New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-15
"LOST WAN"
VISIT TO PAUL BARTLETTS STUDIO.

Passv il the most delightful quarter or Paris
You alight at the station to find yourself among
shady avenues old parks that spread OUT tempt
inpy haf-neglected on the other side OF the raii-
road pretty quiet houses and winding iahes-
French lanes OF course. inclosed by garden walls
not banks. and overhung by trails OF wis'aria
and masses Of acacia, yet Winding prettliS anu
full Of country charm. The houses are mostly u
the old French type. white with green shu''ers'
the gardens large, old, leafy. with more graNe'
than grass and large. old tables under the Trees
plenty OF roses. hydrangeas. daisies ana sera-
NUNS standing round In pots. the pump con-
spicuous feature. and the back premises nesthhs
confdingly up 10 the house. A real ola rrehc"
garden is a place to eat and sleep and feel al
home in. at work or at play.
1t is in such a garden in Passy that we hhu an
American artist Of Partisan fame Mr.. Paul Way
land Bartlett Known before TO us all as SUI
dent and sculptor Of animals ne has lately at
tracted attention by his casts In bronze IN the
"cre perdue." or "lost-wax' process The ESSAYS
hut lately an experiment, now an interesting sue
cess are az yet only conducted on a small scale
Tho subiects are animals studied from life
broadly and deftly treated A pair Of lions CUBS
uas rho only group at the salon Of the Champs
Elvehos large enough 10 be cassed among the
works Of sculpture; the rest toads, alligators
fishes toad on the back Of a tortoise. etc) were
placed together in glass case and eXhiDited'a as
''essais de fonte et de patne-cire perdue among
the works Of decorative art.
was present on a casting day and thus gained
some notion OF the main steps OF this most inter
esting and beautiful process. From the mouei
in clay a plaster cast Is taken In the ordinary
way This plaster cast is scraped or pared DOWN
slightly and is then called the core Ihis core
10 nut hack into the mould (Which. being in sec
fms can no taken apart and put together at
yilD Over the core a new impression Is taken In
wax which thus replaces the surface part or the
core that had been pared off, and reproduces
exactly ali the nceties Of the mould. taken from
the original model This wax model Is then re-
touched by the artist. | saw several OF THESE
wax models and was much struck by the deHcacy
~ execution in this exquisite material. warm in
golden tone and richly soft in texture. The text
ure cannot of course be kept. bur the delicacy
% execution can II only the right material can be
found for a mould. 1t must be fine and supple
enough when wet. to follow all the minute dell
cacles Of modelling and retouching of the wax,
Arm, enoueh when baked or dry 70 receive the
flow Of the LIQUID whitehead bronze. OF compost
zion that neither contracts nor expands when
baked in the furnace.
II is N the rediscovery OF such material
known 10 the Japanese and to all that have prac-
tised the real lost wax process that MI bart
lett is supposed to owe his success. he Claims 10
have found It through repeated experiments ana
combinations of different earthly substances AFTER
I reading all there was TO read on the subject TO
INEXPERIENCED eyes II looks like some KIND or
! sandy CLAY II is mixed with water 10 thin
brownsh paste This paste is then spread over
the model with a brush The first coating Is so
Thin that 1t looks when dry ike mere powdering
over Of the surface OF the wax with duH gold
dust This spreading is a very delicate ana
most important operation. Thin layer after thin
LAYER is painted on evenly, deftly, ana Win
noinstal,ing care. leaving no tiny hollow or line
neglected. After the model is thus well coated
over the LAYERS are spread more thlckly. until
the whole thing looks like lumpy loaf OF brown
bread must not omit to say that conduits for
the bronze and airhoes provided for by the
temporary Insertion OF sticks and pieces Of
wood leaving cavities in the mould when re-
moved When necessary, the core is kept hrrn
in its place by fine supports Of iron. The baking
Of this mould is done in furnace that has lately
been nut I'D in a shed built out from the studio
The first ESSAYS were made in that humble birth
nlace Of so much Of the new pottery, the kitchen
/ oven.
In the heat Of the furnace the melts and
runs out; hence the name ''cire perdue, or lost
wax
The chrvsalis II We may call It so. Of the toad
o- fish nov, consists Of our old friend the core
and new mould OF baked clay separated from
the core By thin vacuum The casting Is gen
/ orally done on Saturday mornings. AT ABOUT
| o'clock the metal s in fusion and the most
exc,ing mart OF the opera ton is ready 10 begin.
While the workman j. still looking after his bel
I lows and his metal in the cast-iron pot whlch Is
/ plungad In A fire at white heat. the artist takes
/ the mould places il mouth upward in the ground,
banks 1t round with sand In carefully upright
postion covering the mouth and holes with leafy
tvri1s IN keep out the dust. The workman leaves
his fire for instant to see from pure, excited
interest that the position is quite right The
word is given the twigs hastily removed ana dust
Cd ont the metal brought in pot or ladle and
poured rapidly in, in smooth liquid stream al
most white vet OF indescribable brancy OF
color II is beautiful to look at. and thrilling too
The ouclness and certainty with which it is
done the sight Of metals in living motion. all
combine to excite one. Then success is never
quite sure failure being always possible where
So many agents are called in to cooperate.
The uncovering OF the piece is always moment
n anxiety The mould is sacrificed. OF course
,bara Is no other way and this may help to eX-
plain why the process is relatively costly. As
soon as it begins to cool II IS knocked and beaten
To- pieces by the artist the excitement growing as
more and more Of the bright coppery bronze
energies from its dusky envelope.
The first piece | saw uncovered a tiny
blbeot by a friend Of the artist, Anders Zorn, the
swede: little group representing satyr EN-
bracing a nymph. Such anxiety was felt by IN,
artist and his helper about the fingers! the fin
gers the tiny bent fingers Of one hand: but th'
fingers were there and the piece was 1awless. Al
I that remained 10 do before applying the patins
was 10 saw off the superfiuous metal in the mouth
and the side conduts OF drains which pro
vlded for the rushing upward OF the metal from
th, bottom as II is poured rapidly in.