Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 3).djvu/578

 values better than during the day, as in the broad light the detail takes away from the masses, while in the half-light the minor details are not seen.

Here, perhaps, a word ought to be said about the clay employed by the sculptor. That commonly used is the china clay of the potter; but before now good work has been done with the clay of an ordinary brickfield. The quality and "state" of the clay, however, have much to do with good work. When the clay is "rude" and dry, it is put into a tub of water over night. In the morning, when the moisture has soaked well through it, and it is in the condition of what is called "slip," it is passed through a coarse sieve to get rid of the rough particles. It is then put on a board to dry, and there left until it is of the consistence of putty. New clay, in working, proves to be what is called "short"; that is to say, it is not elastic. On the other hand, when too old it becomes what is termed "rotten"—it lacks cohesion, is friable, and liable to crumble. In the middle stage it spreads well, is elastic, and, with less labour, produces better work, having no "spring," and so preserving the intended form.

When the model has been completed, the next thing to be done is to make a mould on it. For this purpose the moulders are called in. Some sculptors do their own moulding; but if they are busy men it does not pay them to do so, the moulding of a large group being a long job. It is, moreover, a strictly mechanical operation, although one requiring much manipulative skill and a fine touch. The first thing the moulder does, when the model is handed over to him, is carefully to consider the way in which he is going to accomplish his task. The problem before him is how to make his mould in such a manner that he will be able to get out the original model, and especially the iron framework, when completed. When he has fully thought out his plan he goes to work, beginning, of course, at the bottom and working upwards. If there are awkward pieces in the way of the moulder (as in the case of the leg of the prostrate horse), or that might be easily broken off (as in the case of the horse's loose drapery), they are removed for the time being. Then he has to consider separately every point and corner of the group, and how he is going to mould them. This done, he takes a strip of clay an inch or two in width, and from half an inch to an inch thick, and with it marks off a portion of the surface of which he is about to make a mould. Then he fills in that portion with plaster which has been given a slightly yellow colour. When this has been done the strip of clay is removed, and another section marked off in the same way. But before this space is filled in with plaster the upper edge of the last mould is painted with clay-water. This is done in order to prevent the next layer of plaster from adhering to it, so that the two portions won't part when required to do so.

In this way the entire surface of the part of the group that is to be removed is gradually covered. The process is naturally a long one, and takes days to complete, because of the difficulties to be overcome, if a complicated group, and the large number of pieces to be made. In this particular work the exact number was fifty-eight besides the solid portion, or case. During the progress of the work care