OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 335 



ei-al Jackson, Mr. Calhoun, and Colonel Johnson. The following session 

 he returned to AVashino-ton and took others. In the summer he went 

 to Boston, and came back to Washington in the autumn. He now got 

 a few orders for busts, but these woukl not have enabled him to go to 

 Ital}'. That he could do so at tliis time, was owing to the kindness of 

 a Southern gentleman, Colonel John Preston, of South Carolina, who 

 offered him whatever amount was required to enable him to establish 

 himself in Italy. Accordingly in October, 1837, he sailed with his 

 family from New York for Havre, and passing through Paris arrived 

 in Florence in November. 



Having traced the progress of the subject of our memoir through the 

 strusrirles and vicissitudes of early life until his entrance into a more 

 congenial field, it may be well to say a few words as to the condition 

 of sculpture in Italy at the time of his arrival, particularly as respects 

 the art of portraiture, which was, at that time, his especial pursuit. 



From a vai-iety of causes, which want of space will not enable us to 

 declare, through the influence of Bernini, Canova, Thorwaldsen, and 

 Bartolini, bust-making had so far degenerated that a pleasing general 

 expression, with sufficient likeness to be recognized, was all that was 

 expected. If the sitter was satisfied, the sculptor was content ; for por- 

 traiture was considered rather as the means of pleasing patrons of more 

 considerable works, upon which the artist founded his expectations of 

 reputation and fortune, than as lending any permanent benefit. Pecun- 

 iary emolument was the chief incentive to that kind of exertion. Our 

 artist had been so long fed upon the husks of mechanical work that 

 he came with a keen appetite to the simple but sweet bread of nature. 

 To him it was luxury, the liberty of reproducing the features of those 

 whose interest in his success won a title to his gratitude ; and his 

 strong common sense taught him that no change of organization, how- 

 ever flattering, would compensate for the loss of truth. 



The consequence was that his portrait busts were beheld with surprise 

 and admiration by those artists and amateurs who saw them, and their 

 fame was spread so wide and rapidly that he soon found employment. 



Thus the predictions of his friends were satisfactorily realized. He 

 not only finished in marble the casts which he carried to Florence, but 

 modelled other heads, and found time to produce a study model of a 

 statue of Eve, then, in 1840, the large-sized model, the first study of 

 the entire figure that he had made. 



The first statue of Powers which attracted much public attention 

 was the Greek Slave. This was finished in marble, with great care ; 

 and, although criticisms of its composition were not wanting, its excel- 



