Institute and grand works of art； and we should not get the three
hundred thousand francs' worth of work promised at Versailles and by
the City of Paris and the Ministers。 That is what we are robbed of by
those dreadful articles； written by rivals who want to step into our
shoes。〃
〃And that is not what you dreamed of； poor little puss！〃 said Lisbeth；
kissing Hortense on the brow。 〃You expected to find a gentleman； a
leader of Art； the chief of all living sculptors。But that is poetry；
you see； a dream requiring fifty thousand francs a year； and you have
only two thousand four hundredso long as I live。 After my death
three thousand。〃
A few tears rose to Hortense's eyes； and Lisbeth drank them with her
eyes as a cat laps milk。
This is the story of their honeymoonthe tale will perhaps not be
lost on some artists。
Intellectual work； labor in the upper regions of mental effort； is one
of the grandest achievements of man。 That which deserves real glory in
Artfor by Art we must understand every creation of the mindis
courage above all thingsa sort of courage of which the vulgar have
no conception； and which has never perhaps been described till now。
Driven by the dreadful stress of poverty； goaded by Lisbeth； and kept
by her in blinders； as a horse is； to hinder it from seeing to the
right and left of its road； lashed on by that hard woman； the
personification of Necessity； a sort of deputy Fate； Wenceslas； a born
poet and dreamer； had gone on from conception to execution； and
overleaped； without sounding it； the gulf that divides these two
hemispheres of Art。 To muse； to dream； to conceive of fine works； is a
delightful occupation。 It is like smoking a magic cigar or leading the
life of a courtesan who follows her own fancy。 The work then floats in
all the grace of infancy； in the mad joy of conception； with the
fragrant beauty of a flower； and the aromatic juices of a fruit
enjoyed in anticipation。
The man who can sketch his purpose beforehand in words is regarded as
a wonder； and every artist and writer possesses that faculty。 But
gestation； fruition； the laborious rearing of the offspring； putting
it to bed every night full fed with milk； embracing it anew every
morning with the inexhaustible affection of a mother's heart； licking
it clean； dressing it a hundred times in the richest garb only to be
instantly destroyed； then never to be cast down at the convulsions of
this headlong life till the living masterpiece is perfected which in
sculpture speaks to every eye； in literature to every intellect； in
painting to every memory； in music to every heart！This is the task
of execution。 The hand must be ready at every instant to come forward
and obey the brain。 But the brain has no more a creative power at
command than love has a perennial spring。
The habit of creativeness； the indefatigable love of motherhood which
makes a motherthat miracle of nature which Raphael so perfectly
understoodthe maternity of the brain； in short； which is so
difficult to develop； is lost with prodigious ease。 Inspiration is the
opportunity of genius。 She does not indeed dance on the razor's edge；
she is in the air and flies away with the suspicious swiftness of a
crow； she wears no scarf by which the poet can clutch her； her hair is
a flame； she vanishes like the lovely rose and white flamingo； the
sportsman's despair。 And work； again； is a weariful struggle； alike
dreaded and delighted in by these lofty and powerful natures who are
often broken by it。 A great poet of our day has said in speaking of
this overwhelming labor； 〃I sit down to it in despair； but I leave it
with regret。〃 Be it known to all who are ignorant！ If the artist does
not throw himself into his work as Curtius sprang into the gulf； as a
soldier leads a forlorn hope without a moment's thought； and if when
he is in the crater he does not dig on as a miner does when the earth
has fallen in on him； if he contemplates the difficulties before him
instead of conquering them one by one； like the lovers in fairy tales；
who to win their princesses overcome ever new enchantments； the work
remains incomplete； it perishes in the studio where creativeness
becomes impossible； and the artist looks on at the suicide of his own
talent。
Rossini； a brother genius to Raphael； is a striking instance in his
poverty…stricken youth； compared with his latter years of opulence。
This is the reason why the same prize； the same triumph； the same bays
are awarded to great poets and to great generals。
Wenceslas； by nature a dreamer； had expended so much energy in
