New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-27

hob be- crowds ouch g Thfl~N H.A
from oersuring him Tor TOT naming; b-9s' ne lgsn
school also ihe Danish lFrkers'erz, Lsnd hoyr' mrI
SC The modern Dutch tKrusensnn tcsi or si
etc ard oilers, cannot 81 ressfls i,a ~ ~ 1910
repress ny surprise sldng 50 lue thorough Al'"7Is7
Of the works Of modern art
Once again let us say, we did not intend to
write an encyclopedia, bat 70 eriticise Leasing
picture Accordingly, we noticed only those col
lateral things which we thought proper to oar pur'
pose But, by adopting the learned Doctors meth.
3D. We might, in turn, prove him sadly isnorant
and incompetent He fails to mention the wen
ma Schoo-ergo, be don't know that there lsone.
He SAYS nothing Of the three Italian Schoos-tne
Florentine, the Roman and the NeaPolitan-
though the last even boasts an Academy with its
pensioners at Rome. And, then, there are said
to be Swiss artists who deserve to be mentioned.
There is also q Scotch School, and we have heard
that the works Of the Irish artists very Pecu-
liar And how wrong not to speak Of the Schools
of Art in America. Why, if DR.. K6rner had ever
been in Boston or Philadelphia, be might have
heard the Artists Of those great cities speak with
respect Of the New-York School, as if its claim 70
rank in the word of art were beyond dispute
No man, it appears, ought to undertake the work
Of aesthetic criticism, without Juggling in all OF
We drew no comparison between Leasing and
the other artists of Germany, further than TO as.
sign to Kaubach the position OF chief IN ideal art
meaning therby a conception and treatment
essentially Intellectual, imaginative and grand
/ DISTINGUISHED from that which is simply percep-
tive. appropriate. sensuous and locally true. To
Leasing We assigned the position of chief IN that
! German School which most cultivates and repre-
sents the latter style the School at Dusseldorf
and this is no small honor, for that school counts
such names as Leutze, Hubner Schroeder and
! Camphausen. In respect of mechanical skill, we
also paid him high compliment by placing him
as third among living artists. But that ne is at
the head of modern painters cannot be admitted,
nor even that he is the greatest of living genre
painters. To such a claim the French would de-
muir. as well as the English and most Of the Ger
mans. and perhaps even the great De Keyzer Of
the Belgians would put in his protest. And though
we grant that as for manual dexterity, he is supe
rior to Kaulbach we still contend that on the
whole, the latter is the greatest of living painters
Moreover-since everything must be said-we
! like Lessings works better than those of Messrs.
Steinbrlck and schadow, and think the pictures
of Overlook as much superior to those Of the last
named gentleman, as velvet to tustian
But as to the relative merits Of Leasing and
| Kaulbach there is not so great variance of
opinion, after all and indeed, it seems in several
! places as if the worthy Doctor were talking rath-
er for the sake oft than because he really differs
| from what he is trying to controvert. He says
In grandeur OF conception. Kaulbach stands undenaby
! above Leasing = II is true we might Imagine a
mic for
ing viii only let our fancy mould Leasing ana Maui!
! bscd together, into one single individual artist
! 1t is not easy to perceive how the great artist
| of the Jerusalem aAd the Babel would like to
merge his individuality in that Of another person.
| bot for ourselves, and we dare say most people
would agree with us, we shouldhave no objection
10 any post Of Lessing's skill, in the picture OF
Kaulbachs that did not interfere with It's grand
eur OF conception.
! Here is an extract about coorng:
or coloHng he The TTibunel apparently knows nothing
desvor finding faux with the c)lOnng Of the praying
girls ia the foreground Of the picture to he effect
Of which is alone owing that leasing has succeeded in
not making the black color of Husss garmen-an historical
necessity of hs picture which is very difficult to balance
IN iust The position IL Occupes-disEufb the harmony OF
cOiOnng in the whole.
The glazing color of the gids' dress was
not the thing Of which we complained. The
color Of Itself is not wrong. Il agrees with the
surrounding objects, with the greenness of the
grass, the reddish hue of the earth, the grayness
of the rocks The noblemsn next her wears a
tunic with purple SKIRT &c. Any competent
eye must at once perceive that the draperies Of
the girl must harmonic in color with these
surrounding objects. What We found fault with
was, that the girls position and movement are
not such as to satisfy the mind, and at once &c
count for her presence in that spot, but by their
weakness and insdequacy they leave the eye to
be distracted by the mere color. And throughout
the picture we do not blame the artist for having
attempted conscientious and exact imitation Of
external objects. That is perfectly legitimate and
even desirable. What we say is, that such imisa-
ton should always be subordinate and tributary
to the main purpose of the work, and not usurp
its place and engage the attention Of the beholder
in its stead. And it is, because in the Martyrdom
of Huss, the last is the case that we pronounce it
failure.
DR.. K6mer undertakes to say that the face and
person Of Huss are depicted by Leasing with
historical truth that we have here faithful pre-
sentiment of the martyr as he really was. We are
sorry 10 destroy so amiable an illusion, but, I'M
fortunately for the Dr., we happeR to know that
the study head for this character was painted
from a personal friend of ours, who sat at Mr..
Lessing's solicitation, and felt himself compli-
mented by the request In the picture It still re-
mains likeness, much less human but by no
means more divine than our friend
We have never thought this picture remarka-
bic for its unity of conception but since our former
article was written we have seen friend recent
ly from Germany, who while asDusseldorf was at
Lessing's studio in company with an American
artist who is in intimate relations with Mr.. L.
Onleayng the studio our friend was asked bis i'm
preston Of the Martyrdom, Why" said he, "it
=. -. !. --l-..nnA Aha nictrrn aanrnn III hn-n