The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1923-07-19
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OF the battle Of New Orleans the orator being
Stephen A. Douglas, then senator from Illinois.
Clark Mills born In New York and early losing
his parents, drfted to Charleston, S. c.. where he
obtained work in IL plaster and cement MILL Art
education he had none. but says dorado Taft, in
his "IIIstory Of American Sculpture" Mills Yam
kee wits were with him. and he soon discovered
a new method Of taking a cast from living face.
Then. resolved to try cutting in marble, he pro-
cured block of Carolina stone. and commenced
u bust of John C. Calhoun. Although unfamiliar
with the professional methods. he Invented a sys-
TEN OF his own, and succeeded In producing the
best likeness ever taken Of Calhoun. The bust
was purchased by the city Of Charleston, and Mills
was presented with gold medal by the Common.
wealth.
Fame followed quickly and John Preston,
wealthy gentleman Of Columbia. befriended the
young artist Mills started for Washington to see
the statuary in the capitol, but stopped of long
enough In Richmond to view the HOudon statue
OF Washington This was the first statue he had
ever seen.
At Washington. continues dorado Taft. mills
eagerly looked ut the statue Of Washington by
Greenough. and though he thought the anatomy
perfect, he could not associate General Washing.
ton with the statue. The crowd Of visitors, 30 far
he could learn. invariably condemned It for
want OF historical truth. He came to the con-
cluson while standing there that should he ever
have an order for a statue the world should And
fault for his giving too much truth and not for the
want OF It." And II would seem that he carried
out precisely this vow. when he created the much.
maligned Jackson statue.
During Mills stay In Washington he was ap-
preached by the Hon. Cave johnson. then pOstmas-
ter general and president Of the Jackson monument
committee. with an invitation to furnish designs
for bronze equestrian statue OF the victor OF
New Orleans Having never seen an equestrian
statue the sculptor felt obliged to refuse the flat
terlng offer. But. pondering the subject. Mills
finally resolved tn produce n design, and the final
result OF his labors stands In the center Of
the park opposite the White House.
For nearly year Clark Mills worked patiently
small model on n new prlnciple-that of bring
ing the hind legs of horse directly beneath the
center of Its body thus producing perfect balance.
Mills bought land near Innham, Nd. and built n
foundry and studio and as he was about to begin
the melting and recastlng Of the bronze cannon
from which the statue Is made gale destroyed his
studio Before he could rebuild II. the foundry was
destroyed by fire II after all this added to
the breaking OF cranes. the bursting Of furnaces
and six failures In the body OF the horse that the
first equestrian statue to be made by IN Amert.
can wns completed.
From his original designs he produced n replica
for the city OF New Orleans and directly aterward
began work upon the Washington statue--latey
removed for repairs from Washington circle. And
statue OF Freedom, atop Of the Capitol dome. from
designs by Crawford.
or Mills equestrian statue Of General Jackson.
dorado Taft has this comment to make:
'who today bcgrudgcs this brave pioneer his
little need Of success? Let us hope he never be.
came conscious Of his defects. His grasp OF his
subject is purely II mechanical one; his motif in
the statue. n problem In equilibrium. He had new.
or seen nm equestrian statue: there was none In
this country to see. II seems nj first thought
strange that Americas initial performance In this
line should be of surprising audaclty. but II IL the
story OF all beginnings: the intrepldity Of iv~o
rance the inevitable approach In the most round
about way. md equally important, the lack 81 gem
timely artistic inspiration. Having no notion or
suspicion OF dIgniaed sculptural treatment OF
theme, the clever carpenter felt nevertheless the
ton Al any rate. he built colossal horse. ndro,ty
balanced on the hind legs: and America gazei
with buted breath. Nobody knows or cares
Whether the rider looks like Jackson: the tx.
traord!nnry pose OF the charger absorbs all ntten
tion all admiration"
In comparison with the Jackson statue. the "pro-
digous congressional Joke" Mills next effort the
Washington statue, Ia tame. Instead OF balancing
the brnzen steed on single hopf. a logical se-
quence from previous effort. Mills. suggests Taft
gave his admirers u Napoleon.crpsslns. the Aips
effect. But whatever We think Of Clark Mills the
sculptor. We debt Of gratitude to Clark Mlila
our nrst professional founder Of statuary."