The Washington herald., 1909-08-01

this statue grating are TO be found In
the Cour d dHonneur. Of the Palace OF
Versailles.
The statues which now are adorned
with the names OF Marshals Mortier
Massena, Jourdan, and Lannes. originally
bore the heads Of Gems. d'Espagne. killed
at Wagram; Lassalle. and a couple OF
other military leaders Of minor fame and
celebrity, on their shoulders. II appears
That the children OF Gen. d'Espagne hap
pened to be visiting Versailles at the very
time when the process OF statue grating
was IN progress, and came upon the
sculptor, Latte. when ne was in the act
Of decapitating the statue OF their revered
parent One Of the ladies' OF the party
tainted on the spot. and IL is needless to
add that great outcry was raised about
the subject. without, however. preventing
the accomplishment Of the act.
Stll more peculiar are the viclssitudes
OF the bust that figures on the facade OF
the east side OF the Louvre at Paris. just
over the colonnade. The bust originally
represented King Louis XIV. But when
Napoleon became Emperor, at the begin
ming OF the last century. his minister OF
fine arts ordered that il should be trans
formed into a bust OF Bonaparte. The
sculptor. by way OF economy, effected
this by cutting short the flowing wig and
altering the nose from an aquilne to a
straight one. Whom Louis XVIII came
back 70 the Tuileries the bust was re-
stored 10 resemble Louis XIV. and during
the hundred days which preceded the
battle Of Waterloo Il was again changed
70 represent Napoleon.
After the Punishment OF the Emperor
70 81. Helena there was yet another al
teration. and from that time forth until
about ten years ago the bust was left
without further change until attention
was called thereto by the fact that the
dampness had loosened the cement that
attached 10 the bust the flowing wig and
the Bourbonian lup to the bridge OF the
nose. The bust was accordingly taken
IN hand. and to-day II represents no
longer Louis XIV. nor the first Napoleon.
but Madame la Republique."
Nor is this art OF statue grating con-
fined 10 France. Thus. in the parish
church OF Yarmouth. IN the Isle Of Wight.
there stands over the tomb OF Admiral
Sir Robert Holmes a statue OF which the
head only IS that OF the admiral Tho
latter captured at sea a French vessel
which was conveying from Leghorn 10
Marseilles. en- route for Paris, statue
Of King Louis XIV. Of which all save the
head had been completed. II being the
object Of the sculptor TO model the head
from the royal living original at Paris.
Sh Robert coolly appropriated the statue
and caused an English sculptor to place
the marble representation Of his cwn
head upon the trunk
n
entrances Of the old English cathedrsIs
the sculptured heads OF deans and csDovs
then In Office have been placed by those
in'rusted with the work Of restoration
uPon the headless statues OF saints and
kings Of olden days
This art has been extended evcn N
paintings and engravings. OF Van Dyct's
grand equestrian portrait OF Charles
The nrst plate was completed before the
execution OF the ill-flted King. After his
death. Lombart. with q view OF curry
ing FAVOR, obliterated the head Of Charles
from the plate and substituted that OF
CIlVer Cromwell in It's stead. though OF
course Van Dyck never painted any
equestrian portrait Of Cromwell A
number OF engraviags were struck OF
by Lombart, showing the Van Dyck pic
ture OF Charles L. With the head OF The
lord protector figuring on the shoulders
OK the unfortunate monarch. and II IS
needless 10 say that these prints are
highly priced by collectors.
On the restoration. and advent IN the
throne OF Charles II, Loubart once more
altered HIS plate. obiterated the head
OF Cromwell. and restored that OF Charles
]. Those collectors who are anxious 10
find means Of distinguishing between The
proofs struck OF from the Lomhart plate
before the execution Of King Charles I
ana atter the restoration OF his son. will
oe readily able 70 Go so when 81 IS point
ed out that on the engraving printed
after the restoration. the sash OF the
sovereign. is worn round The waist In
stead Of over the right shoulder. and
that the page boy has a slight moustache
Every one knows the story OF the
bronze statue OF Charles I at Cbarinp
Cross. the finest piece OF sculpture OF the
kind in London. After the execution OF
Charles. IL was sold by the Puritans n
John Rivet. for old metal The worthy
brazier drove a brisk trade during the
term Of Office OF Oliver Cromwell in
DEohze-handled knives and forks. which
alike, as having been made Of the broke,
UP statue, which meanwhile was safely
buried several feet deep in his back ward
AT the restoration il was exhumed. and
erected on its present site. its pedestal
having been designed by Crlngling Glib
bons. There was another Stuart statue
In London OF marble. not Of bronze pur-
porting TO represent Charless IL. II had
been set up by Robert Viner. a London
goldsmith, in token Of gratitude for the
favor bestowed upon him By the MerrIe
IN Unexpectedly paying his bin
Niner wanted 10 DO the thing cheap. and
therefore, commissioned one OF his for
eiBn. correspondents 10 buy any satute
that could be got al a very reasonable
price
That Of John SObiesk, King Of Poland.
was then in the market. 1t represented
the deliverer OF Vienna on horseback
uampling on a prCstrate Moslem. A
few touches Of the chisel changed the
Polish King into an unrecognizabIe Ike
ness OF Charles II, while tie PROSTATE
Turk was similarly transhgured TO rep
resent Cromwell-in a turban What has
become OF this statue, which long adorned
London, I am unable TO say.
II remains TO be seen whether this art
OF statue grating and Of the manipu-
laton Of plastic portraits of men OF note.
viii ever find any application in the
United States Although statue mania
has not attained here the proportions
which It has reached in Paris. a metrOp-
oils which is burdened with considerably
over 1000 eflgies in marble and bronze,
the majority Of them being Of people for
whose memory the public does not care a
rap. yet every big city In America Is
exposed 10 the amlcition contained in
pressing offers Of statues. which possess
no public interest, either as works Of
art or in the choice of subject. Some
American cities. indeed, have statues OF
which they would be sad to get rid. /
why not utilize the trunks, and graft