The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1901-10-24

for sale on the street corners never sat
for these portraits. Some workman
modelled the head after a photograph
and occasionally has produced such
good work that 1t is almost pity the
sculptor's name should remain IN
known.
The chief purchasers Of these casts
from the larger makers are the high
schools all over the country. They de-
Jects and copies Of ancient bas-reliefs
and architectural details, but also busts
Of famous men and women from every
period Of the worlds history. Such a
wide range Of subjects is covered by
this demand that seven and eight thou
sand titles are included In some Of the
catalogues issued. The factories where
these figures are turned out exhibit In
their showrooms an assortment and
confusion Of time, place and nature be-
wildering to look at.
The process Of casting these statu-
cites Is comparatively simple one
when the mold 10 once completed. The
material used, plaster of paris, is
cheap, and a very excellent quality is
produced in this country. When the
statuette comes out, it is pure white
and covered with ridges made by the
different sections Of the mold. These
ridges are carefully removed, and then
the cast Is placed in an oven heated at
about $50 degrees. After it has been
baked for a certin length Of time it is
plunged into a solution Of stearic acid
and kept there until thoroughly satu-
rated. Then. when it has dried, the
yellow, color Is gained by applying to
the surface solution of beeswax, tur-
pentine and coloring matter. This color
will not wash of, and, Of course, any
shade can be produced at will.
1.-The demand for nude statues in the
art schools Is growing less every year."
said one of the largest makers of these
casts. That is because people are
realizing more and more that artists
must draw from the human figure it.
self if they wish to understand the
human form. We get more orders now
for draped figures in the art schools
and for busts in the high schools. I'm
til very recently the busts Of most of
the celebrated Americans which we
sell had been made in Italy from pho
tographs sent over from this country,
and many mistakes occurred in mat
tiers Of detail, like the cut Of the coats
and collars. We are trying to do these
now in a more modern and characteris-
tic way and occasionally have been
furnished with photographs by their
families
The statuettes which are carried
about the streets wrapped in harmOni-
Gus yellow tissue paper or are display
ed on the sidewalks or on the steps of
different set Of manufacturers. The
larger dealers do not sell to these street
peddlers at all. The peddlers have their
own little workrOOmS, which furnish
them with their stock at much lower
rate than the regular dealers charge.
No originals are made in these ateliers,
and most Of the molds are gained by
taking them from a cast bought from
some other firm. The stearic acid bath
is left out of the process, and conse-
quently the color Of these cheaper
works washes off.
The peddlers Of these statuettes stand
in about the same relation to sculptors
and sculpture that the hand organ play
ers do to music and musicians. They
reflect fairly accurately the popular
taste. and. according to their testi-
mony, it is the Tanagra tigurines that
in the long run sell the best OF all their
stock. From time to time there is
market for the bust Of some particular
man, and those sales are always tenn
porary. Grotesque figures are always
in demand and copies Of the various
models Of Venus with which the public
are familiar. Rows of Cupids and Of
monks heads, winged Victories and
busts Of Wagner come and go as pop
ular favorites, but the Tanagra fgur-
ines have a steady sale that insures
their presence in the stock of nearly
every street peddler-New York Post.
Increasing Resemblance.