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ratus. In truth it isimmense. As to the price of the work, it will be much greater than Congress is probably aware of. I have inquired somewhat into this circumstance, and find the prices of those made for two centuries past, have been from one hundred and twenty thousand guineas, down to sixteen thousand guineas, according to the size. And as far as I have seen, the smaller they are, the more agreeable. The smallest yet made, is infinitely above the size of life, and they all appear outrée and monstrous. That of Louis XV. is probably the best in the world, and it is the smallest here. Yet it is impossible to find a pomt of view, from which it does not appear a monster, unless you go so far as to lose sight of the features, and finer lineaments of the face and body.
A statue is not made like a mountain, to be seen at a great dis- tance. To perceive those minuter circumstances which constitute its beauty, you must bé near it, and, in that case, it should be so little above the size of the life, as’: to appear actually of that size, from your point of view. I should not therefore fear to propose, . that the one intended by Congress, should be considerably smaller than any of those to be seen here; as I think it will be more beau- tiful, and also cheaper. I have troubled you with these observa- tions, as they have been suggested to me from an actual sight of works of this kind, and I supposed they might assist you in making up your minds on this subject. In making a contract with Mon- sieur Houdon, it would not be proper to advance money, but as his disbursements and labor advance. As it is a work of many years, this will render the expense insensible. ‘The pedestrian statue of marble, is to take three years; the equestrian, of course, would take Pate more. ‘Therefore the sooner it is begun, the better.
I am, with sentiments of the highest respect, Gentlemen, your most obedient and most humble servant, Tu: JEFFERSON.
LETTER LXXV. TO JOHN JAY. Paris, July 12, 1785.
SIR,
My last letter to you was dated the 17th of June. The present serves to cover some papers put into my hands by Captain Paul Jones. . They respect an antient matter, which is shortly this.
