The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-08-15
Making SAINTS STATUES
An Industry Which Centres
in One Quarter of Paris.
LARGE SALARIES PAID

High Prices Sometimes Paid for the
original Models-copes Sent All
Around the World--Russia a Heavy
Buyer-How the Duplicates Are
Made and Sold.
All the world knows that Paris is
the worlds art centre; but there is
no more curious phase OF 1t than tho
moulding of those gorgeous and often
jeweled statues which one sees in
Cartholic churches all the world over
from London TO Buenos Ayres and
from New York to Sydney.
This craft Is carried on around the
old Church of Saint Sulpice, in the
neighborhood of the Rue de Rennis
and the Odeon. At one time the pig
religious statue was a very costly
luxury, and only the wealthy could
afford to place such works of art In
the churches. Nowadays IL is different
for thanks to mechanical progress any
number of copies of a costly orig
inal may be made, so that the hum
blest church may buy statue of its
patron saint.
Perhaps the greatest dealer in all
Paris Is Pacheu, himself a practica!
artist and perhaps the greatest auth
ority on hagiology alive. Such a man
IS wealthy enough to commission
Auguste Rodin himself to execute a
statue of angel or saint at a figure
running into tens of thousands OF
dollars. The right to reproduce in
any size and material Is bought from
the artist.
In some cases the sculptor will mere
ly design statue on paper and Pa
cheus own STAFF will execute 1t in
stone, plaster or wood Some of the
artists on the manufacturer staff,
BY the way, draw salaries up to ST.
600 a year.
last, but not least It must DC borne
In mind that in spite of this duplica-
ton the original statue retains at
least some of it's value as a work OF
art Pacheu and two or three of the
other large dealers in these quaint OBJ
jects sustain severe losses occasion.
ally by following their own judgment
in the matter Of buying and then
finding that their purchase fails to
find favor.
There Is a good deal OF secrecy
about the business, especially in the
matter Of the composition of the mod
elling plaster. The ingredients Of this
material are known only to the princi-
pal Of the house, and after 1t has
been boiled, pounded and stained 1t
IS thinned down, according to the de-
gree of fiudity which the modeller re-
quires.
The first thing, OF course, Is to OBJ
tain mould in two parts, from
which any number Of copies may af-
terward be cast. In the case Of
life size statue a mould is obtained in
two parts--a bon cheuI or la gela-
tine. In order to produce mould by
the first named method the original Is
entirely covered with little bits OF
plaster four or Ave centimeters thick,
thus constituting the mould.
The dimensions and form Of the
pieces vary with the lines OF the mod
el, and to prevent these falling apart
the artist uses an outer envelope Of
plaster. When this is thoroughly set
the whole is divided down the mid
die and back and the mould Is then
ready for use, faithful In every de-
tail.
But even after the mould has been
secured In this way there is good
deal to be done, for the copy Is COW
cred with plaster ridges where there
are joinings In the mould. These i'm
perfections must be removed by an
other artist
To model a la gelatine the artist
first makes an outer casing OF plas-
ter, then suspends the original stat
ue upside down and puts the casing
In such a position as almost to touch
the sides Of the model. The narrow
space in between Is then filed In with
liquid gelatine, which when hard pro-
duces a perfect mould.
Even when the replica comes forth,
from the mould and its glaring i'm
perfections are softened down much
remains to be done. It must be color
ed, gilded or equipped in accordance
with the Ideas Of a parish priest in
Andalusia or southern Chile.
Russia Is one of Pacheu's largest
customers, and every year he sells
hundreds Of thousands of gayly jew
elled lkons to orthodox churches all
over the empire, from the German
frontier to eastern Siberia And Oft
en- enough, when the statue reaches
rich Siberian town like Irkutsk or
Tobolsk, the plaster crown will be re-
moved and one of pure. gold substit-
uted, set with magnificent uncut dia-
monds and emeralds.
The Norwegian postal authorities