New-York tribune., 1908-02-22
MISS HARRIET AoSMER.

Boston, Feb. 2l.-AIiss Harriet Hosmer, the well
known sculptor died at her home in Watertown
early today, after illness OF about three weeks.
Miss Harriet Hosruer was born at Watertown
Mass. October g. 1890. Her mother died from
corsumption and she inherited delicate constitu-
ton so her father encouraged outdoor life for her
and she became proficient in rowing riding skating
and shooting. Her father a physician, and
promoted her study of natural history which took
her out of doors, and she began modelling figures
of animals in a clay pit in the garden of her home
Her education was begun by a brother-tn-law OF
Nathaniel Hawthorne, but he found 1t impossible
to train her conventional methods, and she was
sent to Miss Sedgwick's School. at Lenox, where
she remained three years and won the affection
Of her instructors Miss Hosmer went to Boston,
where she had some lessons in drawing and model
ling DESTROYS of studying anatomy and unable 70
do so in Boston. she went the st. Louis Medical
College After completing her course there she
made a trip down the Mississippi to New Orleans
and m the river to the Falls of St Anthony. On
her return home her father built her a studio and
her first work was a copy Of Canova's bust of
Napoleon and an ideal head. 'Hesper, or the Even
ing star" which exhibited in Boston in 1852
In that year Miss Hosmer went to Italy with her
father and Miss Charlotte Cushman. and remained
in Rome seven years as the pupil of John Gibson
the English sculptor Her first original works were
heads entitled Daphne and "Medusa,' which
were exhibited in Boston. In 1855 she executed
her fathers friend Wayuan Crow, in whose home
she had lived in St Louis. This was followed by
commission from the ST. Louis Mercantile Library
and she executed a reclining figure Beatrice
C'enci" which was exhibited In London and New
York At this time also Miss Hosmer made statue
of Puck seated on & toadstool, which was so
popular that thirty copies OF it were sold at 5000
sDiece A companion piece. ''Wiil-o theWisp." soon
followed Her father having lost his fortune, Miss
Hosn1er returned To this country. but unable TO
pr0- " IN he
went back TO Rome She had conceived the idea Of
a colossal statue of Zenobia Queen Of Palmyra, in
chains and this executed in 1855 Hawthorne
referred TO it with praise in the preface to The
Marble Faun" The statue was sold for 500 and
was brought to this country. Miss Hosmer then
received a commission from ST Louis for a bronze
statue of Senator Thomas H Benton, for which
she was paid Sl0,0o0 I unveiled in Lafayette
park in 1865 in 1866 she produced a Sleeping
Faun" which was shown at Dublin and Paris and
was purchased for s. 600 by Sir Benjamin Guinness
Replcas Of 1t were ordered by the Prince of Wales
and Lady Ashhurton. A companion piece is the
Waking Faun."
Among Miss Hosmer's other works are bronze
oates for the Earl Of Browulow's art gallery at
Ashbridge Hail. siren fountain for Lady
Marion Afford fountain representing Hylas and
Queen OF Naples as the Heroine of Gaeta" and
statue of Queen Isabella for the Columbian
oosition at chicago. which afterward up in
San Francisco
Miss Eosnler made her home in Rome for man.
Years where she had a wide circle OF eminent
American and English friends among whcm were
Hawthorne Thackeray. George Eliot and the
grownings She made a number OF discoveries and
inventions, one of which Was process OF harden