The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-01
BRYAN IN THE STUDIO

SndQOWy pidce, IN the nedrI OF all New
Yorks turmoil-a place which. by tn
way. was once an old stable-Mis
Kuehue Beveridge, the sculptor, il
working away upon bust of William
Jennings Bryan.
1t is a magical sort of studio, this
where the great Democrats likeness /,
growing so silently, under deft fingers
out of the still clay.
You enter at a narrow, old-fashionec
door, and tread a narrow. old-fashionec
hallway, and then. standing in the fan
artiste's workroom, forget that you are
in New York. There are heavy rugs
upon the hardwood floors. and all about
the walls are old tapestries. On stands
and shelves and brackets and pedestals
are busts-eyer so many busts-fnishe6
/ and unfinished. There Ex-Governor
Flower and Cuban Maceo. and nymphs
and goddesses. and beggars and sturdy
men at arms. all made of CLAW. are
watching in the stiffness the magic
| growth of the Bryan statue, which
stands on a working pedestal in the
center of the coZy apartment.
1t is a great, leonine head that is
issuing from the gray-brown mass upon
which Miss Beveridge began work a
week ago-a head which seems alive,
I instinct with all the fire and virile en-
! enrgy which are the master traits OF
! Bryan. Within the coming week. Miss
/ Beverage says, the final sitting will
I be had, the last veStige of superfiuous
/ clay will have vanished and the work
will be ready for trsnsferment into
bronze, after which il is to be taken
to the west, to be placed in the building
for which the political adherents of Mr..
Bryan have ordered it.
g 9 @
Very recently the apostle of bimetal-
lism paid a flying trip TO New York,
and for two hours stopped in the studio
and talked and questioned, and looked
at old curios and new wonders in clay.
While the artist. enveloped in a huge
working apron, studied him, and with
flying fingers wrought his features and
expression in the yielding clay.
Within the past two years Mr.. Bryan
has been a much studied man. but the
analysis which in two hours he under
went there beneath the skylight which
lets the day into Miss Beverages
workshop. he said was the most thor
Ough and withal the most satisfactory
that had befallen him.
The sculptor's method was the big
gest of wonders TO him. When he had
laid aside coat and hat, ne looked about
for the subjects chair and the iron
headrest with which photographers
holes in the heads of patient sufferers.
90" said the beautiful sculptor. from
the depths of her tremendous apron,
you don't have to sit still 1t is bet
ter if you walk about, and look at
things and talk about things, and be
unconstrained. That's the only way one
can catch personality"
And so the conversatio started. and
Mr.. Bryan. from that minute, forgot
a q
made supremely good one. the best.
Miss Beveridge says, that she has ever
known.
The studio amazed him beyond
measure, she said yesterday. working
industriously at the clay as she talked.
The idea of a young womans ever
transmogrifying an old stable into q
place of this sort he said was new
one to his. He asked me all sorts of
questions about how l came to think
of it and what the advantages were,
and paid very nice compliment TO
my success in making pretty shop of
it, 100.
And the thing that interested me
was that during the whole hours he
didn't talk about politics at all. except
when l asked him some questions. He
told me quite d good deal about his
travels during the campaign. and
laughed very heartily over some of the
funny things that happened.
But he talks about himself very lit
tie. He seemed interested chiefly in my
work and the study necessary to it, and
the tools, and the other people whom
had modelled.
The fact is that | never had so thor
oughly satisfactory a face as his to
work from. 1t lends itself admirably
to the work. In the first place there is
such vast power in it-such force Ii
is positive in everyp oint and view
from whatever side. There is no pas
sive feature in it. The whole spirit. as
well as every outline. is definite and
clear and strong. 1t is so hard TO re-
produce uncertainties. Bryan's head is
contour. as well as pose, is herioc, and
to work upon such is a comfort.
His brow and eyes are wonderful !
There is kindly humor in them which
you do not often encounter where there
Is such keenness and determination.
That is the impressive thing about him.
the way in which so much strength and
is coupled and tempered
with the finer spirit. I should eanc--
him man woman would fall in love
with; not for month, or year. you
understand. but deeply and lastingly. /,
But l think he would be terrible if he I
were angry.
g o .,
The lower part of the face shor-s I
all the strength-the chin is one of the
strongest | have ever seen: the Inns
just a little bit cruel in their deter .
perhaps-that is. they could /
be cruel if circumstances called for it (
in his life and his affairs. This is only (
my impression, you understand.
L should not care to have him Gov I
an enemy, and YET, Mr. Bryan, as l |
met him the other day. was charming
in strong and manly fashion. He
seemed TO think the work that l do .
would be wearying and when | told
him that l work from until each day
ne was vastly surprised
Dld you try 10 study the character
II Mr.. BRYAN when you receiVec the
order for the Dortrait?"
II was not so necessary in his c-se
Is IN some others. You see. ! had read
50 nucn about him, and read his won
ierful speeches. They thrilled me. al
hough ] was miles away. and mi
lnder the spell of his voice. | studied
photograph of his-and also a sketch
If very good sort that was published
n the Journal The sketch represented
nm when speaking. and it was won
ierfully strong
Shall you have another sitting?"
es- lie has promised to come here
igaln next week. and then l will get
ome finishing details of the head. No
ice about the eyes. for instance. There
ire touches that l can only add t. the
yes when he sits again. Expression
urks there, you see, and it is subtle
md can never be wrought from mem
ry-"
Jubilee Day at Saltair.
The prizes to be awarded to the