The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-20 00:00:00

Paris Exhibition.

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PAINTII`ZG.—There is something significative in
the fact that in this huge bazaar of all things sale-
able, the gallery which is always the most crowded
is that of the fine arts. It is sometimes almost im-
passable when every other part of the building is
empty. Is it an involuntary protest against the
materialist tendencies of the age, or is it due to the
artistic temperament of the French people? The
jewel department is always as well filled as the
picture galleries, filled with admirers of its brilliant
and very positively valuable contents. As the
attraction to this department is not purely aesthetic,
our only alternative is to believe that the crowds
the picture gallery collects assemble less from any
intelligent feeling of art than drawn together
by the curiosity which gathers an admiring crowd
round every printseller's window on the Boulevards.
For our own part we believe that this gigantic ex-
hibition of all that contributes to the well-being, or
social advancement, or economical progress of the
present times, is for the Parisians and for very
many of their visitors a mere show, on a larger scale
than the old Foire St. Germain, but having no other
significance. The people come to be amused, not to
learn ; and as interminable lines of linens, or
chintzes, or broad cloths have no interest for them
steam engines and spinning machines do not go to
their hearts or appeal to their heads ; they naturally
turn for the amusement they come to seek to the
pictures, which, whether they be good or baa, are
at least suggestive of something they think they

enjoy.
To the student of art the present gathering,
within a small space of the works of so many coun-
tries affords a rare occasion of forming some judg-
ment, although necessarily an imperfect one, of the
relative value of each. Before attempting to make
even a cursory review of some of the works there
presented to our inspection, it is important to come
to an understanding with our readers as to the
meaning of the word " Art." Art is not the simple
imitation of nature (it would be a mere photo-
graphy), but it must not exclude its reproduction.
Art does not consist in a certain, or indeed any com-
bination of colours ; if it did, to what limbo must
we consign nearly all modern painters ? Nor is it
th e grouping of figures, however correctly the
muscles of each may be designed, for if it were
" David" might be put on a line (some hundred
miles between them) with Raphael. Art, whether
in its highest or lowest walks, alike means Creation.
There are artists of sentiment—Giotto, the saintly
Angelico, the Perugino, and Raffael, in his good
time, with a host of others in the interval.
Then comes another school, still full of feeling,
although that feeling grows more earthly, while its
mastery of the mere accessories, colour as in the
Venetian school, breadth of drawing as in the
Bolognese, becomes more striking. And so we may
go on, finding artists, that is, creators, in every
branch of painting, however much the inspiration
which guided them may differ. We believe that
high art is necessarily dedicated to the idealised re-
presentation of the passions, by which we mean
the feelings ; but this by no means excludes
other subjects. Hogarth and Teniers are humoristic
artists, whether they idealise the vulgar pleasantries
of a village Kermesse, or the panic terror of the
ill-doer. The great landscape painters were not
less idealists and creators. Their task was to transfer
to canvas some aspect of nature refined by its pas-
sage through their visual nerves, not to count the
knotty excrescences on some lightning-blasted
trunk in the foreground, but to convey an impres-
sion not of dead, embalmed nature, such as the
camera obscura would give us, but of nature ani-
mated by each gust of wind or gleam of sunshine.
Nothing better illustrates what we require from
a landscape painter than a portrait. A portrait
is simply a reproduction on canvas of the features
of the model. At this rate it may be said that any
one can at least draw the outlines of a portrait, but
such a definition will suit ninety-nine in a hundred
of the portraits produced at a few shillings a head
at any fair. The crooked nose or squinting eye are
there, and kind friends exclaim, " What a capital
likeness!" The patient does not feel flattered, but
he dare not wince. This is as like portraiture as an
exact production of the first row of wheat in a
field would be a landscape. Something is felt to be
wanting, and that something is the substitute for
what no man gives—life. Real artists have this
Promethean faculty, but they are and always have
been few.
We do not pretend to lay down canons of taste,
but we have said enough to explain the principles
which will guide us in the excursion we propose
into the sections of foreign art. We may on a future
occasion venture some remarks on the modern
French school, and the specimens we have here of
the English, which we think and hope hardly do it
justice.
Three very important collections, too numerous
for the narrow space assigned to them within
the walls of the iron building, are placed in
separate constructions in the park. These are
Holland, Belgium, and Bavaria. Switzerland
also has a separate gallery. We acknowledge that
we looked to Bavaria and the cognate groups of
artists of other German countries with curiosity to
see the results of their valiant struggle against the
conventionalisms of the first quarter of the cen-
tury. It was due in great part to the ardent
encouragement of King Louis of Bavaria that a
fresh inspiration seemed to have been breathed
over Germany. First is Schadow, at the
head of the school of Dusseldorf, the correct,
conscientious, but highly idealistic, worker-out
of biblical scenes, which breathe a freshness of feel-
ing as if painted by an artist learned in all the
studies of modern practice, but living in the atmos-
phere of a medival convent. His Wise and Foolish
Virgins may be cited as a characteristic specimen of
his style. Bendemann, younger, more graceful,
leaning rather to a mythological treatment of his
subjects, was a worthy second to the master. This
school still exists, but in accordance with the taste
of the age it has changed its direction, and now
turns its attention to representing scenes of every-
day life. There is a peculiarity in this school which
speaks well for the genial temper of its founders ;
they have all learned to obey a common impulse
and all have trod in the steps of their masters. It is
possible to make conscientious painters, good
draughtsman, but not to give artistic genius, and
this seems to be wanting in the present generation.
While Schadow was painting at Dusseldorf, Over-
beck arid Cornelius at Rome were working out, each
independently of the other, new developments of
art. Overbeck with the mystical piety of Fra-
Angelico, an art of arrangement, which in some re-
spects recalls Pietro Perugino, and a correction of
outline not surpassed by Raphael, is unquestionably
the most original painter of the present time. He
is somewhat deficient in the charm of colour,
although there are pictures of his which do not
merit this reproach ; but his drawings, his new
testament for instance, place him at once in the
highest rank, in a line with, but independent of, the
acknowledged princes of the art. The studies which
made a Raphael, a Francia, a Leonardo de Vinci, a
Michael Angelo, are those which have made him.
Had he been the contemporary of these painters, in
each of whom a phase of art culminated, he would
at the present day have the same place in popular
estimation. Cornelius was perhaps less self-made ;
we trace in his works reminiscences of Michael
Angelo which show that he was content to
accept, to some extent at least, the deductions of
alio. her thinker. For art is thought, without which
there can be no creation. We shall have to speak
of him at length when we come to Prussia.
The distinct tendency of all German art is the
careful elaboration of outlines, but in this they bear
not the remotest resemblance to the treatment
adopted by that French school of which Ingres was
a brilliant example.
Some of the Bavarian pictures are on so large
a scale that we regret the impossibility of getting
to a sufficient distance to see them. Of course the
great object of attraction is Kaulbach's cartoon of
the Epoch of the Reformation. This is a subject
treated like Rafrael's "School of Athens," and Over-
beck's "Triumph of Religion." The artist has taken
strange liberties with history and private character
in the composition of his groups. If French law pre-
vailed throughout Europe he might find himself

