Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-11-02
Woman in art--and Woman in real Life.

'Only obscrvc,' SAID Darcy, breaking 81
lcnce Diier a long pause, aud without any ap
pnrent mk Of connection between their lasi
topic OF conversation and The sage reflection
he was about To lauDch-'only observe and
as he raised himself from his elbow, some
thing very like sigh escaped from him
how completely ~ our modern system of
life, is the ascendancy Of W oman over us =
Every art ~ her's-Is devoted To her service
Poetry, music, painting, scnlpturc-oll seem
Ia have no theme but woman. III Is her love-
liness, her power over Us, that is paradcd and
chantcd on every side. Poets have always
been mad on The beauty of woman, but ncv
or so mad as now we must not only submit
To be sensc-en,hralled-the very innerrnosi
| spirit ot iDap Is TO be deliberately resigned
To the tyranny of siDooth brow ana soft
eye. Music, whch grows rampant with pas
sion, ~ all It's tones of woman; as long as
the strain lasts, we are IN u frenzy OF 1--we
ihongh II Is not very clear with whom, and
happily The dcllrlum ends the moment the
Strings OF uie viollD cease to ylbrate. What
subject has The pninter worth n rush, but the
beauty Of woman? We gaze forever on tha,
charming lace which smiles on us from hIs
canvass we may gaze with perfect liccnsc---
that veil WHICH has just been lifted to the
brow, II will meyer be dropped again; bu,
we do not gaze with perfect impuDny. We
lurn from the joyely shadow with knees how
prone TO bend! And as to the sculptor, on
coDdI'ion tina, he hold TO tho pure, coloress
marble, Is not he permitted TO prove the sa-
cred cbarps Of Venus herself? Every art
Is hers. Go To the theatre, and whether IT
Is tragedy, or comedy, or opera, or dance, the
attraction OF woman is the very life Of all
that Is transacted there. Shut yourself IN
p' home with the poem or the novel, and 10
to love and to be loved, by one fair creature,
~ all that uc world has 10 dignity with the
name of happiness-it Is too much. The
heart aches aud sickens With an unc lalmed
affection, k'ndted TO no purpose. Every
where the eye, the ear, the ip,ng ination is
provoked, bewildcrcd. haunted by The magic
Of tins universal syren.'
Aud WIN, is worse continued our PRO
found phllosopher-anG here he rose from
his elbow, aud supported himself at arms
length from the ground, one hand resting on
he turi, The other at liberty, ns If required
tor oraioripl action-'what Is worse this
place which woman occupies IN art. is but a
lair reflection ot that winch she fills in rcn
life. just heayens! what n perpetual won
der II Is, this living, breathing beauty
Throw oil your metaphors 10 the winds
your poetic rop,ures, your ideals, your
romance Of position and Circumstance -
look at fair, amioblc, cultivated woman, as
you meet her ~ the actual common place
scenes of life 4; she is literally, prosaically
speaking, the last consumnatc result Of the
creative power Of nature, and The gathered
rchnemcnts of centuries of human civIlizn-
lion. The wotld can show nothing CON
parable io that light, graceful figure of the
girl Just blooming into womabbo"d. lmasi
nation cannot 90 beyond y. rhcrc u all
The marvel. u yua ihink of ~, ~ tlfh; slight
figure. es she ircnds across the cnrpct ~
modern awing-rouln, that has ever been cx
pressed ~. or gwen origin Ia, tho nymphs.
goddesscs und angels that the fancy 81 Insa
has ieomcd with. ] declare that n p,ons
hcatlrn would ms soon insult the aupu.,
statue ~ Minerva herself rs would auy
civilized bclug treat that slender iorn, wnh
The lcns, show oi fudcnrss aud inIigu,iy.-
From Leap Y,u,' iaie IN BinIwood