The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-12

forth from the studio, in short, of new
methods in the art of sculpture
When he received his commission
Mr.. Partridge was in Paris finishing
his Shakespeare statue for Chicago. AT
once he began to put in practice plans
lae had long had in mind for doing an
equestrian statue on lines of artistic
realism never before attempted. Get
ting permission from the minister of
war and from the military governor
of Paris, he made many visits to the
barracks of the famous French CUR
assiers, and day by day he watched
and studied them in and out of the
saddle, until the various poses and
movements Of the horse and rider were
perfectly familiar to him.
Then, having in mind his general
conception of the statue of Grant and
mis- charger, the chief effects he wished
to produce, the sculptor began working
on g small four-footed model. This pre-
liminary but essential part of his work
occupied many weeks. In doing 1t he
made casts from dead horses, some
times fiayed, sometimes with the hide
on. and in this he followed the best
methods of the great animal sculptors
Of Paris AS he worked this thought
came to him many times:
What a pity always to make casts
from dead animals and to get our guild
ing suggestions from stiffened, distort-
ed muscles Would it not be a fine
thing to take casts from the living
horse?"
But such a thing had never been at
tempted and therefore, was pro-
noun ced impossible. Nevertheless, 1
shall try it some day" said Mr.. Part
ridge; and the following year when he
returned to America with his finished
and accepted model, he proceeded to
carry out the idea.
TAKING CASTS OF LIVE HORSES.
you will get your brains kicked
out" said an artist friend, "if you try
to cast the leg of a live horse
But with his devoted helper, Giovan-
nj Ranetti. who is at once plaster
maker. skilled caster, and CHEEKY
philosopher, with Italy's sunshine in
heart and face. Mr.. Partridge with
drew to his studio among the elns of
Milton, Mass. There live rich men
with great estates and scores, some
times hundreds, of horses in their
stables. Here may be seen the peer
less Sunol, Nancy Hanks and other
animals of price, owned by the sculp-
placed at his disposal.
Work was begun with Dante, coal
black saddle horse of perfect lines al
most an ideal charger, that Mr. Part
ridge had bought in Kentucky for a
model.
Hes just like Grants Cincinnatus,"
was General Horace Porter's comment
when he saw Dante. The gentlest,
1nost intelligent of horses he was, and
fortunately so, or it might have Jared
al with Giovanni and his sculptor en- |
ployer.
For weeks they worked at the horse |
with the wet plaster, and many were |
their csscouragemenlts at the start. |
Dante literally lived in the studio, a |
stall for him being built at one side of !
the large room, with only a plank to 1
keep him in his place and the plank |
was dropped about half the time, leav-
ing the horse free to wander about as
he pleased among the busts and easels.
he grew so accustomed to this con-
slant posing that he rarely made |
trouble, only occasionally, in mischiev- +
Gus mood. going up TO some cast and 7
licking it, as If to show his apprecia-
ton of art. For weeks and months
Dante and Giovanni and the sculptor
passed both days and nights together
ga the combine ton studio and stable
and many times Nj. Partridge, weary +
after long stretch OF work. would r
doze in his easy chair with Dante be-