Show atts cp s W geral ge ral of the as a monument gratitude to ro 1 4 ho uniting to the eridon f tier the virtues of the pa in the liberties of hils countr y has rendered his mine deir to his pei low ciet nl and iven the world on im morial v op true year of A clin is T 1 11 one thousand sever hundred I 1 X ji laiq t 1 best and because canova could not be induced to leave alomi 0 qa UP some car AI pon dence at the time the atto at virginia ordered the statue under date of december 10 1784 jefferson wr ile 9 to general washington himself e N 11 A I 1 TIo Executive of our st 1 to has re EO 11 0 E G faco face and form are familiar to it the e ad airing citizens of the notion nation lie fathered they should be since the counterfeit presentments are anre almost without number over GO 60 engraved likenesses of him ero published evenin even in his lifetime now it seems as if every method of bf part portraiture re except of course photography lind had been used there are drawings drahim s sketches clies stud studies les oil all paintings wit water ter colors medals coins postage stamps silhouettes and statues and busts to in marble bronze and wood of course these likenesses do not nil all look alike and a topic of perennial interest Is whitt what did george washington really took look like there are three representation of washington that have been general favorites and hold their popularity the favorite pro ille has been IIo udona with stuarts canvasses for the full face and trum bulls for tile the figure llou Ilou dons statue at richmond va gives us ua the military profile St harts full face portrait Is called the presidential head trumbull Truro bull certainly should have known him well veil enough to give is ills his bodily appearance stuart Is said to have admitted that the gloudon marble Is superior to ills his canvas as a n likeness adding that it was tile the only one that was better he held chrit tile the defects in ills his own work were due to the poorly fitted false teeth which washington wore it Is agreed by contemporaries that tits his figure lind certain marked peculiarities lie ile was shallow through tile the chest did not grow small at the waist hail had long legs slid and very large hands for the rest lie he stood a little over six feet and weighed between and 1 2 10 pounds an exceedingly cee able bodied citizen rhese bodily peculiarities are all faithfully brought out in llo udona statue the famous french sculptor took careful body measurements of his subject and a mould of his bis face from this mould he took a plaster mask which he be took back with him to ol 01 france ance a copy of it Is preserved tit in tho the mint at philadelphia boudon was a perfectly trained and competent technician lie ho produced easily ind and abundantly in marble and bronze to the satisfaction of his contemporaries so there seems no reason to doubt that ills his statue of george washington which hns hits many times been reproduced Is art ail admirable ro reproduction productiOn in marble of the tha fattier father of ills ella country yet the controversy aver ver the best likeness of washington Washing tun never des for example paul bartlett lett the sculptor sold said of tile the gloudon statue 1 1 I had always thought that boudon was as selected to mako make the portrait statue of washington on oil account of the general desire that this important statue should be by the he best sculptor of tho the time and that gloudon boudon was con eldered as such it has beera a tits agreeable surprise to learn earn that canova was strongly preferred and aad that gloudon was chosen only us second bitted to dr franklin and r myself ny elf tile the care of hmong the statue mode which vii jell the assembly directed ns as a kiark mark of their gratitude to you I 1 hinl flipi that a monsieur boudon of tilts this place paris possesses the reputation of being the first statuary in fit the lie world I 1 sent edit for hlin him and had some conversa tie alon with alth him on oil the subject monsieur gloudon Is nt at present engaged in making a statue of the king of france louis XVI a bust of voltaire executed by him Is said to be one of the finest in the wor world I 1 d january 12 1785 jefferson Jef Terson in acknowledging a letter received from governor borrlson Horr lson of virginia writes there could be no question raised as to the sculptor who should be employed the reputation of Mons monsieur leur gloudon of tilts this city being unrivalled in europe lie ile Is resorted to for the statues of roost most of the sovereigns of europe I 1 lafayette sent by hand bond a letter to washington written july 4 1785 in which lie said nothing but the love lore of glory and ills respect for you could induce him to cross the lie sens mens as ills hta business here far exceeds tits his leisure and