Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-12-24
HOW SCULPTOR'S WORK.
FACTS NOT GENERALLY KNOWN
ABOUT STATUE MAKING.

Various Methods OF Carviug-How some
Artists Dirsr frsm othsrs-Ths Best
Known system Dsssribsd-Ths Men
Who Hslp the ssalptors.
Several great seulptors, Michael Angelo
among them, have occasionally hewn
their statues straight out Of the block Of
marble, without going through the pre-
nminary courses of modelling in clay and
casting In plaster But this is rarely done,
for, in the first place, the work would be
too long for any artist who has a regard
for his time, and, in the second, the hew-
ing of the marble demands a special prac-
teal experience which makes il an art
apart. A sculptor would probably spoil
a hundred blocks of marble before max
ing as much as q statuette a foot high
were he TO trust only 10 himself in the
matter Even Michael Angelo. when he
tried to dispense with the ''statuary' or
practitioner, succeeded only in making
fragments OF figures. Not being an adept
in Judging of the size of the block he
needed, he was constantly finding that
nc had miscalculRted and that an arm, a
leg or head must remain unfinished in
The "statuary," WI is often an artist
of great merit and po ,sessed of as much
talent in his way as the sculptor in his,
sets the plaster mOiel on a platform,
measures it and places it side by side with
q block OF marble Of the requisite height
and breadth. ThiSdo lie, he applies TO the
model An instrument of mathematical
precision, by which he obtains the de-
tailed measure of every part and angle of
the statue. He then returns to the
marble and roughly sketches on the out
side of il, by means of points, sort of out
line of the figure or group. Upon each of
the spots where he has marked a point
with his pencil a workman bOres a hole
with an awl, taking great care, however,
not to bore fraction Of an inch deeper
than he is told When the "statuary"
has inspected all the sides of the block,
and when the holes have all been bored
according to his directions, the marble
looks as though it had been riddled by
bullets.
POINTS IN STATUE MAKING.
A second workman then appears with
chisel and hammer to hew away the
of marble between the different
holes and along the pencil lines drawn as
guide marks. This work is more or less
easy as the attitude of the statue is simple
Or fanciful. II the figure be one of
modern parsonage standing placidly with
his arms by his sides, attired in the clothes
Of our day and with nothing eccentric in
The position of his legs, the task offers no
difficulties and may be intrIISted 10
sery ordinary workman. But if the sub
rect be group or a figure in an attitude.
or instance like that of Ajax Defying the
the chisel cannot be intruSted
% any but practiced hand, and every
blow of the hammer must be struck with
he greatest precaution.
The appearance presented by the marble
when the preparatory hewing has ended is
hat of some person or persons thicklY |
up in a shrOud. The outlines of
head and body can be vaguely detected |
Inder the white covering but nothing |
more. AMI il is not until the "statnary"
himself has set TO work with his finer
,hisel and more delicate hand that a tal>- |
sible form begins 10 emerge from the |
lard mass. First the head. then the |
hOulderS and trunk. then the legs, and |
hen the arms and hands appear The |
Irms and hands, il OutStretched. are re- |
erved to the last; II detached first from |
he block the oscillations caused by the |
.hisel in hewing the other parts of the |
marble might shake and crack them. This |
5 very necessary precaution, and it is |
wen usual TO keep the arms, the fingers |
md other projecting parts OF marble |
tatueS continually supported by props of |
wood until the moment when the work is |
ct upon its pedestal and uncovered
WORK BY THE SCULPTOR.
When the statue is handed over to the |
culptor so that he may give the final |
ouches to it there sometimes remains |
carcely anything for him to do This is
he case when the "statuary' is himself +.
first class artist and can trust himself |
o initiate to nicely the slightest details
I form and expression in the plaster
model But such examples are rare, less
ecause Of the incapacity Of the "statu
ries" than by reason of the natural desire
Vhich every artist has 30 terminate in
erson the work he has conceived and
egun.
The statue is usually returned to the
culptOr in n half finished state, the fine
ouches, which will constitute the special
eauty of the work, yet remaining to be
ne. The most delicate OF tools are then
mployed; slender chisels with the finest
oints; toy hammers of scarcely any
Teight, little graters that fit on, some
hing like thimbles, TO the top of the fore
niger. And to polish the marble and
mOoth it chamOis leather, sandpaper,
ponges STEPPED in oil and the palm Of the
and are used. When the work presents
nude figure the amount OF care needed
or the correct modelling OF the limbs and
muscles is inconceivable. Works like the
.aocoOn, the Dying Gladiator and the
polio Belvidere must have cost the maker
lOre trouble and anxiety than any sum of
money could repay.-New York Mail and
.xpress.
Ghost on the Track.
81 never see any ghosts or hoodOos on
he track, said an old grizzled engineer