Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-11-04
N. BARTHOLDI INTERVIEWED.
Enthusiastic About the Friendship Between
the Two Republics.
New York World


Before NJ. Bartholdi left New York [
paid him visit. The illustrious sulptor
lives in a elegant but commodious house
IN Rue Vavin, near the garden of the Lux
umbourg palace. On entering the vesti-
bule the first thing one encounters is the
statue of Liberty IL miniature about nine
feet high. The duplicate of one of her
immense fingers large enough to hold a
full grown man inside, is in the back
room.
The sculptor sat chatting with some
friends about the voyage to New York.
Statuetes of Liberty in clay and chalk
wero stuck here and there on the walls
| about the room. 4 head of the statue
reduced to the ordinary size, appeared
surrounded with a framework, dotted
with pigmies, representing the workmen,
which, like so many bees, chung to the
upturned face.
''My colossal statue" remarked NJ. Bar
tholdi, "can not be considered as a very
great work Of art. 1t is an ordinary sta
tue enlarged and placed on a pedestal. It
is interesting, however, think, as being
the first example of repousse copper
mounted on iron truSses, and is the best
known example of that kink of work. As
to the number of of colossal statues in
existence, the one Of Vergin, at Puy,
measures fifty-one feet. The next not
able giant is the national statue in Bay
aria, which is about fifty feet high. Of
the great statues Of antiquity, the Olym-
plan Joye, which was forty feet, and Min
erVa, in the Parthenon, thirty-seven feet,
may be mentioned"
With reference to the cost of the
Statue Of Liberty M. BarthoIdi remark
ed:
II never attempted to figure the total
cost, and have never had it's material
value in mind. We consider it an inestim-
able gift. I gave all my work for moth
ing and many others did the same. How
ever it was the question of money which
was the sole reason for the delay in its
completion. 1t was originally intended
to have it ready for presentation at the
centennial celebration of fAmerican indie
pendence July 4, 1876, but the flow of
subscriptions slackened However, the
government sanctioned a lottery, and
with this panorama and other means the
money was raised. Ihe funds necessary
for putting the pieces together in New
York, for erecting the pedestal were rails
ed by public subscription in America.
Frenchmen have been enthusiastic over
this symbol of fraternal feelings and Of
the historic associations between the two
republics"
NJ. BarthoIdi continued:
"The CHEEKY octogenarian president of
the French committee, M. de Lesseps,
is not in the least frightened at the idea
of rough sea voyage, for as he once
said of Ian Francisco, although he was
thrice the age of that city, he was only a
boy for all that"
M. BarthOldi added;
''When was 20 years old [ travelled in
the Levant with the painters Jerome and
BelIey an several other friends. [ may
say that Egypt had a very desirable eff
feet upon my taste for sculpture of the
broad decorative type. In 1868 I went
there again with M. de Lesseps and gaz,
ed again with the same pleasure on those
marvellous ruins. Ny conviction grew
stronger with principles which we're
thus to be discovered and which L have
endeavored to embody in this my latest
work.