OF thanks for his services to
them and to the world
MR.. ROGERS LATEST WORKS.
think have brought from Mr. Rogers studio
grander impression than from any other in Rome.
You feel. on entering his large worKrooms, on the
Via Margutta. as II you were suddenly trans
ported into the vestibue of an American Wainalla,
where the heroic and allegorical forms oil o grand
past look down upon you sublime In their colossal
proportions. Immediately before you, either
side OF the opposite doorway are the colossal,
seated statues OF Lincoln and seward; aud grouped
about, as belonging to the era IN which they
lived, the noole figure OF victory the alegorl-
cal figure OF Michigan" with the glorlously up
held shield, and the forms OF soldiers and sailors.
oil colossal proportions, that are to adorn various
monuments oil America. l was Struck by the
grandeur OF these colossal creations In bronze
and marble are to perpetuate the heroic
figures OF the modern heroic age
Of America. l thought as l stood there
that II a large hall OF the Philadelphia Exposition
we're set apart for merely plaster casts OF the
great scuptural works OF our artists represent
ing the worthles and heroes OF merican history,
what grand impression ir would make-hrst,
upon ourselves, aud then upon our foreign visit
ors. Old King Ludwig l. or Bavaria had a grand
idea wnen he conceived his walnala at Regens-
burg or the reception OF statues and busts OF
Bavarla's great dead.
THE SEWARD STATUE.
Mr.. Rogers colossal statue OF Mr.. Seward is
nnisaed, as FAR as the sculptor Ia concerned, aud
has only TO De cast In bronze ut the Royal Bronze
Foundry, In Munich, ana Will be ready for de-
livery Ia August next It's OF tae same proper
tions as the statue OF Mr.. Lincoln, erected in
bronze four years ago at Paramount PARK, Pnna-
delpnia. Mr. seward Is seated an arm
caair, holding in one hand open scroll.
and In the other pen; beneath the chair are a
number OF pondelous volumes. indicating the
sources from which the statesman saps mis- wis.
dom. In the statue OF Lincoln we see the head
appraised. II the sculptor would indicate that the
inspiration that led 10 the signing oil the act or
emancipation came from above. The Seward
statue thirteen leet hlghl Is Intended for Central
PARK, and will, am sure, give the greatest sails
faction 10 those VINO have subscribed to the work
and 70 the friends OF the dead statesman. Mr..
Rogers Is just completing the third OF his large
national monuments pn bronze). The soldiers,
and sailors monuments at Worcester, Mass. at
Detroit, Mich, and the one Tor Rhode Island, are
all grand national works. 1t would occupy an
lnft 10 Mr.
iactorlly. The sculptors most appreciated ideal
works are NJdia," the blind girl OF Pompeil;
"Isaac.n ia Sonnambula," ''Kutn,n the 'Angel
OF the Resurrection and the two little children
typiying "Huntlng ana Fishing.r
TIE STUDIO or MISS FOLEY.
Miss Foley a, | am sorry to say, not quite re-
covered from her recent illness. and il at present
taxing rest at CasteIamara, near Naples But
found Miss Hadwen, her amlabe English friend
ana fellow sculptress, IN charge OF tine studio in
tue Via Margutta. ana from her am enabled to
tell you what our gifted countrywoman Is doing.
Miss Foley has been for the Two years past en-.
gagged upon large and beautiful fountain, des-
tined, IN all probability for the city OF Cllcago. IL
is oil white marble and Is ornamented Win three
chaste figures over wnicn the water Will fall from
the umbrella Of acani nus leaves ike veil The
three figures, which have become great favorItes,
Judging rom the number OF copies already made
from them. are zine Tmd Bather,u o charming
little creature who Tears the arst touch OF the
water; then "rne Bold Brother,r VINO endeavors
to overcome the sisters tmidlty, and "The Young
Trumpeter." IL Is 70 be hoped that Chicago viii
first permit the charming work to be exhibited at
Philadelphia before taxing IL to its destination.
Otherwise great wrong Will be done toe scuIp
tress.
In the workroom noticed q colossal marble bust
representing the prophet JEREMIAH and Miss
Hadwen tells me that Mss Fo,ey intends to exc.
cute 8 colossal statue OF the prophet, twice the
size OF LIE, taking the bust already cnseIed as the
model for the mead. Miss Foley's most beautiful
productions are, think, her medalnons, OF which
the Joshua" - the finest. A medallion Of the
prophet jeremiah" has been broken while on
the journey TO the London exhibition. Medaalons