New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-20
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN.
XVIII Annual Exhibition.


In looking about the Exhibition your attention is
now and the arrested by beautiful or forcble
landscape but you seek in vain for such works as
were once exhibited by THOMAS COLE. Since his
decease no one has appeared in the ranks 10 bill
his place. no one in whom the intellectual imsgina-
ton so rises in superiority to merely mechanical,
or at best sentimental qualities. In his works
there was thought always refined, strengthened and
broadened by power Of Imagination, and 10 stand
ing before them the observerfet and understood the
funess OF that quality, not only In the tenderness
and delicacy Of the distances, the sweeping lines
of grandeur that defined the mountains they roso
and fell in holiness or vaguely melted into the clouds
and sky, not only In the rich Slisge Of the trees
and vegetation every where luxuriant, In the mas
SEES Of deep brown shadows, the lights the brilliant
bues of yellow and greco. but quite Is much in
the choice of subjects and in al the artistic means
employed in their representation. We are by no
me ans among the number of such as consider Mr..
Cole works iautess but yet their author combined
to 90 great degree the endowments OF intellect
and imagination with broad and generous compre-
hension Of nature, that believe his 70 have been
a rare and inestimable genius whose lose is loog 70
be lsmented by the lovers Of genuine art
But while we regret thst he is no longer among
us. we may enjoy the productions OF soGe Of his
fellow. aborers, prominent among whom mf' n
b. DURASD. His principal pictare 10 the HAni'',
ton is No. 1873, ThsDatopsis." IL nchsfse.en]e'
bv oil his usual peculiarities except NE there IS
rot so much Of literal nature 10 &c as may be found
in most Of bis works III though none OF the objects
+, contains are particularly like Nature, the resen-
bspces are perhaps Sufficiently close er the subject
Its aim is the ideal, the grand, the sublime, tho
bighlv moral In contradis.inc,ion b the natorai,
simple, familiar, pleasing. Were the subject
the latter character should insist upon mfs eH-
sc, imitation Of natural objects, but a. II belongs
the former its merits must be determined oy Us
ovsn standard alone lie. us then, measure II ~
that
A.s landscape composition it has many besasi-
fnl and pleasing qualities. Toere iss qaiesade ana
eeptIenen throughout the picture arising "'"
deliescy Of com position aad an almost ""'a ni@h.
nsr Of execution, that awaken In the mina uaos"i
,housbt v bich sooth and saddep, TIL tney oeaome
Lost in sentimentality. Had we 70 oons'oer
-, "a landscape with DO particular TUE
-, over the composition which IN that case
- - yell enough, there is 10 il an absence OF
snoxl,dee as to the power Of those pigments saas
..a oommODy in use, which would render it d''s-
ANY feeble were it seen by the side OF any
80 a force. or were il compared with nstGre--
Houever there are minds that appreciate snd DO
hob, in such sort Of things aud FOE them IL con-
t.ins al that is needful
I. was unfortunate u connect this Pietafe wHo
the poem Of Bryant, doubtless bis strongest and
uosi thoughtful composition, and ffs1ght ron hfH
- Jas. with images which suggest 'olem gran