Show how statues are nade made the following letter in the literary world from H CALVERT describes ta a proem process of sculpture and contains anfor mation that will undoubtedly he be highly in resting to a large portion of our readers J it t contains ai also so some most admirable r re marks upon the 11 greek slave mare by POWERS which still further farther commend it to notice PROCESS or OF SCULPTORS pam the greek slave this having on its first presents presenta tion to the american public excited eded ad admiration and enthusiasm a bri brief ef account of it will be interesting 0 to its au an j thors fellow countrymen I 1 the greek ave is the second ideal work of the american sculptor Hiram Powers the eve eing being his first the clay model was begun and finished in the summer and autumn of 1842 american sculptors having been hitherto obliged to work abroad but few of our citizens have had opportunities of witness ling ng the labors of the studio acceptable therefore he will be some explanation of th the Z leveral everal processes through which a work in i n sculpture culp ture must mast pus pass ere the artist can present his conception smoothly embodied jn in marble the visitors tere to the he slave wit will I 1 thus be made acquainted with the bodily Y irth and growth of the wonderful creation n bat stands before them in dazzling beauty Y the conception being matured in the artists mind the first stop step in the process of giving via form to it is to erect on a fi firm irm pe lestal t a skeleton of iron whose height beadth and limbs are determined by the th a aize a and shape of the proposed statue in it his is case it would be above five feet high big h kith ith branches first at the shoulders run ning ling down fo forward for the arms then at the lips to support the larre large mass of clay in the trunk runk and thence divided in two tor for the ega about this strong simple frame is isi now roughly built with wet clay the arede 1 ter mined image rapidly is this ibis into and approximation to the human form and when the trunk head and limbs have been definitely shaped then begins the close closed labor abor of the mind the living models are summoned and by their aid the surface is iss wrought to its last stage of finish I 1 say models for to achieve adequately a high highe ideal idea several are needed nature rarely oe bentres centres entree in one individual all her gifts gift a of corporeal orp oreal beauty for the eve powers hadj ore lore than a score of models the modern hristian christian artist cannot be favored as was the painter of old to whom a gre ian eian cita that had ordered from him a pie pic j ture are of helen sent dent a number of Us its choicest maidens that out of their various graces and ad beauties he might is as it were extract one matchless form for the slave the character powers had established in flor nee for purity parity and uprightness obtained or him one model who is not a professional nal sitter of such perfection of form as to arnish all he be could derive from an a model el with this breathing figure before him and rough his precise knowledge of the form tand an expression expression of every every part of the human body 0 obtained bained from the study of nature ind and hia own deep artistic intuitions intuit ious the lay day under his hand gradually grew into life is as it assumed the elastic vital look which no 10 mere anatomical knowledge or craft can ive by which is imparted by the genial with natures living forms in alli ince arice with a warm sensibility to the ul al qualities ali ties which crown and render ef the other less elevated endowments for or art thus by the most minute manual abor dire directed ted by those high and refined mental gifts the clay model of the slave 7 was wrought out and here the artists work ended the creation was complete the processes whereby it was now to be transferred to marble though of a delicate difficult kind ind and requiring labor and time are r purely mechanical and are performed under the artists direction by un uninspired inspire bands in order that the soft clay image be transformed into a harder subs substance tiace without suffering suffer fer ing the slightest change in its surface a mould is app applied liedo ait oit it ir ip the same way and with the same material as when a cast is taken of the living face or head by means of semi liquid plaster of paris the clay egure gure is entirely covered with this substance rom one to two or more inches thick pro 0 j i being made for taking of the arms nd ind for splitting the trunk after the plaster ahall all have hardened the clay is then al all taken aken out the hollow mould is clean cleaned nedd an and n then refilled with semi liquid plaster of paris is when this which now occupies entire enair ly y and minutely the plue place of the clay has i in ts to turn become hardened the outside 0 crust t of plaster is broken from it and then is la laid bare are an exact facsimile of the original clay figure in hard smooth plaster of paris capable of bearing the usage of the studio and of f receiving the many marks that are to ulde tho marble cutters work now egins first comes the blocker out with his heavy mallet and coarse chisel under those thos rough ough blows the white block soon begins to grow row into a rude likeness of humanity then a finer workman who loosens more 0 afi he folds that overlay the beaming imag images hat at the artist la is bent on disclosing die e I 1 os ing from the centre of the marble and finally the artist himself or as in this case a refined worker soho schooled oled under the eye of powers bivs the finishing to touches nolies reproducing with it unsurpassed accuracy in the j e ent at pure ure marble every swell and ind indinia nta j tion ion and minutest curve carve all the countless delicacies of detail the which combined with th and forming grand sweeping lines characterize the original as in clay y the hand of powers and now in the midst of us here is the marvellous marcellous marv ellous work drawing from our hearts a flood of vivifying vilifying vivify ing purifying emotion a revelation ev elation made by its author to his coun j try r y men of the power and majesty of art they who have looked in silent delight 0 on the he venus of the tribune in florence no longer onar enjoy a unique privilege on our native shore sprung from the warm bosom of f native strength a fresh emanation from the he exhaustless soul of beauty stands a work as resplendent with the impress of genius as the he famed grecian goddess as sublimely simple as vividly graceful and more touching in in its moral appeal the stronger the genius nitis the simpler the elements wherewith it t delights to work how simple how common on are those by which such overpower overpowering ri in efforts is wrought a young youn maiden in a condition of painful constraint but the two rest sources of human interest the human abod od and shining through it the hum human soul are here the artist had the creative vigor igor to reproduce in its indescribable a symmetry etry its aus matchless grace its infinite b beauty u that chief marble of the earth the human an body making transparent through these then attributes deep inward power and emotion and it i is because he has had this inspired mastery tery th that at standing before his work t the beholder a older is not only spellbound spell bound with beau I 1 ty but awed by b D a solemn ineffable feel feeling and mysteriously mysteriously drawn closer cha toning presence of god G H CALVERT |