The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-09-08
THE PATHETIC STORY
OF the Woman who Exhibited the
Sleeping 1olanthe" at Centennial
KNOWN AS THE BUTTER ARTIST. +"
She Wrought the Same Subject in
Marble and will Exhibit 1t at tho
Worlds Falr---NIrs. Brooks Won
derrul Perseverance in the Face Of
the Most Dlsheartcning Difficulties.


the woman's department OF the Gen.
tennial Exhibition at Philadelphia in
1876, nothing attracted more attention
than the butter model of the Sleeping
1olanthe," the work Of Mrs. Caroline S.
Brooks, of Missouri. The full length
figure in marble OF the Sleeping 10
lanthe" will be exhibited by Mrs
Brooks at the Worlds Fair in 1893.
The events in the life of Mrs. Brooks
since she appeared before the public in
1896 have been no less pathetic than in
teresting. Her genius, her progress
her failures and successes, her patience
enthusiasm and ambition, and last, but
not least, the imperfect realization OF
her hopes, combine to make story
which needs no touches OF fancy to en-
nance or embollish it.
Mrs. Brooks was the daughter OF IN
inventor. She was born and educated
in Cincinnati. Early in life she be.
came the wife Of Missouri farmer, and
it was in the yellow butter OF her own
dairy that her artistic instinct sought
expression. She made her own tools
for working, and after the churn and
the ladie had done their work, with
little brushes, straws, quilts, and wooden
toothpicks she shaped quaint little
figures that won blue ribbons at the
county fair. Her work in time attract
ed attention and the way was opened to
an exhibition at State fair, and finally
the Sleeping Iolantho" was shown in
alto relieve at the centennial and after
ward at Chicago.
To the completion of this figure in
marble Mrs. Brooks has bent every
energy Of her life. She went abroad
soon after the centennial, taking her
butter figure with her to enter it at the
Paris exposition. She invented n case
for the novel piece Of sculpture, which
was nearly life size, and packed it in ice
for the journey. There we're many ditli-
culties 10 be encountered in travelling
and many explanations to be made.
Mrs. Brooks is not rich woman, and
ice in Paris was very costly, while the
perishable nature OF the butter Iolanthe
made considerable quantities OF it n
necessity.
When she applied for its admission
to the exposition it was rejected by the
commissioners OF the art display and
relegated to the department OF farm
products. Through the kindness OF a
New York manufacturer it was shown
finally with his exhibit, but failed to
attract notice in that situation. Hay
ing gained little but not discouraged,
Mrs. Brooks made plaster model from
her butter Iolanthe, as being less per.
ishable in that material, and started
homeward. AS they swung the pack
ing case out on the ropes Of tho steamer
ut New York wharf it slipped and fell
with crash, breaking her idol into n
thousand fragments. No indemnity
was obtainable, but she could and did
make another model.
Then she opened studio in Now
York city. She had great success with
busts, doing all her first modelling in
butter. She considered butter superior
to clay, as after making the cast it can
be melted away so readily.
Mrs. Brooks made life-si2e busts of
Gen. Grant, George Elliot, and Carlyle.
Her insight into character put charac-
ter into her work. In the case of Thur.
low Weed, whose bust she was ordered
to execute, she pictured the politician
and business man. The Weed family
refused to accept 1t, because they
wanted the home man as he appeared
at the fircside. The public pronounced
the sculptor's work lifelike and ac-
curate.
Mrs. Brooks executed marble bust
OF Swedenborg at the order OF a Cincin-
natl woman. This work has been pro-
nounced one OF her best. 1t has been
disappointment to the artist that
the owner has kept it guarded from the
public eye. Beyond a few intimate
friends no one has seen 1t.
She also modelled ideal figures OF "Thc
Little Marchioness" and "The Dolls
Dressmaker." Jay Gould owns one OF
these, and score or more of little
things, called by the artist her "pot
boilers" are in New Yorl; parlors.
Mrs. Brooks finally won tho means to
visit Italy, and once moro with her
plaster "Iolanthe" she started to trans
fer her ideal into marble.
In person she visited the Carrara mar
ble.quarry. For days she watched
piece after piece taken from its snowy
bed. A fine vein had been reached,
other artists purchased, aud she fol
lowed them to their studios to see il
their purchases were unblemished,
Then she decided to invest also. Her
enthusiasm knew no bounds MS the fig
ure OF IOlanthe began to reveal itself i'll
the beautiful stone. But one day, when
hope was at its highest, the chisel struck
flaw. But the first time the poor little
artist gave up. She sank in u heap at
the side OF her unfinished statue, and
tasted the bitterness OF despair. But
after the shock was over she gathered
herself together again, patched up the
flaw, finished her work and decided that
it could be exhibited, although by no
means as perfect as she had meant II to
be. 1t will be sent to the Columbian
Exposition.
Iolanthe was King Rene's daughter,
and the character was from the pen OF
Henrick Hertz, Danish poet She was
blind from infancy. II was the kings
decree that she should be reared in ig'
norance OF her misfortune. The pro
verbal prince to whom she was be-
trothed awakened her from her charmed
sleep by taking an amulet from her
bosom. When The maiden awoke hei
sight was restored. The Iolanthe OF
Mrs. Brooks is still sleeping; she up,
pears rs maid Of sixteen.
Another piece OF her work is now on
its way to this country. 1t IS bNs-re'
lief of Lady Godiva. The relief is tive
feet three inches long, two feet high
and nine and one-half inches thick.
Mrs. Brooks always keeps the butter