Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1806-07-18

$50 N.Y. Vuty CoulkctehCeS puS 1uuSnCcp
could be induced to believe, that the in
eessant pursuit of gain was not the sole
business ofife }; and that some portion
OF time and money might be usefully em-
Ployed naequiring taste and fostering Of
genius, they might elevate themselvss
unto a rank 6f just superiority the re-
sPeet they might claim would be paid
with cheeffulness, and they would be
looked uPto with that generation, whieh
10 due 70 accomplished minds, superb
our talents, and leEitimate grandeur !:
the genialrays Of polished life would be
and diffussed through every
subordinate class Of society; the me-,
ehanie, the labourer, the hind thatclears
the forest and frat opens The bosom Of
the earth, would catch the softening
giean ofhumanity, and when the hours
OF toll were over. would learn to be %. /
tisfed with innocent reereations, rather
than seek the inebrity of taverns, or the
turnultuous discord Of popalar meetings.
To advise the cultivation Of taste, and
the attainment of that Discriminating
knowledge, which enables its possessor
to estimate justly the merits Of an artist ]
and the productions Of ART, particularly
The art Of painting, may sound strange 10 I
some, who have indulged themselves ia
IancyingJhat the people ofthis country
have natural genius for this art to
prove which belief, they will say, that
&c can 60 into few houses without see.
ng pictures, and that some Of the first
modern paisters are natives Of America,
"A land famous for the production Of
'elf.taught geniuses. Il il true, that
'rints and pictures, being cousidereda 40 ,
art Of the furniture Of house, few that
an furnish houses, neglect to embellish
hem in this manner; but the common
md medley collections, wegenerally end,
hew plainly, that fashionable decoration
: the only object and that taste 10 nei- I
her consulted Ia the selection, nor era. !
i6ed BY the exhibition. OF self-ta1eht 7
,enius, and the wonders it has perform. |
d i; the encouragement II has met with, |
nd the recommendation il carries with !
|, we have heard enough, from those
rho have never thought on the subject,
o sicken every one, who has extended |
is ideas far enough b conceive the ex.s
ent Of art, Who knows how little can Be
one BY one mind towards that degree
{ excellence, which requires the CON-
lined efforts Of many, and the progress
i've experience ofages. Ars Tonga,
ita brevis," 10 q sentence we seem 20 :
ave forgotten, Or never TO have known; |
renee that praise has been lavished on i
hose, who have made shift to learn
heir letters without going to school, |
vhich could only have Been deserved by
he student, far advanced in aeademicsl /
|; hencs emulation, instead {
t being excited BY great attempts, and t
leeP researches, has been arrested in {
he beginning of the course, sat down /
with indiseriminate applause /
/ received for trifles, made no farther
dvanees, and the art itself 10 even 60 be
'egun. This country has indeed given
'irth 70 West and Stewart, copely and
Crumb1ll; Nance that stand in the fr,t |
ank Of European artists; bur these were
et self-taught. the shoots Of skili and
exterity were engrafted on them in ano-
her eountry, where their natural talents
rere. nonrished and carefully raised 10
had they continued here, thew
ever would have got beyond The rudi. l
aents oftheif prof ssion. and m,,.t hav.
~ - ! n II