The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-22
THESCULPTOR BARTHOLDI
TALKS ABOUT HIS STATUE OF
LIBERTY
Just Set Up In New York HarbOr-
Comparison of IL With An
Client Works.

NEW York, October 2l.-The World
publishes the following IS a special
from Paris: B fore NJ. Bartholdi left
for New York paid him visit. The
illustIious sculp or lives in an elegant
and commodious house in Rue VaviD,
near the garden OF the Lux moourg
Palace. Ga entering the vestbule
the fist thirg one encounters
is the Statue OF Liberty in minia-
ture, about niLe fee high. The dupi-
cate of cns Of her immense fingers,
large enough to hod a full grown man
inside, is in the back room. which he
uses Is his library and writing room.
The sculptor eat chatting with some
friends about his voyage to Now York.
Statuett s of Liberty in clay and chalk
were stuck here az there about the
room.
a head of the statue, reduced to the
ordinary siza, spIesred suEounoed
wi h framework dott3d WITH pigmies,
representing tbs workmen, which, like
so many bets, Clung tb ut the up
turn ed f.cn. "My colossal statue"
remarked M. Barthoidj, cannot be
considered IS very gteRt work OF art;
it is an ordinary STATUE ep arged and
pla led on pedes al. l. IL interesting,
however, / think, as being the fist ex-
ample OF the use OF repopsse copper
mounted on iron trn, ses. and is The
beat known example of This kind of
NoIk. AS to the lumb,r Of colossal
statue 10 existence, the ole Ct the
ViIgin, at Puy, mt asures 81 feet. The
next notable giant is the rational sat
ue Bavaria, which is alb cut 10 feet in
hight. OF the great statues Of an
tquity, the Olyupiau Jove, which
was 40 fer, aud Minervs, ia the Par
tbenon, 81 feet, may be mentioned"
With reference to the cost Of
the statue OF Liberty, NJ. Barthol-
di remarked: II .rever attempted
to calculate the total cost, and have
never had its material value in mind.
We considered it as an irestimable
gilt. l gave all my wo,k for nothing,
aud many others have done the tame.
However, it was the question Of money
which was the cole reason for the
delsy in its completion. 1t was
originally intended TO have it ready
for presentation in the Centen-
NAL celebration OF American indie
pendence, on July 4, 1876, but the flow
Of sut scriptions slackeOed. However,
the government sanctioned lottery,
and with this and other means the
money was raised. The funds nects-
sary for putting the pieces together in
New York and for erecting the pedes-
tel were raised by public subscrip-
ton in Amerca. Fienchmen
hsve been enthusiastic over
this symbol OF fraternal feelings
aud Of the rhetoric associations
between the two republics" Mr..
Bartholdi cont nued: "The cherry
oCtogensrian president Of the F.ench
Commit tee, III. ,DeLssseps, is not in
the least frightened at The idea Of q
rough sea voyage, for, as he once said
OF San Francisco, although he was
Thrice the age of that city, he vas only
boy for all that"
Mar. Bartholdi added: "When ! was
twenty years old l Travelled in the
L7vant with the pa ntera Jerome and
Belly, aud several other friends. ! may
say that Egypt had very consider
able effect upon my taste for sculpture
of the broad decorative type. Ia 1868
| wen! back there with NJ. de Les
seps, and eazsd again With the same
pleasure on all those marvellous Iu;ns.
My convictions grew stronger upon
principles which were thus TO be
discovered, d whieh / have erdeav-
or d TO emb, dy in this, my late't
work."