New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-03
POPULAR OBSERVATIONS.
A VISIT TO SIR JOHN STEEL
IT'S CoURTDsY-TIE ADMIRABLE WORKS IN HIS
STUDIO.

HTS CoURTDsY-TIIE ADMIRABLE WORKS IN HIS
STUDIO.
| To tho Editor OF The Tribune
Sir can forget visit we made TO the studio
OF Sir John Steel i'm 1874. II happened 10 be the day
following the one which the King OF Denmark ana
his daughter the Princess OF Wales had visited it, and
/ confess my American spirit somewhat awed by
the shadow Of royalty but, TO my infinite relief, We
were greeted by host IL ourselves were royal
coming, We did, from country where all ladies' are
queens >. We passed through long hall, the shelly
! ings OF which were filed with statues, mostly busts
OF tho greatest men OF Great Britain. Great Britain
seemed well named that day. There was Allan
Ramsay. with the genial. cheerful face but Of whom
one rarely speaks without remembering the story Of
his villa. This villa he had himself designed, and he
was complaining to Lord Elbank that some friends
had said IL reminded them OF goosc-pe. " Now that
see you in it, the wags were not so f2r wrong was
the reply CT his lOrdship. II the cheerful Ramsay
could DC read By any but vertable Scot think a
new field in poetry would be opened. Near by stood
Wilson christopher North, with the massive head and
face expressive Of the tender feelings he describes in
Others Then came the bUsts of Chalmers and Guthre,
each holding envied place in the Scottish memory.
There was a youthful bust Of Foley, around which
We fingered, and which Sir John showed Win pHde
and love bcaming in his face There had been y0uth
full promise that each should make bust Of the ole
and this the funlment Of that promise ON sir
johns part. This entire gallery teeming with
Scotlands great men, whom the world is the better for
having known and read.
But wish could convey to yOu tie likeness OF the
beautiful face OF the artist himself There was
wealth Of soft white hair, which lay in matted curlS on
the SPLENDID head each curl looking If it knew how
royal was its couch; complexion fair, With pinkish
tinge and eyes Of gentlan blue and then, like sun
shine passing beautiful landscape, came that
SMILE so genial so wtchIng, cOurtly he seemed to
my excited fancy almost above mortals. / clothed
him as looked upon him with the spirits Of Praxitees
and Pheidias, surrounded he was by the supposed
works of these ancient artists.
After leaving the hall We entered large room. the
principal in the suite. over the door in basrelief
was the moaument to the Black Watch Che 42d High
landers) then in Westminster Abbey On one side the
door the Duke Of Wellington on his splendid horse
on the other was model OF Scott as he sits med-
tatively under the exquisite monument In Edinburgh
and in our own Central Park. The Queen, Victoria,
holds honoed place in the studio she does In the
National Academy just outside.
Our greatest treat yet 10 come. We, or rather
being an American, we were invited into the very
sanctum OF the place to what was not yet COM
peted-thc statue of Burns Mine were the first Ameri
eyes-and only the King and Princess had seen 1t
before us-that saw that model. This compliment came
OF my being American for Sir John said his heart
warmed toward our people. lie had. alas! had hosts
OF committees to deal with, and to our committee he
awarded high place in his esteem, for their courtesy
and handsome dealings with him.
The Burns statue placed high in the little room,
and with its surrounding scafolds presented rather an
narstc sight, until wandered up nearly to the
ceiling. where we saw the upturned face OF Burns.
The artist had caught that look, almost uncanny, which
came to Burns with his poetic inspiration. and which
must have been intensified when writing To Mary In
Heaven" This the moment the artist wished
most to express. i said "The face seems charged
with unshed tears That is what | wish to show
the pahos in the character OF Burns' he replied And
as since listened TO Dr. COlyer's lecture Burns,
| felt even more convinced that pathOs the story
of his lifc-t was I'm his humble birth with its sur
rOundngS which perhaps urged him on in his unhappy
course, and pathJS beyond expression In his death.
We met during this visit daughter of De Quincy,
Wis quite frequently from London to bust
Of her father which Sir John was modelling. This
visit was TO see its completion in clay, ami her deght
in its success pleasant to she had feared the
result, the only guide the artist had Old
and faded dnguerrcOtype with suggestions from the
daughter (nOw old LADY,. These suggestions Sir
he had at any time received, and he spoke highly Of
the daughter OF great but unfortunate man. | tried
10 trace the resemblance between father ard daughter
but found only the pslned and far-away expression,
which was rather strongly marked
At the close Of our visit we were shown the method
OF handling the soft clay. and / looked at the
exquisite taper OF the fingers, and the soft fair skin,
each pore OF which seemed replete with artistic life
the hem of the garment of the Christ virtue came
for would have kissed the fingers which iii
messengers for his genius
IT'S sad to think that with all Onr progresslveneSS
each must work out his genius almost alone.
Possibly in the future prOgressveness will be coupled
with immortality, and blissfu heaven will indeed
be ours. W.
Flabusll, y. Y, Sept %, 1891.