The studio in which Mr. Kemeys works--a spacious apartment--is, in
appearance, a cross between a barn-loft and a wigwam. Round the walls
are suspended the hides, the heads, and the horns of the animals which
the hunter has shot; and below are groups, single figures, and busts,
modelled by the artist, in plaster, terracotta, or clay. The colossal
design of the "Still Hunt"--an American panther crouching before its
spring--was modelled here, before being cast in bronze and removed to
its present site in Central Park. It is a monument of which New York
and America may be proud; for no such powerful and veracious conception
of a wild animal has ever before found artistic embodiment. The great
cat crouches with head low, extended throat, and ears erect. The
shoulders are drawn far back, the fore paws huddled beneath the jaws.
The long, lithe back rises in an arch in the middle, sinking thence to
the haunches, while the angry tail makes a strong curve along the
ground to the right. The whole figure is tense and compact with
restrained and waiting power; the expression is stealthy, pitiless, and
terrible; it at once fascinates and astounds the beholder. While Mr.
Kemeys was modelling this animal, an incident occurred which he has
told me in something like the following words. The artist does not
encourage the intrusion of idle persons while he is at work, though no
one welcomes intelligent inspection and criticism more cordially than
he. On this occasion he was alone in the studio with his Irish
factotum, Tom, and the outer door, owing to the heat of the weather,
had been left ajar. All of a sudden the artist was aware of the
presence of a stranger in the room. "He was a tall, hulking fellow,
shabbily dressed, like a tramp, and looked as if he might make trouble
if he had a mind to. However, he stood quite still in front of the
statue, staring at it, and not saying anything. So I let him alone for
a while; I thought it would be time enough to attend to him when he
began to beg or make a row. But after some time, as he still hadn't
stirred, Tom came to the conclusion that a hint had better be given him
to move on; so he took a broom and began sweeping the floor, and the
dust went all over the fellow; but he didn't pay the least attention. I
began to think there would probably be a fight; but I thought I'd wait
a little longer before doing anything. At last I said to him, 'Will you
move aside, please? You're in my way.' He stepped over a little to the
right, but still didn't open his mouth, and kept his eyes fixed on the
panther. Presently I said to Tom, 'Well, Tom, the cheek of some people
passes belief!' Tom replied with more clouds of dust; but the stranger
never made a sign. At last I got tired, so I stepped up to the fellow
and said to him: 'Look here, my friend, when I asked you to move aside,
I meant you should move the other side of the door.' He roused up then,
and gave himself a shake, and took a last look at the panther, and said
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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