Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-10-14
THE MAKING OF A STATUE.
The Science of Mechanics Presse,
Into the Service of Art.

The Science of Mechanics Pressed
Into the Service of Art.
When we look upon a finished marble
statue, says an expert, we rarely thinl
of the time and labor that have been
expended upon it. First, model must
be made; but even preliminary to this
the sculptor puts his ideas in the form
of rough sketch" in clay or wax, ac.
rording to the delicacy required. Here
the main points are rapidly nodded in
and some idea is obtained of how the
Jtatue will look when ii is finished. A
passing thought, an idea, is in this way
fixed, and is more carefully worked up
In the model. AS rule, the first model
is small, and is of clay or wax, and
at first consists of nucleus of tow or
some such material, on which the clay
is laid. Bit by bit it is built up, until
by trimming and adding, fattening and
rounding off, the figure comes to as
sumo its proper proportions. The rough
outlines of the sketch" are developed,
new ideas are added, others are altered,
and by degrees the realization of the
sculptor's thoughts begins to appear
In the clay.
In the actual manipulation great care
must be taken that the clay is of the
proper consistence and possesses the
requisite amount of moisture, otherwise
1t may become dry and crack. A still
more serious accident is where the clay
crumbles to pieces. In this way the
labor Of months may in a few minutes
vanish into a mass of debris, an ex-
perience which many sculptors have
had. To guard against this the clay
must from time to time be moistened,
and when work is finished for the day
the model must be carefully covered
with damp cloths. In this way acci-
dents may be prevented. When large
models have to be made, extra precau-
tions must be taken against drying.
The nucleus must be made strong, of
Iron rods along the lines where there
is least support, as in the case Of out
stretched arms or legs, and the rods
must be properly fixed in stable basis.
At first the figures are modelled nude,
and full regard is paid to all the an
atomical details. The drapery is added
from studies arranged on
clay figures.
When the model is finished according
to the taste of the sculptor a second
one is made of the exact size intended
for The final piece of work Where the
statue is to be made of bronze the full
sized model is an absolute necessity, as
the casting in bronze is made from the
model, and it reproduces the latter in
every detail. Where the statue is to
be of marble the final model need not
necessarily be full size, and many
sculptors prefer working from small,
models. Uusally, how
ever. full-sized model is made in clay.
The sculptor can still alter or modify
his original design, bringing certain
features into greater prominence, sub /
1uing others. When the model is fin .
ished a cast of il is taken in plaster.
md this latter is used as the final
model, and with il as a guide the block
of marble is carved by skilled work.
men. This is an art which has been
,arried TO a high degree of perfection
n Italy, and the worl1men of Carrara
ire famous. The sculptor makes his
model in clay and takes plaster cast,
md then sends ii to the works i'm Car
ara, where it is chiseled and then re-
turned to him for the final touches.
After the choice of suitable block
If stone, a most important piece of
work has TO be done, namely, the mnrk-
ng of certain points on the plaster cast
md the determination of similar points
n the marble. Various methods and
Instruments have been recommended