Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-05-23

,up he did not expect the invoice ui rhioidn
Jupiter, but precise representation OF 'he uiu
continental uniform, shad-belly and shorts, nlleu
with what the head surmouninS Il woulu sno"
10 be "Georse Washington, Esquire, Inc saviour
OF his counry"-(as have seen nm calLea IN
an did newspaper; The simple fact is, that ~e
thought only OF Gen. Washington Of lII6: Gre
mougi thought Of Washington the here. WIN
wha, various and fippan criticism was II greet
ed on its advent! How did the genins OF oalder,
dash, like stupid 1y, necessarily strike It's heau
against the glass of greatness, seeing no oalllIi
10 keep il from the light of truth! And how. al
Ter many curious struggles between PATRIOTISM
and true and false taste, was the Father OF ms
Country treated driven ANONYMOUSLY down me
Capitol steps with handspikes, and deposited a,
respectful distance, literally in gardem chair
Reguiescot in pacc! Yet have we not taste4 10
be sure-only 90 inlo the Rounda and view those
of American liberalily and discernment en-
couragins American art, in the person OF Col.
Trumbull. Who does not feel an oppression
in the lhorax and an itching in the fingers ends,
as he contemplaeS The mighty deeds ofhis ances-
tors +? Nav those very ancestors themselves,
sanding before you as stiff as leather stocks,
remorseess pg-iails, cow-hide CATERS, and the
palsied pencil of serenity could make them
What an instructive and interesting sight 100 10
the soldier, 10 see the martial bearing OF ms
Revolutionary prototypes, ranged as regularly
and al as regular distances, as though uropPeu ~
their places with a seed drill There is, 10 be
sure. an ample sci oil 10 this quadruplet in the
marble bas reliels above, By Italian artists; which
are The most hopeless sci of hcrings ever tooecd
M 10 by civilized amateurs. The taste OF our
legislators certainly seems 10 have changed, II
moi much for the better, between The execution
Of these and the pictures, about 25 years, for
| though the men OF the latter are a race OF giants,
| full three inches above the medium, The beings
| called Indians, which writhe in The compartments
of the other arc as much below il, and decidedly
mub6ih.
thai of the latter particularly, are fine, and every
way worthy OF their place. Thus have named
three instances Of American all in the Capitol, as
| a sci off to "Z"'s impugnment OF "Columblis;
one Of which the public judgment ras decidedly,
and another by implication, rejected. Of Two ar
lists. one American and The other foreign, boh
| hiring here hope and think our Legislators would
employ I'M. former-cyrn shonld he be somewhat
interior 10 the other And think further, that
all the embellishments of the public buildings,
&C., should be as far possible BY artists belong
| ing loihe country.
But those chosen should be the first rc hare;
/ for their works are 10 reflect honor, not disgrace
! on the UIllUU. III We IdNC VI tdiSHt WV
thy 10 compete with that of resident foreigners,
then hold up the latter 10 The rivalry of our young
aspirers.
] And this brings me 10 Il more important con-
| sidcrarion. The grand end after all, is the dj-
| fusio1 among The people of liberal and refined
! tastes These inculcaled artists will spring up IN
| abundance: and there is nothing but this wanting,
and nothing else will have any effect 10 produce
in our Western wds Raiiaelles, Canovas and
ThorwadscnS, without number. The supply IN
such things is always equal 10 the demand-se-
| MUS though often dormant, exists everywhere
like the invisible seeds Of The fungus, il is carried
by the breath Of heaven over The face OF The earth
| and, though both require peculiar soil and pc
cuar nullimcnt-when that favorable conunc-
lure occurs, il is always filled. Now, in this
| pont of view, rhca is most effective, and most
worthy support? all artist residing at Rome, and IN
| habits, associations language, and every thing
except nativity and abstract preferences, an ma
| Ian or foreigner, who has been among rs
many years, whose rhisel, Cor pencil as the case
NAV be,) has enriched the halls and cabinets OF
MANY citizens, and who owes his whole tame,
even il not OF the first rank, 10 America Who
in the United States can show bust or Inquire
by Powers? Are the rich, and those who profess
10 fix taste, waiting for the Governments endorsal
Of him? or is il too far and too precarious 10
send TO Italy for group, or go there 10 SIT Tor
bust? If The latter he the case, they must not 90
TO one OF the two or three good soul fiors in The
Union, because that would be encouraging exotic.
