Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-06-24
THE FINE ARTS,


excitement, as regards the criticism OF works
Of all-and has drawn forth Two Jealous and in
lcreslilg ciiusions from the friends OF Persco, The
subject OF attack. We cheerlnlly give place 10
the following defence which is full Of lrue feel
ing, and proves the writer 10 be a warm friend
and we-in.urmed scholar. The facts stated
by him are Interesting, and the warmth with
viii Ii he defends IN absent friend does him high
credit Our readers have been partially initiated
INTO the my sleries OF Sculpture, and we leave tito
Them 10 draw t'cr own conclusions as 10 The me
ri,, Of Persicos Group OF Columbus, and as TO
The moolcd point Of encouraging naive or foreign
talent:
Ia The Editors NJ lie Enqnircr.
MessIs Editors: On The Goth OF May, ls4o
the very day thai my dear friend Pefsico sailed
from New York for London, on that same me-
norable day, in which this country has sustained
an irreparabe loss, a friend handed Inc the Rich
mond Enquirer OF the - and 22d of May, where
in then read Tor The first time Two articles on the
fine arls, one under the signature OF H., and
the other of "B."
| liule tnought, when was trying to record
some OF The impressions that The works oil art
had produced on me while in Washington, that
The sentiments that then conveyed TO The public,
through the columns OF lie National Intelligent
GER would have stirred III. animosity OF one so
distant from the theatre OF conlending opinions,
and still more Of opposite interests. No writer
ON The fine arts in America, opposed the position
therein assumed with Tespeo 10 MIR. Persicos SUI
pefior merit in The production OF his Columbus
although the remarks of J. I. went The round Of
the principal papers of the Union, till your NAL
tese respondent. ~" brandished his maiden
sword over the innocent head Of Pelsico-because,
ioIsoolh, had chosen to praise work OF art,
which, in my humble opinion, does an Immortal
honor 10 The country that employed such an artist
Ii matters not whether he wa born IN Tins coun
try; for The Republic OF letters and of The fine arts
acknowledges no exclusive country, nor does II
exclude any worthy individual from citizenship,
because perchance he may happen 10 be born
Eaa or Hia al the Atlantic. This has been, and
is The rule that guides al European AIllsllc and
Literary Institutions IN this principle oil reel
procily Of fellowship, the European nations have
exchanged their talented men, 10 me advantage OF
every department Of knowledge Based on thIs
same principle, have conlented that aIlisis, no
matter where born, are brothers lellow-WoIkers
in The same cause, for the enlightenment OF man.
kind thai they have common cause in every
vancelnent Of The fine arts; and that IN this conn
ny espeiuHu this principle ought % prevail, where
every kind of interest is powerfully ana ndl-
vidually represented, except iha! OF the hne arts
and artists.
This social artistic principle las been my po.
lar star; this shall always maiTain-and maj
have fought in this spirit for The advantage ol me
American arts the members oil tie "Ariias FTnd
Society Of philadelphia" may unequlvocally les
tiy.
protest against the ungcnercus procedure OF
"X" towards n0u-natirc artists. IL Is Inc more
ungenerous, when we consider thai the best a me-
rican living artists, with very iew exceptions,
have received their artistic education IN continent
tai Europe, and especially in Italy, Tree oil ex-
pense, aud that there every facililf for improve
ment has been afforded them during lheil pupil
age in The fine arts. What should we say, il eve
IS academy, every gallery, either public or prI-
vate, in Europe were 10 be closed oevery student
that happened 10 be native American =
Would not a retaliation OF this Kind be lnst ie-
tribulon on The narrow-mnded views OF III =
This narrow-minded principle and lnvdous
distinction OF ''nafirc' and non matte" will prove
double edged and poisoned sword TO The Ame-
rican artists, that will murder The arts in This
happy land, il long persevered in; but lei the lg.
nominy rest upon the heads Of such men as III !!
Did not even artistic France send TO Italy and
Germany for artists 10 compete with her own
sons, when she could boast of Puget, OF lie
Brun, &c, &C.? But France learned from
Bernini, foreigner, that one oil her sons was mol
surpassed BY any contemporary. The history OF
the progress Of the arts, every where, furnishes
abundant examples OF this kind.
deny that | am anli-Amercan, because
praised Persicos Columbus, and Persico's sublime
and original talent in The arts. II 10 acRn"w-
ledge Persicos superior merits as sculptor be
a treason in the eyes OF rival artists, Then, as
shall presently show, the number OF traitors TO
This country is greater than w. has ever imaged.
Your correspondent a." thinks proper TO differ
with J. T. in opinion, in matters OF The fne arts ;
and as it is his privilege 10 do so, shall not
quarrel with him about it; but cannot pass I'M
noticed his opinion OF PeIsicos talent, because
his assertions are uniounded and unsupported by
any fact. According 10 this writer, Perslco has
no reputation in Europe, not even IN his naive
civ, Naples: and that assertion is made soon al
Ter The writer had been in Naples, at which time
p. had received from the King of Naples, as a
mark OF his great regard for his talents, the sig
nal honor OF tnighfhOod, and at The very time
when Persco was courted by every distinguished
man in that Capital, both natives and foreigners.
Will w." accuse our national Senate OF faui-
iy, because more than two-ihrds ofthat body per-
sonally recommended Persico to The President OF
the United States for the execution of The group
OF Columhus2 Did they act in this matter blind
", and without knowledge7 Did the eminent
MIR. Van Buren, unknowingy and unwiltingly
contract with Mr. Persico for the group of Co
lumbus7 Were The members Of the ARTISTS
Fund Society,"" an association of which Persico
is a member, but composed almost entirely OF
Natire americans, infatuated when they unani-
mously petitioned both houses OF Congress- and
stated that in their opinion the clause in the bill
OF Congress, excluding "non-natirc" citizens from
executive patronage, was an unjust, odlous, and
when they declared that this course was calcu-
lated TO do more harm 10 "nQtire artists" than all
the enemies OF the arts put toseihei7 And there.
lore, they recommended Persico, on which repre-
sentation Congress acted, aud authorized The Pre-