Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-11

putting on a shoe. OF course Dante had
grown accustomed to this operation. and
the hammerng on his Eplifted foot kept
him from thinking about the leg that was
being nodded. The sculptor and Giovanni
went from one part of the horse to another.
meeting rev difficulties as they advanced
and overcoming them by novel means and
abundant patience, until finally they had
sectional castings Of the whole horse. And
wonderful, beautiful castings they were
far different from the ones taken from dead
flesh.
Every tendon, every small line, almost
every hair was thus brought out with abb
solute distinct less AID fidelity to life, not
DEATH
Nor did Mr.. Partridge limit himself to
studies made from Dante; he used other
horses loaned him by his friends, Halool
among the rest, an Arab Steed grown to
ideal proportions in the desert under the
shadow of some sheik's tent and present in
America after series of tragic happenings
That would make story in itself. Mr.. Part
lidge does not favor the idea of making an
equestrian statue from a single model, how
ever fine it may be, but gets his results by
bier ding the parts of many horses, putting
each where it will he most effective when
the statue Is seen on its pedestal.
Mr.. Partridge's Unique Railroad.
He knew that If the statue was to be
success he must always work with reference
to the appearance of the bronze horse and
rider. not In the favoring light of his studio,
but In the place they are destined to occupy
FOR years, perhaps centuries, with the broad
light of day streaming over them from all
sides, and not downward only from a cum
ningly devised northern exposure Some
sculptors have made statues for the studio
and not for the public street or square, and
such nave generally been disappointed. In
deco. 1t Is most difficult for an artist rightly
to Judge his work with only the walls of q
little room about 1t, and none OF the tower
ing buildings or exterior surroundings that
VIII later dwarf it and greatly modify it's
effect. bit of plaster that seems colossal
In bed chamber may easily become insig-
nificant when removed to public park
1t was to help himself In this matter that
Mr.. Partridge. after finishing his castings
and preliminary studies, had his statue-rail-
road constructed. 1t is one of the most in
terestinS features of modern statue-making
1t runs from the studio into the open
grounds, and by its use the sculptor at any
time may see how the statue upon which he
Is at work will look among the big trees,
against the changing sky, and under the
shadows OF surrounding buildings. When
ne pleases and the weather SUITS he can
work in the open air, making such changes
In the clay as seem best, and having the
enormous advantage of being able to judge
his work. while doing it. under the very con-
dltions that will surround 1t when the work
Is finally judged on its pedestal
A Great Misfortune.
A large equestrian statue (this one of
tons even in the clay, so that in building
the railroad great care had to be exercised
to secure at once sufficient strength and
ease Of control The statue rests upon
nicely poised turn-table, which in its turn
was supported by four-wheeled truck. So
perfect was the adjustment Of the turn
table that even when loaded with ten tons
of clay tthe weight Of the completed statue)
Mr.. Partridge could turn 1t smoothly with
~ = how xr,hor r., =
old methods the strength of three or four
men would have been required.
OF course, 1t is understood that the life
castings taken from Dante and other horses
We're only used by Mr.. Partridge as studies
and adjuncta, in no way taking the place
of that feeling for form and line which is
the sculptor's gift and without which all
else would be valueless. Similar life cast
iDgs were taken from men models and were
used in perfecting the generals pose; but
1t was not by the use of these alone that
the sculptor rendered the soul and person.
atty Of the man. That came from native
insight, from years of labor, and was real
lied only by the exercise of almost incon-
ceivable patience.
One morning after Mr.. Partridge had
been working on the clay for nearly year
and half. and the statue stood all but
finished, there came one Of those misfor-
tunes that tear the sculptor's heart In the
silence of the night, while Partridge and
bis men and his horses and his dogs were
S,eepAS' lhcle SdHie d uolSe ike tnunder
clap and the whole studio was shaken.
Four tons and a half of the modelled clay
bad fallen from the horse, the whole back
portion, as II the statue had been cut in two
just behind the rider. It was a calamity
like that which befell Carlisle when the
manuscript of the first volume of the
French Revolution" was destroyed. The
work had to be done over again. at least
the shattered portion; and months passed
before the statue was again near compile
ton. In all more than three years elansed
between the time Mr.. Partridge received
the commission for the statue and its final
&C mpletion. CLEVELAND MOFFETT