The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-12
BACCHANTE CAST BROKEN.
SCULPTOR MACMONNIES'S MIS-
FORTUNE IN PARIS.
Clumsy Drnrmcn Taking the Cast to
the Foundry Let IL FAN aud Smashed
1t to Pieccs-Now the Original Statue
NAV uny, 10 Go Back from Hoston.

Clumsy Drnrmcn Taking the Cast TO
the Foundry Let IL FAN mud Smashed
1t to Pieccs-Now the Original Statue
May Have 10 60 Back from Boston.
Macmonnies's famouss statue ofthe Bacchante.
which, according TO the present plan, is to bo
set mp in the Boston Public Library, may not DO
put on exhibition there for many months. as
news has just arrived in this country of tho
com plcto destruction, through an accident, Of
tho plaster cast made by tho sculptor from
which n smaller statue was TO be made for the
Luxembourg Galleries in Paris. The original
statue was too large for the Luxembourg and
Mncmonnies went to work on n smaller ono,
using the original as n model. The destruction
OF the cast will make 1t necessary to send the
original back to France. Otherwise the Lux
embourgw will have to so without the sculptor's
masterpiece.
1t was Architect McKim Of this city who
offered the statue as q gift to the Boston Public
Library. That was some time ago, and, to the
Amusement OF every artist in the country, the
trustees OF tho library courteously refused the
gift. The storm which descended upon the
heads OF the trustees when the Boston people
found out that they had decliilcd the great
statue was so great, IL was said yesterday. that
at their next meeting they would undoubtedly
vote To receive the statue.
The statue was originally exhibited in the
Paris Salon IN 1898, and at the time IL received
the unqualified approval OF the Government art
critics of France. IL was bought by the Gov
eminent for the Luxembourg galleries, where
the greatest works of living artists are exhibit
ed, but proved zoo large. SO MacmOnnies asked TO
be allowed to make n smaller replica of tho
Salon statue, assuring the Government that IL
should be in all respects exactly like the oriCi-
nal. The Government authorities consented TO
this arrangement, and after the salon exhibi-
ton the statue was sent back to Macnonnies's
studio, and the sculptor went to work on tho
smaller statue. He labOred constantly for many
months, finally getting the clay model In such
shape that IT needed only n few finishing touches.
Then no shipped tho original statue 10 this
country.
1t took many weeks of careful work to finish
tho model. and then tho plaster cast was made,
the fOundrymen were nOtined to rome and get
II and run IN the metal, and Marinonnies's
lanors, so Tar AS the statue OF the BacchAnte
were concerned, were over. There was some
delay about sending the mould TO the foundry,
ana meanwhile the clay model crumolcd and
cracked and became practically useless. IL was
about a week after MaCmunNicE com pleted tho
mould that drnStnen came to take 1t to tho foun-
dry. They got II out Of the stud o all right, but
on the way the boxes were dropped and'the cast
smashed into a thousand bits. Macmonnies
wits Frustrated by the ACCIDENT aud didn't 60
near his studio again for nine days. Now the
Luxembourg is without a IacChante, with
little prospect Of getting one unless the sculptor
can get the original back again. The request
will prohabiy he made and Will undoubtedly be-
granted, 1t is said.