Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-10
SPIRIT OF THE SOUTH
ALEXANDER GAIT, THE SCULPTOR.
AND HIS WORK.
The Garnett Bust-Remiuiscence OF Art
During the Confederate
Period.

come Gays akO INC DEpdNSh iei'i'Nf
20 a bust OF Cats now In the custody
OF Mrs. George w. Bagby, which II Is de-
sired to have bought for the Confederate
Memorial Museum. 1t twas stated at
the time that the work was composite
creation entitled 1.-THE Spirit of the South"
and that it was modelled from several
well-known Southern beauties, who fe-
sided here during the war. among them
Miss Constance Cary. now Mrs. Burton
Harrison. whose husband was private
Secretary TO President Davis.
The Dlspatch's notice recalled to
number of persons memories OF Gait and
his work. The writer recollected that one
OF Cats most effective efforts was
bust. the head OF which was MODELLED
principally from Miss Mary Garnett, one
OF the loveiest OF the bellies OF the Cor
federate CAPITOL. Other beauties also sat
as studies for the work, including Mrs.
Matte Myers. nee Paul. Hhis bust was
familiar to the writer and lie had II In
his mind when the previous paragraph was
penned.
NOT THE GARRETT BUST.
Friday night. however. in company with
two ladies who were also familiar with
the history of the Garnett bust AMI the
features Of Misses Garnett and Cary and
other beauties Of the war period, he visit
ed the residence of Mrs. Bagby. and the
party made a thorough examination or tho
bust. The unanimous conclusion was that
the work was not the creation for which
Miss Garnett and her beautiful contem-
poraries sat. The arrang ament of the
hair is entirely different from that in
Carpofffg tc fi.A rynpk
in features or expression like the ladies'
referred to. it conveys the impression
Of mingled sadness. severity and resolu-
ton, and to those well acquainted with
Galt's method of treatment Is strongly In
dicated of his portrait lines.
A VALUABLE EXAMPLE.
Nevertheless. the story OF the work
as Mrs. Bagby has it-and she got the
story from Gnduestiouable authority
would seem to leave no doubt that Gait
intended 1t for "the Spirit OF the South"
AS a relic Of the sculptor and In view Of
it's Associations II should. as before
stated. be In the Confederate Museum.
Mrs. Bagby is simply the custodian of It.,
and should she succeed in he- lauoable
purpose of getting 1t purchased tor the
collection. Il might form the neucleus
around which would be gathered examples
OF other artists who figured in Richmond
during the war. Despite the prvarions OF
the war the Southern art Spirit was not
crushed out. one of the most striking
pictures Of General Joseph T.. Johnston.
the writer ever saw. was painted on a
| piece Of a salt sack.
OTHER WORKS OF GAIT.
Gait died In Richmond OF smallpox in
1863, and died all too young; but he left
| n number OF works to attest his great
and constantly developing genius He was
born in Norfolk, the same city which
produced Cooper and when Il mere child
| displayed remarkable skill in carving
heads upon oyster shells. The first work
| of his chisel was a pretty female bust
| which he called Virginia and which
| passed into the possession OF n New York
gentleman. This was followed by his
Psyche, and then came his Bacchante
| The latter was an exquisite conceit and
| of it several copies were made. One-a
| reduced-is In possession Of the family OF
| the late General Joseph r. Anderson
| Major ID. n. Walker also has beautiful
example from his chisel The Bacchante
| has been thus described: The features
| are full and flush; the hair, which Is dress
| ed with exquisite skill, and evenly parted
| on the forehead, is nicely adjusted behind
| the ears which are left free for the music
| Of the dance or tn whispers of love, and
| Is bound behind with fillet which gives
| a striking outline 10 the back part OF tbs
head and about her temples she wears
| wreath of vine leaves, each one o.
which. though an exact transcript OF ma
| ture differs from its fellows, while th'
neck and bosom are worthy of the fac
| that smiles above them."G. =. Z. James
| the novelist and British Consul here, de
| clared that this bust alone was sufflclen
| TO make the fame OF city," The TRIUMPH
| OF the work is In the smile which seems
| TO flash with coquettish sauciness iron
every feature A replica of the Bacchant'
| Is or was in the Philadelphia Academy.
| THE COLUMBUS.
Cats next production was his Columbus
which called forth the highest common
dalton from the press Of Florence and o
| which an eminent Italian artist said whei
IL was shipped for America, 1.-THE hes
| head of Columbus In existence Is In tina
| box"
| His last work executed in Italy was
| Sappho which arrived in New YORK II
| 1861 and too late TO reach the South. IL
present location and that Of the Colum
| bus are unknown to the writer. HIS I'm
| preston is that the Columbus is In a col
| lection with the Psyche and one OF TN
| Bacchantes. II so there could pe ho pe'
ter time for re-eXhibiting it.
BUST PORTRAITS.
| Gait executed bust portraits OF the lat
Judge Stanard, Mrs. Charles Bruce, TN
| first, Mrs Joseph r. Anderson ana others
| His only full length was statue OF Jei
| ferson for the University OF virginia
| The Dispatch hopes, not only that Tn
| bust which suggests these "Reminiscences
| win find its way to the Confederate Mus
| cum but that other examples OF MS an
| brothe Virginia sculptors ana paihtei
| u,,ll adorn the new State library building
| That building will be absolutely hre-prooI
and what more fitting place could ther
be as a repository of Virginia art. a col
lection could be gotten together within
its walls that would prove a revelation
to our people respecting what the sta.
has achieved along the lines OIL pi"S''1 a.
/