prosecuted by the descendants of Michael Angelo
and Macchiavelli for defamation. Columbus's lineal
descendant still exists in Spain, and might be urged
by the angry shade of his ancestor to repulse the
imputation of Protestantism, not yet invented in
his time. Petrarca and Ballad, the celebrated
preacher Tauler, Cervantes, and probably Shak-
spere would all enter their protests against figuring
in such a picture. Nor can we imagine what
Harvey's discovery has to do here. There is im-
mense science in the balancing of the different
groups, giving variety to the picture without de-
stroying the harmony of its outlines. It is pro-
bably the conception that is in fault, if we find
here neither the marvellous mastery of the ideal,
and the animation of the battle of the Huns, which
is one of the finest creations of historical painting.
It exists only in gri:kaille on the wall of a banquet-
ing room in the north of Germany. The coloured
picture originally contemplated has never been
painted. This circumstance is not unfavourable,
for colour might not add to, but mar the effect.
In the epoch of the Reformation, the composition
of each group is pyramidal. In the battle of the
Hans it is the arch. The dead and dying strew the
ground forming the chord of the arch; the spectre
host, which half waking warriors rise from the heaps
of dead on each side to join, forms the arch. Be-
tween them the long lines of the walls of Rome and
the monuments rising above fill up the distance.
In proportion as we are admirers of this and several
others of Kaulbach's pictures are we disappointed
with this cartoon.

AGRICUL7URAL PROSPECTS.

