The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-02-23
A sOULPTOR's LOVE STORY,

The sculptor David is to be commemorate
obtained the first prize in the competition or
gained by the town of Anglers. Barthelemy
Saint-Hilaire has been depated to represent
the Government at the inaugural ceremony,
and the occasion will probably be seized to
put forward a species Of ministerial pro-
gramme. The life of David of Anglers forms
q fitting subject for republican panegyric, as
he suffered persecution and Punishment for
the good cause. Posthumous reward has
come at last, and on the spot where the en-
bryo artist solicited the charity OF passers-by
to take home q few sous to his mother, the
features of the powerful genius as he devel-
oped in after years will serve to remind fu-
ture generations of Angevins that the path Of
glory, if it leads but to the grave, does not
always close there.
The story of the struggling sculptor's pri-
v~ations, trials and ultimate success il the
great city whittier he betook himself, will
doubtless be retold once more. To gain q
scanty pittance he was obliged to accept
mason's work, II which capacity he has left
some marks Of his powers in stone in the
front of the Tuileries. Hearing of the hard
ships of their young townsman, the munich
pality in Anglers voted him a moderate an
nuity of 500 francs, or 500. This suficed
to keep David from actual want, and the
force of his character and aptitudes for art
soon enabled him not only to sustain his
head above water but also to emerge into no.
toriety. He received a commission to exc
cute an emblematic figure Of France on the
portal of the Pantheon, which is esteemed a
masterpiece. The revolution Of 1846 afford
ed him all opening to public life, and the
very decided way in which he protested
against the admission of Prince Napoleon
caused him to be prescribed and very nearly
cost him his life in 1862. It may, perhaps,
be an exaggeration to speak of David of An
gers as the French Michael Angelo, but in
his chief work, which has been called q na-
tional epopee, he certainly approached that
great master. The history of this statue,
"La Jeune Grecque," which was designed to
portray q young girl bending over a marble
tomb and spelling the hero's name of Marcos
Botzaris, the victim Of Nauphlie and savior
of Missolonghi, has been recounted by Jules
Clarctie. The young artist, inspired by this
tale, burned with desire to raise q monument
to it's hero. One day, when casting about for
q subject Of composition, he perceived a little
girl in a cemetery, kneeling over a tomb and
spelling out the letters Of the inscription
chiselled there BY the aid Of her fingers.
Nothing could be more simple or moretouch-
ing.
9. lie deciphering with a lisp the secret Of death"
The next step was to seek a model. While
on his way to dine with Victor Hugo, at the
house of the Mere Saguet, in the Rue du
Montparnasse, he discovered a maiden of
fourteen, in rags but charming therein. ''NoW
I have my model David confded to his
friend the poet, after he had taken the ad-
dress of the girl. Slim and delicate, bearing
il her face the signs Of 8 precocious struggle
for existence, the child was nevertheless
beautiful, and seemed at that moment to in
carnate Greece oppressed. Her frail body
was destined to live in the marble Of the
statuary but all that her unworthy parent
thought Of was the ration Of brandy which
her daughters pure form procured her in the
present.
There was in David's atelier, in the Rue de
FIeurus q crrlcifix in bronze which attracted
his models attention. One day, at the close
Of q sitting, she ventured to ask the sculptor
if he would consent to part with It, in return
for her services, until the debt was wiped
out.
IA Christ like that in our loft would be
beautiful, and then it would console me, and
might sustain me- = entreated the girl.
Without a moments hesitation, David went
and unhuDg the coveted object, saying, in
his curt but not unkindly tones "All right
you wish it; very well, take il, then; and if
ever you are tempted to do wrong, look at it
and think Of him who gave it you"
sFor nothing p demanded the child, whose
name was Clementine. Her joy was pro-
found, and David went on with feverish in
spiration to complete his marble etfgy Of the
young Grecian maiden spelling the name of
Botzaris. 'sAll his poesy passed into the re-
presentation of this delicate creature. and all
the feelings Of the patriot were expressed in
its clay. When he had finished, the author
~apostrophized his handiWork like Pygmalion
addressing Galatea, "But as parent, not as
lover"
Thou art ended now, dear child, and art