Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-11-10

and well educated, they give perfect
satisfaction" said Mr.. Taft, as he
proudly watched the agility with which
his paper-capped, gingham-aproned
girls scaled the seafolding Of huge
statue or rounded out with wet clay
the contour of a Greek goddess.
= have no faith in art which is not
founded on intelligence Mere facility
has never produced any great or lasting
work. and while urge my pupils to
keep in practicable the musician
with his scales-I also insist upon much
reading and thinking Endowed with
ambitious minds and vigorous bodies, l
expect great things of these girls"
The presiding genius of this unique
atelier is Miss Julia NJ. Bracken. Hers
is the genius that defies environment
Born on the banks of Apple Creek, near
Gen. Grants old home at Galena, this
unpretentious young girl has drawn
ever since she can remember. 1t was
her carving on her brothers discarded
cigar boxes that first attracted serious
attention to her talent and led her to
the Chicago Art Institute, where she
studied drawing. Finding at length
that her means would not enable her to
continue study she was about to seek
employment in the city, when chance
brought her to Mr.. Taft's studio. There
she first beheld the possibilities of clay,
and evincing a desire to penetrate its
mysteries Mr.. Taft employed her as an
assistant In his studio, thus opening to
her her lies work Miss Bracken has
worked ave years in his studio, her
identity lost in that of her employer
and instructor.
II have noticed in the last two years."
said Mr.. Taft magnanimously, that
visitors to my studio invariably admire
in my work the very effects to which /
am indebted to Miss Bracben. The
time has come when she should have
credit, and mean to do all in my power
to secure her the opening she so richly
deserves"
The work of these young women has
already attracted substantial recogni-
ton.
Miss Bracken has been awarded the
contract to sculpture in Italian marble
an eight-foot female figure representing
Illinois welcoming the nations 1t will
be her first independent work The
state will pay her 50, 500
The clay model of this ambitious eff
fort is a singularly strong expression of
womanly dignity, purity and refine
ment. Older artists skeptically await
its execution in marble. 1t will occupy
pedestal beneath the dome of the Illi-
nois building. Six equally large figures
designed by Miss Bracken for the in
terror decorations of the same building
will be modelled by her companions,
Misses Brooks, Scudder, Taft, Enid,
Yandell (the clever duke of Three
Girls in a Flat') and Mrs. L. r. Copp.
The latter is the only professional
woman sculptor in Chicago.
The figures represent charity, faith,
justice, fraternity, learning and art.
They will jut out from panels between
the windows and rest on brackets bear
ing the coat of arms OF the state of
Illinois. Each girl will be paid $3.50 for
her work.
Miss Bracken has just received an
order to execute in Cararra marble
statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary for
the Holy Name Cathedral of Chicago.
81 believe my luck is coming all at
once" cried the wonderfully gifted girl
on receivig this last order. 1T looks as
though my trip to Paris will not end
in dreams"
OF course all these young women, like
all good Americans, dream of going to
Paris and to that end they are laboring
and boarding the money the Worlds
fair is enabling them to earn. May they
realize their expectations and return to
enrich the art and womanhood of their
native land, is the wish of all admirers
of industry, pluck and genius.-N. Y.
Advertiser.