MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 137 
meaning for America. If you make a present of the figure and 
the city or somebody else of the pedestal your idea could easily 
be carried out. I am sure that there are plenty of fine places 
left for Columbus in Tower Grove Park. 
“To my great sorrow I heard that Ben deBar is dead. I had 
wished that he could have seen my works, for he had a very 
correct judgment. It is possible that you found his likeness not 
very resemblant, It is rather difficult to strike any one’s likeness 
in a strange costume and after a photograph, but you will find 
that the relief is more resemblant than the photograph that I 
have sent to you. I hope you will be satisfied with the portrait 
medallion of yourself. At least I think that it is very much like 
you. 
“Please let me soon have news from you and deliver me from 
the anxiety in which your last letter has put me. With many 
kind regards, I remain dear Sir, 
“Yours respectfully, 
“F. v. Miller.” 
“Munich, January 2, 1878. 
“Dear Sir: 
“Many thanks for your kind letter; it delivered me from the 
inful uncertainty whether I had worked a whole year for noth- 
ing or not, for it is a loss in an artist’s life to destroy a success- 
ful piece of work. 
“But, that it is impossible to change a statue that must have 
the portrait likeness not only in face but also in the whole coun- 
tenance into an entirely other one, will be comprehensible even to 
a layman. On the other hand, I was very sorry not to be able to 
fulfil your wish; you mention Rafael’s Ascension as an example 
how the artist should be able to content all wishes, but this is 
quite different from our case, for there it was the problem to 
compose an entirely new work. 
“To prove this I send you herewith a photograph of the colossal 
laster model of Humboldt and the photograph of Columbus as 
Mr. Probasco of Cincinnati had him painted by the celebrated 
painter and director of our Academie of fine arts, Mr. Piloty, and 
you will find that I am right. I don’t mean that I find faults in 
the conception of Columbus by Piloty, but in comparing the two 
you will find that I would have had to destroy the Humboldt statue 
before making a new work. 
“T would, of course, be very happy to execute the Columbus 
statue, for it would be an excellent problem to ch ap egg so grand 
a figure in the picturesque costume and I would be satisfied to 
fix the terms of payment at your convenience as far as my means 
go; send me only one word and I shall remit you sketches, which 
surely will find your contentment.. The Shakespeare statue will 
probably be in your possession by this time; if you, as I hope, 
are pleased with it and everything is in good condition, I would be 
quite thankful to you if I could get the agreed sum for it; I 
had so many expenses for the bronze cast, and the want of money 
in our country is yet greater than in America. The relief of 
Hamlet has been packed today and sent off by rail. 
“The insurance is made for only 5000 dollars, because if any 
accident should happen, I am yet in session of the plaster model 
and could execute the whole with reliefs again for the above sum. 