(From the Mark-lane Express.)
The week opened with a very fine day, sunny
and breezy. Monday also proved fine ; wind S.W. ;
thermometer in the morning 68 degrees ; in the
afternoon, 76 ; barometer 30 inches. Tuesday was
a very hot and scorching day, with the wind round
to the east, and harvest work progressing vigor-
ously in all the early districts. Our advices on
that day were—from Suffolk :—" Wheat-cutting
will be general in a few days. Hot and sunny wea-
ther." Again (from the same county) :—" The qua-
lity of the new wheat is disappointing, and com-
plaints of the yield are general. About 400 qrs.
appeared, all the samples being, with one exception,
of the early sorts of white, but the colour, in most
instances, wanting whiteness, and many samples
present a shrivelled appearance. The crop, thus far,
does not promise well, and we hear to-day several
complaints of mildew and shrivelling of the later
wheats now in the fields. Weather scorching and
wind east, but the barometer is very gradually fall-
ing." From the West Riding of Yorkshire :—" The
weather since my last has been hot and forcing, and,
with a few weeks such like we should see a rapid
change and the country under a far better state as
regards the food-prospect for next winter and spring.
The root crops to-day droop, from the effects of the
midday heat, which is such as we seldom have for
more than three days without a break by thunder-
storms, &c." From the East Riding :—" The wea-
ther is now hot and forcing, which, if it continue,
will bring harvest forward rather sooner than at one
time calculated upon ; still it will be late, and, con-
sequently, more precarious." Wednesday was the
hottest day experienced for a long time past, the
thermometer in the shade registering 83 d eg., baro-
meter 29.90, and the wind inclined to change. From
the east coast of Scotland it was stated :—" The
weather has been everything that could he desired
since in our last." From the west coast it was re-
marked :—" We have had forcing weather since the
beginning of the week, which keeps the trade in
suspense." The tropical heat of the previous day
brought on a heavy thunderstorm early on Thurs-
day morning, and the day proved a very wet one!
stopping harvest work wherever it reached, and it
had a tolerably extensive travel before it ceased.
From Warwickshire it was stated :—" IVe have
had six successive days of scorching-hot sun, such
as was much to be desired for ripening the corn.
To-day it has been showery. With the most
favourable weather it will be a week or ten days
before harvest is general in this district. The
potato disease has again appeared in many places,
which causes them to be forced upon the market at
lower prices." From Suffolk, near the coast :
" We have had a week of glorious weather, but the
temperature of the last day or two has been almost
too sharp for our barleys; a change to rain is near
at hand, for the glass has been steadily falling since
yesterday morning. Our reports of the new wheat
crop cutting up are not gay, and we hear of mildew
to some extent. Shall know more accurately next
week." From the interior of Suffolk it was ob-
served :—" Although late, we have now the most
brilliant weather, with intense heat, and under its
influence our crops come rapidly forward. Harvest
has commenced generally, and is being vigorously
proceeded with. From reports generally the yield
of wheat does not promise to be large. Barley ripens
quickly, and in most districts is ready for cutting."
Friday morning was showery, but the afternoon
was fine. From the West Riding of Yorkshire our
advices stated :—" We had a change yesterday from
bright, hot weather to rain, which came freely. To-
day is fine thus far." From the East Riding it was
observed :—" The weather during the week has been
extremely hot ; in consequence the crops are rapidly
ripening, and cutting bids fair to be general next
week in this part of the country." From Lincoln-
shire it was remarked :—" The corn is ripening fast,
after two or three of the hottest days (Tuesday and
Wednesday) ever known, thermometer in the shade
marking 87 degrees, and harvest is now general.
Should the weather hold favourable, the quality of
both wheat and barley promises to be good, barring
a few cases of mildew in wheat, which always, more
or less, obtain hold every year. The rain of Wed-
nesday and Thursday, though impeding progress,
has done immense good to the barley, which was
likely to be white and flinty, and I am sending you
a few grains as a sample of what I am now cut-
ting." (This is the finest sample the writer has
yet seen in Mark-lane, kindly and mellow, and
far superior to the Kentish sold during the past
two weeks). From Devonshire, neighbourhood of
Exeter, our correspondent stated :—" We have
had a brilliant week of harvest weather, and are
in all the height of harvest. Many samples of new
wheat at market to-day, partly of fine quality, but
much of it very thin and poor, having been affected
with rust. Barley seems to have improved within
the last two or three weeks, and promises a better
crop than at first. Oats and beans arc also good."
Saturday proved a fine day, with a strong breeze
from the west to the S.S.W., and harvest work
would again proceed vigorously. From the thrash-
ing of wheat in the fields previous to Thursday it
has been ascertained that there is a great deficiency
in the yield, and the present comparatively high
prices will scarcely compensate for the short quan-
tity turning out, and if the great vicissitudes of
weather in the spring and up to June are taken
into account, with the severe frosts occasionally ex-
perienced, we can account for a bad yield, and a
better return could not fairly be looked for. The
weather during the coming two weeks will be vitally
important; and on it a great deal will depend for
the final result of harvest in England, whilst in
Scotland another month of fine weather is wanted
to be safe as to the supply of food for the coming
cereal year.

AQUATIC SPORTS ON THE HUDSON.—Some ad-
venturous spirits have been indulging in queer aquatic
sports on the Hudson, near Troy. Three men raced across
the tiver in washtubs for a stake only large enough to
make the same interesting, and two of them were upset.
Another race was between blindfolded boatmen, in skiffs,
from the shore to an island in the river. One of the con-
testants ran into the shore a mile below on the same side
from which he had started.—New York herald.

The American Watch Company at Watertown
turns out a watch every two and a half minutes during the
working hours of the day.

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