The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-05-12
National Academy of Design.

Onentering the Sculpture Gallery, we were panied
opercelve the pauclty of works in this highest and
noblesl walk of art That such should be the case,
however, is no matter Of surprise, when we consider
how poorly it Is encouraged. The United States
have already produced artists in this department
who rank al least equally with the most distinguish
ed OF their European cotemporarles THIS speaks
well for the genus of the country but little for lis
taste, when we know that such men are forced to
seek foreign market for the reward OF their Ia.
Tents The fact cannot be disguised that there is
but little true feeling tor this department OF art,
among those who aspire to be considered patrons and
cognoscPnf and, with the great mass OF people, the
finest piece OF sculpture excites less admiration than
the verest daub that disgraces the walls of exh-
bition room, especially If that daub he portrait in
which an opportunity is afforded OF specializing upon
the likeness, and marvellIng at the wondrous fide-
ity with which wart upon the of the original
Is transferred to In this fall far short of
most European nations in France, Italy, GERMANY
Austria, and even among the unlmaglnative Hol-
landers, find fair proportion OF sou pure grazing
their exhibitions, and an ardent love OF it pervadng
all classes. The statues of illustriOus men adOrn
their public squares-the immortality of actual
greatness is welded to the Immortality of the ideal
But with us, even it with great exertlon subscrp-
ton be raised for the purpose of erecting statue
to a distinguished countryman, the popular taste is
dspeased,lf the work partakes at all of an epic cha
racer Thus the sublime conception of Greenough
in his :" Washington" is ridiculed rather than APP
preclated. Washington never wore a Roman toga,
nor went with his arms bare, says the mutltude
they would have had him in starch uniform coat
buff breeches, and boots They cannot conceive
that the statues of the great should be fashioned
Tor rosterlty, and not for the ever varying and ca
precious tastes OF few fleeing generations The de-
sign OF Greenoueh, In his statue, was that future
ages might recognize IN contemplating 1t, not the
fashion OF garment, but the classic embodiment
Of that glorious mind and patriotic heart which
moulded the destlnies of a mighty nation He
wished no lower meaner associations to mingle
with the proud and lofty rerospecuons it should
produce-that for centuries hence, when the con
IL. Il
should be known but in dim and obscure tradition,
an American, gazing on the work, might say-"Thls
is worthy TO image Washington"
II is absurd to confne the artist to a mechanl-
cal imitation of the actual The poetry of ma
ture, though it be given to few to penetrate it, is not
less existent than It's materlality. Why do we call
Shakespeare great deplcter of human character and
passlonl Did he not illustrate them through the me-
dunn OF the ideal! Men and women In real life do
not speak in measure In rhyme-yet Shakespeare
makes them do so, and yet we do not question their
fidelity TO nature. From soul we pity the man
who SO enshrouds himself in the chilly mantle OF a
false utiliiariansn, to shut out the of that
" ideal, which ls alike the source OF the purest
pleasure, and the best proof of his Immortality.
But we fear we are DEPRESSING too far-and will
therefore proceed to direct subject, which, Truth
to say, may be very summary treated; inasmuch
there are but three specimens of sculpture exhI-
bited
No. 2s9-BUsr OF A GENrLEMAN--Hir Powers,
W)-Ths is finely chlsseed head, worthy of the
reputation OF It's author.
No 265-BUsT OF CHILD OF T.. PARMLEY, ESQ
No 800 dot. Batten MIR Batten is unknown to
us by reputation, but think that he isdestned To
be both known and admired These busts are very
delicately and beautifully handled There are few
works of their class with which they might not com
pare tavorably. We trust Mr. Batten will persevere
IN the high department of art he has chosen-but
the stuff OF which martyrs are made is rare-and
certainly an American sculptor who lives at home
must be considered one.
We shall speak of the drawings and the NINA
lures, of which last there are q,tant,tm suf, on
another occasion.
Mr.. EDITOR -
Will you permit me to inquire, through the medi.
um of your valuable paper, of the different emf
grant societies the object OF their establishment if it
be not TO protect their countrymen from imposition
and wrong on their hrst arrival IN land of stran
gers II the object of these societies be really
humane and philanhropic, why is it we see the I'M
suspecling emgran, for the want of timely nfor
nation, coming in authentic form, robbed and
pundered by the hordes of runners and boarding
house keepers that Immediately surround him on
his landing, TO the exclusion of every honest man.
A cheap conveyance to the Far West, whittier they
are mostly bound, is of vital importance to them,
and suitable exerons the part of these societies,
in giving their countrymen the earliest information
of the prices at which they can be conveyed TO the
interior, would save IN the aggregate, in passage
alone more than sixty thousand dollars per annum
TO the emgrants passing through the canals OF this
state. FRIEND TO THE EMGRANr.
New York, May 10, 1913.
A SEzuRE.-We understand that seizure, TO q
large amount, has been made by the vigilance Of
Col Brooks, the Collector of Detroit, consist.
ing of dry goods of all descriptions, valued at seve
4 y =. 4. Ill