The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 19, 1863.

ferent. Our convictions are the same now as here-
tofore, that no man has a right to call his fellow-
man a slave; but the experience that the wisdom of
ages draws from the pages of history informs us
that violence cannot convince, and that no social
changes can be suddenly brought about, but must
be effected by the gradual infusion of ideas, and
the steady patience and calm endurance that will
not flag lilt they have reached the goal. Sugges-
tions to those excited by political conflicts and
urged on by party zeal can seldom do much ; but
nothing is more needed in a complicated case like
the slavery question in America than that precious
Charity which beareth, hopeth, and endureth all
things for the good of others, and in the cause of
virtue and the interests of religion. If Mrs. STOWE
could induce her friends to exercise more of the spirit
of tolerance there would a be greater likelihood of
the atta'nment of her desires coming to pass, than
from any angry complaints against other nations,
or hostile encounters and demonstrations, which
combine the horrors of civil war with the inconve-
niences that ensue from the disruption of engage-
ments with foreign conntries.

Every year we have to lament the departure of
great men from among us. Every year statesmen
and sages, philosophers and artists, are summoned
to join that vast procession so impressively described
by NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE as moving onward
into the Silent Land. Death has already been busy
in 1863 ; he has called away one whose place will
not easily be filled, and whose hand, although he
had passed the allotted age of man, had scarcely
ceased from its labours. HORACE VERNET is no
more. After a life of more success and comfort
than Fortune often allows the children of genius,
he has passed to his long sleep, surrounded by
friends who deplored him, and receiving to the last
tokens of Imperial esteem and favour. HORACE
VERNET'S life extended over the most remarkable
period of his country's history. Born in 1789, a
' fortnight before the assault on the Bastile, his child-
hood passed amid the storms of the Revolution, his
early youth chronicled some of the glories of the
Empire, his manhood saw him the favoured artist
of the Citizen RING, his old age was honoured
by the THIRD NAPOLEON. The son and grandson
of a painter, he early displayed a passion for his art,
and received the encouragement so often wanting
to the early efforts of genius. His ancestors for
three generations had been artists of some cele.
brity, his grandfather, JOSEPH VERNET, being the
first marine painter of his day. It is of him that
the story is told that during a storm at sea he bade
the sailors bind him to the masthead that he might
sketch the scene. How far this anecdote is true we
know not, but it furnished a subject for his grand-
son's pencil many years later. CHARLES VERNET,
the son of the preceding, was a battle painter, who
had certainly rare opportunities for exercising his
talents, since we find among his pictures such sub-
jects as " The Morning of Austerlitz," " Marengo,"
" Rivoli," &c. The young HORACE probably owed
much to his family connections in art, for his ma-
ternal grandfather was MoREAH the engraver, and
his uncle CHALGRIN the architect. Thus, in spite
of poverty and the troubled times, his artistic edu-
cation proceeded. His first work, on a mythological
subject, was unsuccessful. In his second—a battle-
piece—he showed the originality of his powers, and
foretold the subsequent success of the great battle
painter. He was then but twenty, but he married
and opened an atelier, where the future companion
of kings was glad to draw bill heads and fashions
for rnodzstes. We wonder whether he introduced
into these works of art any of the singular ingenuity
that distinguishes his woodcut designs for the "Life
of Napoleon." Soon, however, Fortune began to
L smile on the young adventurer. His " Capture of
a Redoubt," " Barriere de Clichy," and other works
brought him into notice. His picture of the
"Trumpeter's Horse" was painted for MARIE
LOUISE, but this was not her first acquaintance
with the works of HORACE VERNET. His was the
favoured pencil selected to pourtray the features of
the great Conqueror in a miniature, which, set in
brilliants of the highest value, was despatched to
Vienna to show the youthful Archduchess
the likeness of her future lord. In
1812 he was awarded the first-class medal,
and a year or two later was created a Chevalier
of the Legion of Honour. After the down-
fall of NAPOLEON, VERNET continued to celebrate
his victories, and in 1822 a work of his was refused
admission to the exhibition, the loyal jury disap-
proving of the subject. The painter, however, was
not so easily disposed of. He immediately opened an
exhibition of his own, displaying his collection of
works, and his fame increased rapidly. He was high
in favour with LOUIS PHILIPPE, who commissioned
him to decorate the walls of the Constantine Gallery
of Versailles with paintings of the Algerian cam-
paign. In fulfilment of this charge, VERNET
visited Algeria frequently, and many of his scenes
are well known. 'I he cause of his dispute with his
patron is familiar to many readers. The KING
commanded him to paint the siege of Valenciennes,
and insisted on his introducing LOUIS XIV. as a
principal figure. The painter objected on Dr.
COLEN So'S ground, that it was unhistorical, seeing
that the " Grand Monarque" was on the occasion
in question at a safe distance from the scene of
action. Mutually offended, they parted, the artist
thr pwing up his commission and betaking himself
to the CZAR, who gladly received him. He remained
in Russia for some time, painting the walls of the
Winter Palace; but, in 1842, he was despatched to
France to convey to the bereaved father the con-
dolences of the CZAR on the death of the Due
D'ORLEANS. This brought about a reconciliation,
and VERNET remained in France. LOUIS PHILIPPE
offered him a peerage, but he declined it. His
grandfather had been offered the title of " gentil-
homme" with similar ill success by LOUIS XIV.
Members of the nobility of art, the VERNETS could
afford to slight the honours conferred by kings.
The restoration of the Empire brought no vicissi-
tudes to the painter. In 1855 he obtained the great
medal of honour at the Universal Exposition, and a
year later he exhibited an episode of the last siege
of Rome, being then in his sixty-eighth year.
HOP.ACE VERNET has gone down to his grave full
of honours. His lifelong industry brought him a
fittingworks
whecrrovpesrtizeod al
f
fameike
by hni
s d fortune.
Sovereign and by the people, his
countrymen He
and wasby
honoured by the a
strangers, he was rich in the respect and love of his 1
triends ; yet sorrow was not wanting. His only
child, a daughter worthy of hi •m, married to PAUL
DELAROCHE—a great
artist
like her father—died
before him. The
lone line of painters is thus
brought to a close, ter •
minating in its greatest man.
Yet though we may lament that such is the case, we
may write on his
tombstone the inscription over
ALBERT DDRER'S last resting place. Enzt:gravit is
truly a fitting epitaph for such men, for they can
hardly be said to be • entitely gone from us whose
fame and works remain. It is said of one of
the most • eminent of the old Grecian Generals
that when a friend was lamenting that he left no
children to perpetuate his honours, he replied,
alluding to his victories, "Not so ; I leave two chit- 1
dren, LEUCTRA and MANTINEA, who will bear down
my name to the latest posterity." Even so it iS
with the works of the great Frenchman whom the
world of art now deplores.