Capitolo 55
Roman life! As different from the acute competition and the jealous rivalry
what distinguishes our existence English that too often money-gets busy!
In 1819, two years after the arrival of Gibson in Rome, he started to model his
Mars and Cupid, a more than group to natural greatness on which he worked
patiently and lovingly for many months. When you/he/she was almost ended, one
day that a knock has come to the door of study. After the knock, a beautiful youth
men entered, and it were brusquely announced as the Duke of Devonshire.
"Canova sent me", he said, to see what you were doing." Gibson was not
very it got used to dukes in those days--he grew more relative with them
later--and we can be sure the heartbeat of the young poor artist a small
more fiercely usually when the extraneous churches to him him the price of his
Mars and Cupid in marble. The sculptor had not sold never a statue yet, and
doesn't know to how much he should ask; but after some minutes'
consideration that he has said, "five hundred pounds. But, perhaps", he added
timidly, "I have said too much." "Oh no", the duke answered, "not at all
too much; " and he immediately ordered (or, as sculptors prefer to say,
commissioned) the statue to be performed for him in marble. Gibson was
a great deal happy, and raced on immediately to tell Canova, while he/she was thinking him you/he/she had done a
splendid hit of business. Divided Canova its pleasure, cultivates the young one
men came to the price; then the face of the oldest sculptor ill-omenedly fell.
"Five hundred pounds!" he cried in dismay; "because, it won't cover the cost
of marble and workmanship." And so indeed it resulted; for when the
job was ended, you/he/she had sustained Gibson in L520 for marble and expenses,
and he/she left out it winds pounds of pocket in the end. Then he got less that
nothing after all for his many months of thought and work on clay
and it likewise marbles.
Discouraging as this beginning has to have it tried, it was nevertheless in
reality the first important footstep in a splendid career and result. It