The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-08-22
THE HEAD OF CHRIST.
An Original Conception Of the
SaviOr's Face.
From the New York Times

From the New York Times.
Mr.. William E. Marshall, the ar
tist and engraver, has been for many
years at work on colossal head of
Jesus OF Nazareth. The medium
used is charcoal, and the picture is
drawn on paper, Notwithstanding
the large dimensions of the frame.
While the proportions are so well
observed that most spectators would
take the picture for one hardly
larger than the size called heroic, by
actual measurement it is 10 feet
long and wide. Only the shoul-
ders and breast of the figure are to
be seen the head and bust fill quite
three quarters of the space; the face
is turned a little from the full to-
ward the left, and the eyes look not
directly at but pass, the spectator.
This very remarkable piece of
crayon drawing is now on exhibition
at No. 625 Broadway. draped and
mounted to the best effect at the
end of long room, receiving the
light from above. Mr., Marshall
casts his strongest light on the eye
brow and nose, with a secondary
light on the neck. No chalk has
been used to heighten effects, but
the brightest portions of the face
are sufficiently contrasted by heavy
charcoal shadows elsewhere. The
Christ that Mr.. Marshall has con-
ceived ought to please many people |
who have secret or outspoken ob-
lection to the effeminate types of the !
Savior tradition as handed down.
For, while the conventional face is
no. entirely ignored, there has been
a determined effort to make the
face powerful as well as benevolent.
In this hard task we can congratul
late Mr.. Marshall on having made a
success. Not only are the strong
shoulders and breast typical of ro-
bust health and the prime of manly
ife, but the face itself has manly
The beard is that of a manly man,
md the portion of the chin visible I
above it shows determination. The {
lose is half way between the Arab
Ind Grecian types, as might well
,eft the author of religion which l
lrew so much from the Greeks and
he Jews that no one can separate l
he obligations. the whole head t
las an Olympian stateliness that re- f
minds one of the pictures of the /
.reat Jupiter of Phidias at Olympia. G
But the other side of the character t
nds expression in the eyes. These {
re not Greek. They have large
,upils in large sockets, and look out i
nto the distance with an absorbed {
that is too thoughtful to '
,e dreamy. But besides this (
there is in the gaze J
adness as we'll, The sadness pre- {
igures the sacrifice that he is to I
make for mankind, and the frmness s
hows that he can do what he sets i
'ut to accomplish. It is a much e
'lder looking portrait than the usual
LIKENESS of Jesus. About the fore
Iead the modelling is excellent, and
hows the artists skill with his tools.
owing to the fact that so far the
acking of the picture is paper mere
y, the lower part of she face is 9
title out of drawing from the un- q
of the paper. A canvass !
r panel back would bring every P
hing to correct focus again. The u
icture is said to have been greatly P
dmired by several clergymen of the ?
Episcopal church, and suggestions
ave been made to put it to the e
est of all uses, the ornamentation IL
"a church. 1t would make a very
ffective after piece for the largest
Office, owing to its colossal size and u
ne simplicity of its effect. The p
obriety of its color and lack of or u
amental details would be likely to "
scommend it even to those who q
bject to the decoration of places of u
orship. The picture is simple and
nposing, and, though not violently u
very modern in its u
laracter. a