The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-21
THE MAD SCULPTOR.
Gemto Passes Days in Ecstacy over Monuments He May Never Sketch.

From the New York Times.
 In a quiet room on little-frequented street of Naples lives man, separated from the world, who made all Italy and France rasound with his fame and prom ise as a sculptor. He is an artist whom Italians bracket with the painter Mancini and the writer D Annunzio. But his stu dio is empty; dust has gathered on the images which represent years of thought and on the revolving stands there are no forms of, clay swathed in wet bandages' One window only lights the bare room; it looks out on strip of garden ana has bars across 1t like cage. There the man takes his stand for hours gazing at the sky and seeming to commune Wlth invisible spirits. It is Nincenzo Gennto, the scupltor of the heroic statue Of Carlos ", which decorates a niche in the Royai Palace at Naples.
 Gemito, born in Naples about lSoz, ffo an lll-boding name given him to start with. for 1t signifies the plaintive cry of a newborn babe He was a founding, snd perhaps that name was chosen TOT him because as an infant he complained, since, without asking his consent, moth- CT brought him into the world only to disown and abandon him.
 As he grew up he deVelopeu d paSsioh for nofding objects in clay and ne began to work without caring to consult any one or sumbit to the advice of lnstruc-
 tors Doubtless he watched the delft ma nipnlation of clay on the part of the mage
 makers in the little workshops that border
 the crowded street, where groups or
 lazzaroni and curious tourists gather
 to see the figuines start into life under
 the swift motions of the craftsmen At
 .t. -Ad
 m, carly aga that his future seemed to pc assured
 Gemito prospered sufficiently to go to
 Paris. where he made a portrait statuette of Messonier and modelled the hands or inc little master with big head holding palette ana brushes. He modelled DOT
 traits of Verdi the composer, ana or
 Dornenico Morelli, the Neapolitan painter !; also one of Fortuny, the Spanaird, and or many more who are known to fame. But
 he did not forget his godfather, of whom he has made a most impressive portrait head known as "The Philosopher, nor has nurse "Balia," of whom he maoe various small bust studies displaying the l breast which saved the rounding rom
 peri shing during his earliest year
 As he g.atled in power and technical
 sltill he hecame unsuitable of work. seem- ing to revel in the marvellous productive | ress of his talent Some time ago he be- gan to talk about the visions that came l to him oi works far beyond anything which. has been known in sculpture. Gradually these mental sketches outgrew | the power of even his prolific genius and he gave over attempting to realize his | waking dreams
 ] Perhaps this phase in his career had some obscure phyical cause which, If re- moved, might restors his hands to normal | acti on I.ut at sresent, while neither | violent no. spe echless, nor unable to recognize his friends and converse about | his dreams, he is powerless to accom- plish, and keeps his room, absorbed. as he | himself will say ir a sort of eestacy. | Whether this is similar to that of per | sons afflicted wi,h mild but progressive | dementa or merely is temporary and will | pass with timeAae Is about 55-whcther | lis trouble is premature senility and only
 ihc beginning of complete mental break down. or simply the natural effort of his | sys .em to correct the results of overwork | and indifference tn the laws of health, is | probably beyond telling. His age may ! De regarded as a bad augury, because 1 youth is supposed to give greater resist l ing power: but the mind is so little under stood that six experts will declare pa tient only temporarily demented and six | others will swear that he never can | rec over.