hi his numer oust oiw and gra gratified tilled friends fi lends make III lalni very happy at home obtained special permission from the french government to travel for six months in order to make it possible for him to come to tilts this country when gloudon was embarking with franklin jefferson wrote washington july 10 1785 1783 lie ile comes now for the purpose of lending the old aid of ills art to transmit you to posterity lie he Is without rival ship in it being employed from oil all parts of europe in whatever Is capital ile he has lind difficulty in withdrawing hims himself elf from an order of the empress of russia in introducing and recommending gloudon to richard henry lee monroe and the entire virginia delegation in congress jefferson among other things tays ile he Is without the first statuary of his age 03 a proof of which lie he receives orders from every other country for things intended to he be capital moreover Mor coer the canova story Is hardly borne out by tile the dates in lived antonio canova canon 1757 1822 22 was undoubtedly a great sculptor but lie he was born sixteen years later than boudon and certainly was no rival of the file frenchman in 1784 it was in 1781 1780 that lie went to rome and dev devoted otei himself to tile the antique and the revalo the art of classic ture it wes ss nebout 1700 1790 that h he began to be fa fanous VIDUS incidentally conola in the lost last years of his life modeled a statue of washington which Is in the museum at agno italy jean antoine antohne boudon 1741 1828 on tile the other hand won the prix do rome homo in 1701 1761 and studied in rome home for nearly ten lan years ilis his stay I 1 there here was marked by nt at least one production of world awe importance an anatomical model which has served n guide to all at lists to tn aw hi day returned to parts paris ond was wag admitted to the academy in ilcy in 1783 1785 ho he visited america in company with Il enjamin franklin to make the washington statue ordered by the legislature of virginia Hou Ilou dons reputation was then paramount an and secure it has hag lasted to this ills day more than portrait busts and bt attles of the great do 10 him credit diana the Il huntress Is probably the best of tits ills nude lemale female figures ills portrait statue ol of voltaire Is considered oneff one of the finest in modern art so touch much far the boudon statue ot of george washington and now tor for another statue ol of george washington tilts this one a mystery it Is a n colossal wooden figure oi feet high arid weighing pounds Just now it stands in the basement ol 01 the city hall of wilmington del among tho the belongings of the historical society of delaware george washing ton Is s carved in continental uniform blue coat faced with buff bun trousers and high hessian Iles boots yes yeal the lie statues in fit colors and they art ar still quite distinct and its a statue of george washington boora mor its a good one mi an excellent Il like kenes neel and an inspiring figure pinned the statue Is a n printed card stating that it formerly stood in bowling green new york did it ever stand in Bowling Green 1 the city Ill history story club of new corb city cannot find any trace of such a statue the art commission in th IN city hall of new york tins has no official knowledge of it yet tradition Is that the statue was placed in Bow bowling litif green in 1702 replacing the leaden statue of george III HI of Engin england gd and stood there until 1835 or even later nere here Is the chronology of the stat ue so far as it Is known fit at presents present 1815 1845 sold at a new york municipal auction rate bale for to a sir jacques south norwalk conn ISCO at the death of sir mr jacusi Jacu ei in 1860 a mr became its awner next owner antonio decorate next owner frank theobald tobacco dealer new N ev york ISDO 1890 surmounted arch fifth aversie avenue in ew yorks york celebration of tile the centenary of wash Ing tona tons inauguration illustrations it harpers weekly end prank frank leslie lesli ell show linw the arch with the matue lo in place loot IM joseph liebman Ll ehman tobacconist tried to sell it to the new york ills hl society for incidental ij liebman used the statue as an fill ad vert isern en t 1013 Stood in front of a barbel shop at st nicholas avenue and conj on hundred and eighty second street streel newyork New York 1910 1919 found in a 11 junk shop and ami bought by general coleman Cole nian du pont for aw to give to the historical society of delaware there ore are many printed to the he statue and all say said to have roond in bowling bowline green 1 if it stand there where di clr it stand some day the Delaw delaware society will have a home of its own and then this mystery statue ol 01 C george eorge washington will have bave a per resting place |