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Drowne's Wooden Image
Thereisthesamedifferencebetweenthemandtheworksofaninspiredartistasbetweenasign-postdaubandoneofyourbestpictures."
"Thisisstrange,"criedCopley,lookinghimintheface,whichnow,asthepainterfancied,hadasingulardepthofintelligence,thoughhithertoithadnotgivenhimgreatlytheadvantageoverhisownfamilyofwoodenimages."Whathascomeoveryou?Howisitthat,possessingtheideawhichyouhavenowuttered,youshouldproduceonlysuchworksasthese?"
Thecarversmiled,butmadenoreply.Copleyturnedagaintotheimages,conceivingthatthesenseofdeficiencywhichDrownehadjustexpressed,andwhichissorareinamerelymechanicalcharacter,mustsurelyimplyagenius,thetokensofwhichhadheretoforebeenoverlooked.Butno;therewasnotatraceofit.Hewasabouttowithdrawwhenhiseyeschancedtofalluponahalf-developedfigurewhichlayinacorneroftheworkshop,surroundedbyscatteredchipsofoak.Itarrestedhimatonce.
"Whatishere?Whohasdonethis?"hebrokeout,aftercontemplatingitinspeechlessastonishmentforaninstant."Hereisthedivine,thelifegivingtouch.Whatinspiredhandisbeckoningthiswoodtoariseandlive?Whoseworkisthis?"
"Noman’swork,"repliedDrowne."Thefigurelieswithinthatblockofoak,anditismybusinesstofindit.
