Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-02-17
best and because Canova could not be
induced to leave Rome"


induced to leave Rome"
This opens up some interesting cor
respondence at the time the state of
Virginia ordered the statue. Under
date of December 10, 1884, Jefferson
writes to General Washington himself:
1.-THE Executive of our state has re-
mitted to DR.. Franklin and myself, the
! care of having the statue made, which
the Assembly directed as a mark of
their gratitude to you. u. find that
la Monsieur H0udon of this place
tParis) possesses the reputation of
being the first statuary in the world.
sent for him and had some conversa-
ton with him on the subject. :.
Monsieur Houdon is at present en-
gagged in making a statue of the King
of France (Louis XVII; a bust Of
Voltaire, executed by him, is said to
be one of the finest in the world"
January u, 1855, Jefferson in ac-
knowledglng a letter received from
Governor Harrison of Virginia writes :
There could be no question raised
as to the sculptor who should be en-
ployed, the reputation of Monsieur
Houdon of this city, being unrivalled
in Europe. He is resorted to for the
statues of most of the soverefgns of
Europe"
Lafayette sent by Houdon's hand a
letter to Washington, written July A.
1875, in which he said:
Nothing but the love of glory and
his respect for you could induce him
to cross the seas, as his business here
far exceeds his leisure. and his numer-
Gus and gratified friends make him
very happy al home"
Houdon obtained special permission
from the French government to Il avel
for sly months in order to make II
possible for him 10 eu.ue to this coun.
try. When Houdon was embarking
with Franklin, Jefferson wrote Wash.
ingt0n July 10 1885:
"He comes now for the purpose of
lending the aid of his art to transmit
you to posterity. He is without rival
ship in it. being employed from all
parts of Europe in whatever is
capital He has had difficulty In with
drawing himself from an order of the
Empress of Russia"
In introducing and recommending
Houdon to Richard Henry Lee. Monroe
land the entire Virginia delegation in
congress. Jefferson among other things
says:
He is, without rivalship, the first
statuary of his age; as proof of
which he receives orders from every
other country for things intended to
be capital"
Moreover, the Canova story is
hardly borne out by the dates in
VOWED. Antonio Canova (1757-1S22)
was undoubtedly a great sculptor. but
he was born sixteen years later than
Houdon and certainly was no rival
of the Frenchman in 1884. 1t was
/ in 1880 that he went to Rome and
devoted himself to the antique and
the revival of the art of classic scglp-
ture. 1t was about 1870 that he began
to be famous. Incidentally, Canova
in the last years of his life modelled
a statue Of Washington which is in the
museum at Possagno, Italy.
Jean Antoine Houdon 1741-1S2S).
on the other hand, won the Prix de
Rome in 1851 and studied in Rome for
nearly ten years. His stay there was
marked by at least one production
of worldwide importance, "Ecorche."
an anatomical model which has served
as guide to all artists to this day.
HoudOn returned to Paris and was ad.
mitted to the Academy in 1863. In