Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-10-17
Kretschmar's Bust of Grant.

The heoric bust of General Grant for
the War Department at Washington,
which Mr.. Howard Kretschmar has just
modelled, is now, and has been for the
past few days, on view at the sculptor's
studio, corner OF Wabash avenue and
Jackson street, Chicago. While no formal
invitations have been issued, Mr.. Kretsch-
mar is happy to see any interested friends
and followers of the dead commander
who may desire to look upon his counter
felt presentment. General Phil Sheridan,
Colonel and Mrs. Fred. Grant, and the
latter's little daughter Julia, the late
Generals pet. saw the bust, a week or
two since, before its completion. The
adults were fully satisfied with it, and no
better testimony to its fidelity and excel
lence as likeness could be afforded than
the fact that the child, who gazed on it,
but said nothing at the time, could speak
of little else afterward than the bust of
grandpa" which she had seen in that
studio, We know what has been said of
the praise that comes 'sout of the mouths
of babes and sucklings," and child's in
stinct and intuition often go directly to
the issue that subtle reasoning and hyper
criticism miss. Other relatives of the
Grants, as we'll as many prominent citi-
zens, have lately seen Mr.. Kretschmar's
work, and have uniformly given it their
high approval and praise.
This work is a forcible and abiding
characterization of the subject. The sculp-
tor has sought to render that repose of
reticence and fortitude, that concentra-
ton of purposeful intelligence, and appre-,
- III of l,Il Nv md
mand that were germane to the man. No
mere mechanical aptness at facial conflg-
uration or portrait-like fidelity in detail
could achieve the result. An apprehen-
sion of the mental unity of the person,
and power to inform matter with indi-
viduality, not SO much of contour as of
consciousness, were essential. Is this
the Grant that was known of men, not at
this or that epoch, but throughout his
career? If SO, then it is worthy work
Of art. Mr. Kretsclfniar has nst bsau
anxious either to soften or to emphasize
the marks and traces of years, but rather
to subordinate details to the portrayal OF
the essential character. Opinions may
vary on minor matters. Carlyle, i'll his
downright fashion, was wont to talk OF
the critic-hy which, alighting on aplinth
or cornice of stately building, could de-
tect here flaw and there crack, but
was wholly unable to take in the proper
tons of the whole So it is too often with
those who see the work of a painter or
a sculptor 1t is only breadth of grasp
and vigorous treatment that can give the
bust of great man its cumulative force
and value, and this one may venture to
assert, Mr. Kretschmar has displayed.
Seen in conjunction with sized cast of
General Sheridan's bust, by the same
artist, the individual and typical quality
of each is emphasized. Sheridan is eager,
impetuous, enthuastic; Grant grave,
watchful, self-contained. Neither could
be mistaken for any one else, and by nc
one, save the veriest blockheaG, could
the intellectual and spiritual bust OF
either be mistaken or confounded. Let
the sticklers for sickness say what
they like, it is this class of work that the
nation needs in any Mausoleum or Par
thenon or Walhalla whatsoever that it
may erect. The character Of its soldiers
and statesmen must be handed down
along with their carven lineaments, and
! only so will the prophecy be fulfilled-Ir
sternc naemorid crit justus. To any re
Elective mind, and to any American jeal
GUS for the honor of native art, a careful
| observation of this heroic bust of Grant
will demonstrate the reason for these re
marks.