10 the terimcnt Of native talent II Powers and
Grecnou.h be Americans, and have any feeling
or pride in the arts of their native country, why
DO they not come home and support them! Chant
rev spent nearly all his time al home, 50 did
Roubilliac and Houdon, and Thorwaldsen al
least a pai OF his. II the former be cqia 10 ms
reputation here; if We could boast within our
limits soul ptor able 10 rival OF SrrpasS The Venus
lie Medici, there is nothing Of which, rs an Anne
rican, could he proudeI. low can they demand
the Nations support without giving something
more than an empty name III return Tor IL :
When Themislocles vert over 10 The Per>lans,
while in their service, even though not IN war
against The Greeks, he had The same talent and The
same skill; yet no one well say, that he was stu
an Athenian General, or had a Grecian fame
These gentlemen went, it may be SAID, 10 lay,
for their professional education. Now, that Is
finished long ago, lei them return.
seemed 10 allow above for the sake OF arsu-
mcnt. the truth of 'Z"' insinIalion about the
"Eye" being superior 10 the Medlcean venus
but as that gentleman dips his brush alternately
in gall and soap, spreading one as awkwardly as
the other may be excused for requiring evidence
Of less wi-o.th e-wispish authority hope SIN
cerey it may be so.
This principle of indiscriminately crushing
all foreign talent and competition, is iase Hb m,
TO- How can our artists or prominent men eS-
pect a free and generous acceptance IN other
countries. when theirs are met with such mar
row and Jealous spirit on our shores! II is only
in sculpture which is an art more tedious oil ac-
QUESTION, and requiring more tender protection
than paintino that we now have any thing 10 tear
or hone from foreigners. Our painters are nearly
all ':nave and to the manor bred" But among
them also, we have had interchanges-Sully,
and think King and Alson,' were English born;
and amongs, British names we can claim win
pride, those Of Leslie, West, and CoPley.
have said more than intended, as my pur-
pose was only 10 do Justice 10 whom justice was
due. and TO defend an eslimable gentleman and
strong patron OF art from the attacks OF blind and
superficial critics.
Your correspondent "believes that Persico has
received somewhere about one hundred thousand
dollars for his statues and other works about me
Capitol" | know of no other items OF employ
ment he has had beyond The statues Oh Feace,
War and Columbus. The price OF The last, II
mistake not, was eight thousand dollars; ana, IS
timaling he same sum as the value OF Inc o1hel
two 0hough, in all likelihood, they were less)
and counting his compensation for attendance
during the arrangement Of Them IN their places,
and other contingencies for transport railing,
&c. his receipts cannot murh nave e3ceeueu
$4,000, instead of 100000. If the latter sum
re correct, il is more than any one man had
right 10 ask, and | hope he will get no more.
Is not our correspondent mistaken: Aston, we sus-
pect was native Of South Carolina.-l Enquirer.
FATAL AcclDENT.-About o'clock on Mon
day last, whilst two young men, CFhomas Ruth
and John Larmand,) were engaged in putting up
gutter 10 house occupied by Mr. D. c. RAN
doph on 18Th, between Main and Cary Streets
the scaflolding gave way and Ruth fell 10 the
pavement, and was SO much injured that he died
about o'clock The same evening-Larmand had
a narrow escape; and only saved himself BY seiz-
ing hold of the hooks driven in 10 secure The gutter,
where he emainedsuspended lrescued by means
Of \ ladder brought 10 his aid This is The third