Miss F. P. Cobbe sends us a complete refutation of
a libel on her friend the Roman sculptor,—or sculptress, perhaps we should say,—Miss Homier, which has appeared in some English papers, to the effect that her statue of "Zenobia" was not her own work. Not only has Miss Cobbe direct personal knowledge of the false- hood of this assertion, but she sends us the very words of Miss Hosmer's master, the great English sculptor Gibson, which are as follows :—" Finding that my pupil, Miss Hosmer's, progress in her art begins to agitate some rivals of the male sex, as proved by the following malicious words printed in the Art Journal :— 1. " Zenobia," said to be by Miss Hosmer, but really executed by an Italian workman in Rome,' I feel it is but justice on my part to state that Miss Hosmer became my pupil on her arrival at Rome from America. I soon found that she had uncommon talents. She studied under my own eyes for seven years, modelling from the antique and her own original works from the living models. The first report of her " Zenobia " was that it was the work of Mr. Gibson ; afterwards that it was by a Roman workman. So far it is true that it was built up by my man from her own original small model, according to the practice of our profession,, the long study and finishing is by herself, like every other sculptor. If Miss Hosmer's works were the productions of other artists and not her own, there would be in my studio two impostors, Miss Hosmer and myself.--Jonx Gnisox, R.A., Rome, November, 1863." This is final.
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