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18

sacred oracle - his farewell address. Houdon's Bust of Washington, has been so often, remolded and altered that much of its original character is obliterated.

[[stamp]] ARCHIVES OF AMERICAN ART [[/stamp]]|

In the Year 1792, Signor Cerachi, an Italian Sculptor of some reputation, modelled a Bust of Washington from life, and repeated it of Colossal size, a marble copy was brought to his Country by Richard W Meade, and bought by Congress for $4000; but it was destroyed by fire when the Congress Library was burnt...This Bust is more like Cerachi himself than like Washington; yet it is not without some points of merit, borrowed from the life. I have seen in the Museum of Naples an antique Bust of Augustus Caesar, which would pass for a better likeness of Washington. Cerachi finally distinguished himself by a design to assassinate, Bonaparte while sitting to him for a Bust; and instead of finishing it lost his own head by the guilliotine, Napoleon consequently for many years afterwards refused to sit for his Portrait.