The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-25
AN AMERICAN ARTIST IN ROME.
Description of the Beautiful Studio OF Sir
Moses Ezekiel.

Moses Ezekiel.
Berlin Taegl-Rundschau.l
Probably the most beautiful studio in
Rome, certainly the most remarkable one,
is the atelier of the American sculptor,
Ezekiel, who is a Cincinnatian. A lofty
Vaulted apartment in the Diocletian baths,
one Of the few halls remaining of this
mighty mass of ruins, be has made his
artist home. Under a leafy arbor paved
stairway leads you from without up to a
small vine-clad terrace, from which YOU
have quite an extensive view of the sur
roundings. Doves have built their nests
in the masonry and fit fearlessly to and
fro about you. Works of art, vases, frag-
ments OF old armor, antique heads and or
naments CLEAN through the dark foliage.
Artists hands hands appropriately orna-
mented the interior of the high hall; pill
lars, rich with Iheir carving of twining
vines, uphold the arches; lamps and stat
uettes occupy the mantels: tapestries and
paintings adorn the walls Hours might
be spent in examining the works of art.
great and small, in this Wondrous room.
Nothing is commonplace; every seat,
every cloth, every cup and dish, every
furnishing bears its individual stamp.
And yet this immense hall is a wonder
| fully coy place, with its many retired
hooks, where you may settle yourself COM
fortably and admire and enjoy the casts of
the great sculptor's busts and statues all
about you.
Not long since a select company, among
whom were members of the court, some
foreign ambassadors and their ladies, met
in this matchless place to view the artists
latest work, before he sent it to its desti-
nation beyond the Atlantic. For this pur-
pose the guests descended into lower
hall, where the chiseling in marble is
done. There, upon her last couch, we
saw a beautiful, tranquil woman, in long,
flowing robes; her hands, clasping rose,
lightly crossed upon her bosom: her little
feet, closely locked, peeping from beneath
the hem of her garment. The head was
turned slightly to one side; an expression
OF perfect peace rested upon her features /;
the breath of life seems to have Just
flown; nothing rigid marks the eternal
I slumber
The work is designed for gothic chapel
belonging to Cornell university, at Ithaca,
in the state of New York, and is TO he
placed there in memory of one of it5
founders, Mrs. White, wife of the former
American minister to Berlin. The artist
has shown his intelligence and skill in
adapting the forms of his work to the style
of the building. Elegant simplicity is ex-
pressed by long. graceful, almost unbroken
lines; there are no intricate fiOurishes,
yet even the suggestion of severity is hap
PLY avoided.
The sculptor's oft-proven versatility is
again shown in group, the cast of which
is Just finished: "Apollo and the Little
Hermes." Graceful and surprisingly
beautiful, the god of light bends csress-
inglv over the little pouting boy, indignant
that he should have been accused OF the
theft-such little innocent child And
vet, ROBUSTNESS, indicated in every turn
of the little fellows head, and mischief
lurking in the corners of the quivering
mouth, proclaim his guilt, despite his
charming air of injured innocence This
group, if reproduced in bronze, would
make lovely room ornament, but Eze-
kiel, like a true artist, will neither repeat
his work, nor permit it to be copied.