...
"You must recollect, when you tell friends that I am studying in England,
that I am a pupil of Allston and not Mr. West. They will not long ask who
Mr. Allston is; he will very soon astonish the world. He claims me as his
pupil, and told me a day or two since, in a jocose manner, that he should
have a battle with Mr. West unless he gave up all pretension to me."
We gain further information concerning Morse's first triumphs, his
painting and his statuette from the following reminiscences of a friend,
Mr. Dunlap:--
"It was about the year 1812 that Allston commenced his celebrated picture
of the 'Dead Man restored to Life by touching the Bones of Elisha,' which
is now in the Pennsylvania Academy of Arts. In the study of this picture
he made a model in clay of the head of the dead man to assist him in
painting the expression. This was the practice of the most eminent old
masters. Morse had begun a large picture to come out before the British
public at the Royal Academy Exhibition. The subject was the 'Dying
Hercules,' and, in order to paint it with the more effect, he followed
the example of Allston and determined to model the figure in clay.
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