The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-27
THE BUST OF A PRGLA4B
Miss Williams Likeness of James
Cardinal Gibbons.
a striking Piece of Sculpture Work
Exhibited mt NeerhofT's Gallery
the SittIngs With the Divine-The
Marble Reproduction in baltimore.

The friends of Cardinal Gibbons in
| Washington. Protestants and Catholics
| alike will recognize in a portrait bust
| now on exhibition at Veerhoff's Gallery, in
! F Street. a faithful and striking likeness
of the eminent divine This bust is the
! work Of a young artist. Miss Louise Will
Jams, of Augusta. Ga, whose talent as
evinced in her portrait of the Cardinal of
Baltimore has been pronounced by emf
nent critics of the highest order.
Miss Williams own story of her model
ing the bust is interesting. at first was
somewhat discouraged" she said. THE
! Cardinal is 4 most difficult subject. be
/ cause his expression is constantly chang
ing. He talked constantly during his sit
| tings. and though l am not Catholic. 1
could not but be impressed with his beau
| tiful ideas and lovely manner. He spoke
much of his travels abroad, and one day,
remember very wildly, when I was aLdost
giving up my task in despair. he told me
story of the early life of Michael An
geio L told him | would set the work
aside for time. but would never give it
! up.
Some weeks afterward | went to the
Baltimore Cathedral to hear the Cardinal
preach. l began to study the meaning of
the robes he wore, the flowing crimson
gown signifying the shed blood of Christ
the silken cord which bound il at the
waist symbol Of the ropes which bound
the Christ TO the cross. AS the meaning
OF the beautiful words he was saying and
| the picture he presented as he stood there
slfted through my mind, | began to realize
the greatness of this mans soul and why
had failed to do him justice in clay.
Il went home, took down the old bust and
began feverishly. The features assumed n
different shape-a different meaning. The
Cardinal realized the difference for he
said to me at the next sitting My child,
you have improved wonderfully in your
work.
The Cardinal expressed himself highly
pleased at the result, and his int mate
friends to whom he showed it were lavish
in their praise. The distinguished eccle-
siastic. moreover. acknowledged Miss Will
liams' gift in letter written by his own
hand, in which, after expressing his
thanks. he said:
1T gives Inc pleasure to accept it. At
the same time 1 cannot bui speak in praise
of your skill, which | hardly expected to
find in SO youthful an artist. Allow me
to express the hope that your skill may be
liberal patronage"
Miss Williams has received other let
ters from those who have seen the bust.
and in all she has been most cordially
congratulat ted on her success. The Rev.
Father P. H. Mcmahon rector of ST. Pa
tricks Church. in Augusta Ga, wrote to
her after seeing the bust: Your success
reflects credit on our own South
Other letters which Miss Williams
g.rrY Hevnl- IL I'll. 1
comrades Of her father, Mr. A. B. VIII
liams, of Augusta. Ga. an old Confederate
soldier and a member of General Cobb's
Georgia Legion. Among them are letters
from Gov. A. D. Gambler, of Georgia
Senator A. o. Bacon, Gen. Fitzhugh Lee.
Gen. J. B. Gordon, and Gen. Joseph
| Wheeler.
1t was by an accident that Miss viii
liarls discovered her talent for sculpture
Her early training in art was in painting
and was obtained at convent near Rich
mand. While hardly more than a school
girl she painted number of pictures
of Southern life-cLtton field sketches
and other characteristic pictures. which
she disposed of without difficulty.
Feeling that her greatest chance Of
success in the pursuit. she had adopted
lay in her cultiyating her powers to the
utmost, she went to New York and enter
School. Her intention at the time was TO
, become a painter of animal life. but one
day, while making some studies of dogs
in the dog hospital, she was told of a
particularly handsome animal owned by
William Ordway Partridge. the sculptor
She accordingly went TO him to obtain
his permission to sketch the dog. and
while in his studio, was so much at
tracted by the sculptures around. that
she almost forgot her errand Her in
terest in sculpture WAS thoroughly
aroused. and she succeeded after some
persuasion, in inducing the famous sculp-
tor TO take her as pupil She received
the greatest encouragement for he soon
found she possessed the true scuiptors
instinct
Miss Williams is visiting friends in this
city at. 341 -Trumball Street, lie Droit
Park. Her bust of Cardinal Gibbons. at
the Veerhoff Gallery, is merely in the clay
and is q replica, the original being now
on exhibition at large art establish
ment in Baltimore.