production； in study； and in work under Lisbeth's despotic rule； that
love and happiness resulted in reaction。 His real character
reappeared； the weakness； recklessness； and indolence of the Sarmatian
returned to nestle in the comfortable corners of his soul； whence the
schoolmaster's rod had routed them。
For the first few months the artist adored his wife。 Hortense and
Wenceslas abandoned themselves to the happy childishness of a
legitimate and unbounded passion。 Hortense was the first to release
her husband from his labors； proud to triumph over her rival； his Art。
And； indeed； a woman's caresses scare away the Muse； and break down
the sturdy； brutal resolution of the worker。
Six or seven months slipped by； and the artist's fingers had forgotten
the use of the modeling tool。 When the need for work began to be felt；
when the Prince de Wissembourg； president of the committee of
subscribers； asked to see the statue； Wenceslas spoke the inevitable
byword of the idler； 〃I am just going to work on it；〃 and he lulled
his dear Hortense with fallacious promises and the magnificent schemes
of the artist as he smokes。 Hortense loved her poet more than ever；
she dreamed of a sublime statue of Marshal Montcornet。 Montcornet
would be the embodied ideal of bravery； the type of the cavalry
officer； of courage /a la Murat/。 Yes； yes； at the mere sight of that
statue all the Emperor's victories were to seem a foregone conclusion。
And then such workmanship！ The pencil was accommodating and answered
to the word。
By way of a statue the result was a delightful little Wenceslas。
When the progress of affairs required that he should go to the studio
at le Gros…Caillou to mould the clay and set up the life…size model；
Steinbock found one day that the Prince's clock required his presence
in the workshop of Florent and Chanor； where the figures were being
finished； or； again； the light was gray and dull； to…day he had
business to do； to…morrow they had a family dinner； to say nothing of
indispositions of mind and body； and the days when he stayed at home
to toy with his adored wife。
Marshal the Prince de Wissembourg was obliged to be angry to get the
clay model finished； he declared that he must put the work into other
hands。 It was only by dint of endless complaints and much strong
language that the committee of subscribers succeeded in seeing the
plaster…cast。 Day after day Steinbock came home； evidently tired；
complaining of this 〃hodman's work〃 and his own physical weakness。
During that first year the household felt no pinch； the Countess
Steinbock； desperately in love with her husband cursed the War
Minister。 She went to see him； she told him that great works of art
were not to be manufactured like cannon； and that the Statelike
Louis XIV。； Francis I。； and Leo X。ought to be at the beck and call
of genius。 Poor Hortense； believing she held a Phidias in her embrace；
had the sort of motherly cowardice for her Wenceslas that is in every
wife who carries her love to the pitch of idolatry。
〃Do not be hurried；〃 said she to her husband； 〃our whole future life
is bound up with that statue。 Take your time and produce a
masterpiece。〃
She would go to the studio； and then the enraptured Steinbock wasted
five hours out of seven in describing the statue instead of working at
it。 He thus spent eighteen months in finishing the design； which to
him was all…important。
When the plaster was cast and the model complete； poor Hortense； who
had looked on at her husband's toil； seeing his health really suffer
from the exertions which exhaust a sculptor's frame and arms and hands
Hortense thought the result admirable。 Her father； who knew nothing
of sculpture； and her mother； no less ignorant； lauded it as a
triumph； the War Minister came with them to see it； and； overruled by
them； expressed approval of the figure； standing as it did alone； in a
favorable light； thrown up against a green baize background。
Alas！ at the exhibition of 1841； the disapprobation of the public soon
took the form of abuse and mockery in the mouths of those who were
indignant with the idol too hastily set up for worship。 Stidmann tried
to advise his friend； but was accused of jealousy。 Every article in a
newspaper was to Hortense an outcry of envy。 Stidmann； the best of
good fellows； got articles written； in which adverse criticism was
contravened； and it was pointed out that sculptors altered their works
in translating the plaster into marble； and that the marble would be
the test。
〃In reproducing the plaster sketch in marble；〃 wrote Claude Vignon； 〃a
masterpiece