New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-21


that !, has II, and in having It, It satisfies tie cond-
tons Of great work Of the kind
Marx next the sympathy ofthe treatment Nth ms
idea. The pose is simple, although little unusual
The large massive figure is firmly planted upon me
feet, and the movement Is rather recedng from the
specta'or than advancing, whichis symbol perhaps
unconscious, but deepening INTO poetic delcacy 'Ae
fine effect All the lines are large and grand Inc
face has the aboriginal sayagery Of expression "lch
indicates recent emancipation Of the type IRON eA-
IRENE barbarsm Yet Intellectual force an me
sweetest strain Of feeling latent there IKE AfleI
in the cloven pine This is all concerted n me NOS
generous and executed IN the broades, manner we
come 10 color and rs .umptuOus spendOf-is GEAR
ness ITS vivacious ygor and the brilliant holiness OF
the touch are not only adequate and adfnlraDe ih
themselves but 50 spiritually sympathetic win 'he
ubtest sentiment OF the picture, that the master Is ~
once proclaimed.
n Is evident however that we have reached mere
the pojnt upoa which Artists and Connosenrs would
iojn issue upon this and the other pictures OF Mr.
U1cKs Force and fidelity of drawing good senii-
nent and clear color would probably be conceded
But false apprehension Of the proper degree Of M
ISL in the LAYING in Of color, essential to hnshed
picture. would probably be asserted TINS seems 10
ne a roisconception. for reasons which II would be
hardly possible 10 develop within the hulis Oh 'iis
article because doctrines Of color are radical prln-
cipes Of any theory Of Art. In the judgment OF al
nictures however the aiIn Of the artist must be con-
stantly borne in mind. This once lost and the king
has dropped the thread and Will never reach his Ros-
amond This aim can be always unprecedented
bv an intelligent observer, and the Judgment
Of intelligence is alone valuable. Thus by many
ulctures Of Diaz the spectator IS affected as by music
The harmony of colors strikes the eye as the sweet
accord OF delicate instruments, the And n that
impression Is achieved the effect sought by the artist
Many sketches Of DiaZ, are simply the work
ofthe paette-knife The Arrest aimed at an effect At
tainable by bold of the pigments and did not
fail This is kind Of legerdemain, you think, unwor-
thy an artist We on The contrary see IN tins the mas
tcrs mastery Of his means Everybody can do it, you
think Very few can DO it's our opinion Not every one
who pays the piano Well can strike the rich and raVlsh'
ing chords which the accomplished Pianist touches 1t
is an evidence Of natural capacity and extreme cult
vation There Is a little sketch by Daz, which rep
resents a pavilion buried IN foliage and group OF
figures under trees upon the ground the margin OF
pool II IS very small and smcared, "a, IT were, with
masses Of color But the silent yoiuptuous warmth
Of the East breathes from The picture, seductive as
South winds over banks Of y0letS And the fact that
it is 50 stepped in the Oriental charm results from his
peculiar use Of the pigments. No possible drawing,
10 exquisite finish, no elaboration. could have
produced the picture. OF course man brought sud
denly from the precise and defined outline Of the
nous schools and confronted with such work Is lost
in the brance, and longs for his lines. But IN form
Art aims at the appearance and the effect and les the
rest 60.
Nj. Hicks has evidently been a devoted and sue
ccssful disciple Of the faith IN color. which al this
moment animates the French artists and which IN
spired the Vcnoilans. In any individual case Il has
undoubtedly It's origin IN a Nature more or less
voluptuous IN sentiment and imprisoned IN feeling,
and betrays itself in men who are not Artists by
their literary preferences In stndy (3l6 Mr..
Hicks has somewhat illustrated this principle. We
must not fail to note also the singular OF the
artist in rendering light but have no further space
to speak Of these points which have not discussed
but intimatod In 4 Portrait t405) Mr. HICKS has
shown by a head moulded with precise knowledge
and quality and eject rarely equalod quite as much
power as IN the profuse but balanced bnlilmce OF
color IN Portrait O2s} This last IS exquisite N
romance of sentiment as No. 40j IS IN intellectual
fidelity and Portrait (SS4) IN which the artist has
evidently aimed at q likeness, shows the same vgor
and knowledge, and the same mastery of color.
To those who knew the late Margaro; Fuller, her
portrait (296 IN cabinet size by Mr. HICKS Will be
III illustration OF the views have expressed OF his
artistic ability. II Is by no means the best work he
contributes 10 the exhibition, Yet It Is sigma. sue
cess IN IT'S kind The romantic melancholy which
was the proiomdc>t tone Of her life ana character
periueatine them and giving them complexion, like
dark -hued blood ina the VEINS rather than appearing
to the observer, is also the atmosphere OF the PIC
ture In the dim background the toSSelated pave
mont. the balcony and the gondolaS gliding over the
Venetian waters on which she passed her few hap
pies DAYS. and the statue of the Genius OF the Vat
can N the niche over her head well image the forms
of that broad and beautiful mirage OF hte, with It's
noble figures and ample appointments, which glim-
mered always along the horizon OF her hope and
! from the blinded windows OF whose stately pal
aces glanced upon her the faces, whose alur-
| ms smiling was the luxury of her lie. Few knew
/ Margaret Fuller. and few therefore can feel the
tender and pcnetrant dehcacy Of tins portrait Those
few however. Will IN 1t the brilhance OF her IN
tellectual he and the royalty OF her masculine Will,
subdued and sufiused by Il subtle feminine grace
which made the last days Of her hfe the most beau
uful As they were the most heroic Of all.
We hope to see from The easel OF Mr. Hicks, some
picture OF size sufficient to afford HIM opportunity for
/ the whole play Of ms power We have extended
thus far our notice of his works because IN them We
hnd the highest promise N this department of any
| American pictures which we know He seems 10 Us
To unite the artistic perception and power to a oegree
which corli6es distinguished success. He does not
longngly follow the forms Of elder art but ms Imas
nation and Thought discover m the experience of
to-day the kindred character that made elder art tri
umphant nor We; does he ann az the technical effect
/ of old pictures
The sun never grows old nor does the tone OF Ma
| ture change Old pictures may be despair, because
the action of Time has produced effects which can
! only be Instantly initiated by the modern. BIT Ma
| ture is inspiration TO those who look the old