New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-22

bad drawing, worse cOloring. no perspective stiff
ungrscefO compositions, and in fact, ignorance or
very imperfect acquaintance as to the whole
mechanism Of Art And yet those works, with all
their faults, have been admired and treasured BY
two classes Of persons ,hrougha succession OF cen
turtles, namely, the religious and the educated.
The reason is, that although deficient IN the
mechanical qualities Of Art they are imoued
with a sentiment so deep, 30 earnest they
are so permeated with the attributes that the
humble, truth seeking spirit and intellect oil
their authors discovered in the subjects oil their
choice, whether Virgin, Saint, Savior, Proprietor
Devil that for the truthful delinestion OF these at
tributes alone they become inestimably dear and
sacred. Had Orcagta, Fra Angelica, or Giotto,
been traitorous to their genius, undertaking reliance
upon which was their sooner Of inspiration and
means of progress had they disregarded the mis-
sion that by the gifts Of nstore they were called to
execute turning their skill into channels Of mer-
cenary traffic these works now so priced would
have been forgotten, or remembered only to be re-
corded against them as witnesses Of their n6dehty
to nature, art and religion.
Nc. 2Ol. "News from the Gold Diggiags," by
w. s. MOUNT. Before this little picture we pause
with some degree Of pleasure. An earnest love
for Nature, so far the list understands her. is
displayed throughout, and the charm Of the work
lies in the deneation Of common characters that
have fallen in his way. 1t is very natural scene
such as might have occurred anywhere about the
country during the gold excitement. The acces-
SORES have more to do with telling the story than
the grouping of the figures or the expression o
-. fha han nil NJ M
ing in it is the ce and hat of the negro which has
all the air Of a successful copy from Nature. One
reason doubtless is, that the artist who seems to
possess little no faculty for color had in this in.
stance fewer difficulties TO overcome, the flesh be-
ing brown and hence bis greater apparent success.
The artistic treatment of the back ground il that Of
ignorance or inexcusabe eccentricity For instance
in the wall which forms the ackground there is an
open door, and beyond are indications OF sky and
distant scenery, done with so nearly the tone
and kind of colors that it is entirely confounded
with the wal, which is dull, monotonous gray.
But in nature the sky seen through such wall, IN.
der any circumstaE ces would be luminous If not
bright. There is a good deal of natural happy ex-
preston in the painting Of the faces. But the
whole picture is radically deficient both in color
and chiaro-seuro, the latter being uniformly dull
and without graduation, while the flesh is either red
and hard or else chalky. As regards telling the
story this is not equal to several Of Mounts earlier
works among which we cite the Bargaining for
a Horse" as one Of the most successful. This, if
we remember with accuracy, had uniform excel
lence in almost every desirable quality Of late
years Mr.. Mounts works have fallen of both in
Il tin and ba do
well to return to that simplicity of nature which
did 90 much for him in the beginning of his career
No. 229 is a Market Scene by Candlelight" by
p. Won ScEESDEL, painted perhaps in Belgium,
for it contains all the academic conventionallties
Of the schools there in vogue. You do not need
the catalogue to know what 1t is 1t Is to all inten1
and purposes a market scene and nothing else. The
scene is in European city where, asa matter
course, the public square is market and where
you might at almost any time find women congre-
| gated, standing or seated near tables. But to
make it unmistakable what he intends to repre-
sent, Mr. Won Schende has covered the table with
vegetables and other objects Of traffic, and has in
troduced burning candle. His most careful efforts
are next devoted to these as principal agents in
telling bis story. Apples, carrots, onions, cab
and colors initiated to degree which makes the
individuality Of each distinct and unmistakable.
The next important thing is the candle
LIGHT The fidelity and care bestowed upon the
imitation of this is only equaed by the scientific
knowledge brought to bear in its execution Here
the truly profound artist worked doubtless with
security derived from consciousness Of his insight
into the philosophy OF Nature. He knew that all
fame is hollow that its volume il round that its
exterior surface is less hot than its center that the
ntenser the heat the whittier the flame and con.
sequeDty that as the eye advances on the surface
toward the edge, il perceiyes hue more yellow
than that in the center because it is less heated
At the lower edge there are two or three touches
Of pure blue and white, ntensifying that portion,
but not darkening it, because the nature ofblueis to
transmit much Of the light 1t receives. The radia'
ton from the volume of fame is managed with so
erea. skill that we pronounce it the finest repre-
sentation Of candlehght we have ever seen There
is difference between the quality Of light upon
the objects Illuminated and that OF the source OF
illumination which is not satisfactorily accounted
for by the textures and qualities Of the objects.
In this respect the picture is slightly false. The
yeows aud reds. no matter to what degree they
are modified, appear with their maximum Of
warmth from being surrounded by the cold gray
tone pervsding the sky and buildings. The heads
are wei drawn without having either character
or beauty but yet they are agreeable because
they possess degree Of symmetry. The color Of
the flesh is bad and has in no degree whatever the
imitation Of its peculiar qualities, as coutradistin-
gui:hed from the qualities Of carrots cabbages and
apples The draperies and other accessories are
painted evidently from nature, with care as to
form ard relative graduation indeed, much Of the
attractive power Of the picture is due TO this las.