The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-07-16
A Great sculptor ana His works.

A Great Sculptor and His works.
The ladies of Kentucky have ac-
complished most creditable act
recently. 1t is the purchase of Joel
T. Hart's masterpiece, Beauty 6
Triumph" Hart is the only great
sculptor Kentucky has ever had.
Hon. Edward ]. McDermott, OF
Louisville, thus describes him:
His life was beautiful in its SIM
plicity and virtue. His heart and
mind were welded solely to his
high calling. His only aim was to
achieve something great, and to
leave hehind him an honorable
name. The marble was his chief
and best medium for the expression
of the strong feelings and exalted
ideas in his breast. He hoped to
speak, through his living works, to
the men and women of future time,
and lived to see assured the fruition
of that bright dream and trusted
mainstay of his long life.
Mr.. Hart was born in Clark
county in 1910, and died in Flor
ence, Italy, in 1877. His re-
mains are now in Florence, but
they will be removed to Kentucky,
the Legislature having appropriated
$1,000 for that purpose. He went
to school only three months, but by
persistent effort educated himself,
and towards the end of his life was
able to write some creditable poetry.
To fit himself for his art-works he
studied anatomy with success in
Pennsylvania University. He was
always frugal, temperate, laborious,
genial and devoted to his friends.
His figure was little above the me-
dunn in height and strength. His
features indicated a strong will and
sunny disposition a full beard
covered his face. In early youth he
worked as q stonemason, and at the
age of twenty began TO carve letters
on tombstones and to make models
in a marble-yard. In the course OF
the next sixteen years he made a
large number of good busts of such
men as Andrew Jackson, Cassius,
Clay, and John j. Crittenden. In
1S49 he went to Florence. Italy, to
put into marble his model of Clay's
statue, made for the Ladies' Clay
Association. of Richmond, Virgin
ia. On this model and statue he
worked, with intermissions, for 13
years. In 1867 he completed the
statue of Clay now in the court
house of Louisville. His other i'm
portant works are a fine copy of
the Venus dc Medici, bust called
" Penserosa," representing a hand
some woman with downcast eyes ;
the Morning-glory," a beautiful
little girl holding a morning-glory in
one hand. and her scant, hower-fill-
ed gown in the other an exquisite
lady-like hand and wrist resting on
an outstretched glove colossal
bronze statue of Clay for New Or
leans, and "Beauty's Triumph" All
of these works are great and will
ever be highly esteemed, but his
fame most chiefly rests on the "Tri-
umph of Beauty" OF this he felt
assured, and with pleasure and con-
fidence staked all his need of praise
on that great work, making it the
chief effort of his genius, the bright
dream and solace of his laborious
life. 1t may be fairly called poem
in marble
Mr.. McDermott's memoir of Hart
was written for the Lexington Mem
orial Association, the President of
which is Mrs. w. c. ?. Breckenridge.
All admirers OF art VIII be afforded
an opportunity during the continu-
ance of the Southern Exposition this
summer and fall, at Louisville, KY,
to observe and examine Harris
works. as the management has ar
ranged to obtain all of them. The
group will be complete and will be
arranged by citizens of Louisville
whose taste in matters Of this kind
cannot be excelled. Gen. James A..
Ekin. whose distinguished services
in the United States Army are well
remembered, is Chairman of the Art
Committee Of the Southern Exposi-
ton. Gen. Ekin has been in charge
OF the Government depot in Jeiier-
sonville since the war, aud possesses
the fine architectural and decorative
ability so essential in successful
effort TO prepare an art gallery.