The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-03-17
Christian Art


mercial city, and the Athenians, the merchants of
their age. So, too, with modern Europe, the com
mercial cities of Italy, Holland, and Flanders,
nourished and protected art
In this country, Philadelphia took the lead in
the encouragement Of the fine arts Dennies' Port
folio was for many years the organ by which Art
communicated with the American public. OF late
years, however, New York has outstrinped her
sister city in this department. and Philadelphia can
only boas, Of her medical schools, and mint. Dur
ing the present season, a series OF lectures have
been delivered in New York, on art. Mr.. Hun
tington, who delivered the last, selected for his
theme, Christian Art. From the NewYork papers,
select passages of uncommon beauty. The
finest essays, however, with which we are ac-
quainted, this interesting subject, are in The
odore, or the Skepc's Conversion book but
little read in this country. 1t forms two volumes
of Rpley's Specimens ofForeign Literature, and is
to be found at the Lyceum Library:
" askedif Portrai,ure can by any be admitted
this vide circle OF gativey Christian Ar2 What! is
dressed old woman, be dgnied with The Sacred
Ar There are reasons why il may he. DO you moi know
% omey e hat "nd aS
% ave are no s hs Of 1
mayhap, hard hearted he looks often and long this
noisten his heart remembers each even
ing the silence OF her chamber she taught his infant lips
In its influence Porraiture is certainly humanzing 1t
ness Of virtue by and the wores Of the pas
become our visible companions to stimulate the living to good
The portrait painter, often tried and discouraged,
s3ustme well repaid BY the consolation The art affords to
where lovely child has been snached by deatfhis
he sketehn the eec the open bro9 the soft ha
about the transparent pies tracing the delicate Of
Do1 s Ts eyes
eau make the portrait look as when he ved9 Can
his eye which clear and bIue? Shall the dimple
% S The m: mae s 0anf e ~h s
leaves the still and darkened There hope in the
with white blossoms, and hands meekiy folded. carried
Alter many days the portrait completed and invested
w nSo m a9G nn ME Il are Ike seen and he
BY the earnest pressure of the hand and the choking
A art is in sense to which alluded generally Chris,
tan te simplest tracing ol outline by the hand child
when s9ontaneons Ia an exercise Of The creative faculty and
lnhentance Those feeble lines scrawl by infant the
which bears dim resemblance living being, but
The da wings Of that power which the Almighty has
Of matter, forms OF beauty and Of reproducing all but The
breath OF lie his own sole orerogaye Whenever the artist
puts forth his wand to call into being work OF art he
IS but Initiating his Divine Master. and is far Chrap
and ma tes not WI ether from the apeess Of clay he
mouId the human orm-o from rude earth rock rsars
the architectural pile, harmonious ia lnesor by
ofsoqnds the and teas SOU by divney
warbe noes-a are but reflections OF the Divine and
rebound 10 The s9, OF The Geaior When The poet peoples
dreams; or to cos more & home 70 oar subject when on the
oed earh the painter wekens the hinges past
when IN lis lonely studio the sepulchra form throws OFT
developed when, by the respected touches his pencil the
blood seems TO ea gently through the veins, the knde
aud Is su1sed with enuerness, or CLEANS with and
the in all It's living force revealed us, then
ano her creative accompshedone proofs added
that the offspring OF God It but other echo
the prolonged and ever extending song wi which the dawn
OF creation was hrst celebrated by the angelic host for
and they are alke The sons oil God.
Every work OF is illustration Of Christianity
in general for painting, and in every
wrappe The great truths OF eItonthe creation OF
e e bS6 aa % 6, wo @ & SStf we M and
which we pant lg hs light, we see bow high is he call!
inksto The pat and the coming eternity Every work you
your souls and lhe oi all who behold H. Erase
s effect you canno If the soul is wounded by what
have DO e. woe y9u tor the scar VIII remain forever If
the soul Is purified then blessings wait upon you Every
every fair and pure line luminous and shall shine long
after all peasan pictures destroyed Ill the
flows uncouded from the face OF God himself.
There aye those VINO would trown on all arts injurious
answer such obclors some OF them sincere, doubt
coar.e earth az then feet Let Them Look upward and
around them How fair hath the creator made all things
flood OF glory which made gorgeous that tpmuuous pie
clouds and uraed your river a!o molten god and gave
hanks % Ina, Hng euFe yeu ganGei a. But
soul all its beauty mpes ed forever. The humble land
scape painter, whom despse has treasured ALL and
un onr IT, Of e By
ISLANDERS TO The exquisite coor and delicate form OF the lily
Behold, saith he, Soomon, in all his glory arraye
like OF these His divine aleho.
always 'eyed In the form OF graphic Images from which
practice some OF our dry, ddactc theoogans well taxi
81 am that it has been said in former lecture of thi
cou'se that the end OF art is never TO teach and especially
to teach morality a S but ii i H. &us9Ipaon for az
Are the holy lessons o divine law never to be impressed
Foolish xrgins, hath plainly SAID Have, then. oil in ,ou
a look febuEs i%psty WI" And wheIs M!en ito
h@ ss%s Pey In ns a S sns o
G?d Did HogArth faIsy oGjsc's Of art IN hi
fellow perhaps; hs dd mean teach. What mean mean
Wke by his dis,raning for rent but to say Thou sha
in The Inferno 10 be t,ansed! And Old Buaysn to ;
@ 6sve Known what e
abeut! Bu have sad enough on this point For one.
it has dominion over matter mind and moras and
be penned even !" the thin nlsng BE 10 mpa woven 10
PURPOSES mac sceatae and d. s&us .o wer
employed by divine command since the world began
for moral purposes II Is needless TO multiply instances Th
must acknowledge and hsIs no aempt in il EVEN to CON
eeal Us moral meaning The Almighty has smiled upon a
art then, that Is and innocent, approved by tn
Al.wse, and may in comprehensive sense, be style
The SLEEP OF PLANTs.-The way in whic
| sleep is shown in the vegetable kingdom is in.ir
1
throws himself PROSTATE some kinds of monkey
| lie down on their sides the camel places its hea
between the fore.legs; and birds roost their head
beneath the wing. Beyond these there are fe,
remarkable differences. But in plants, there is n
end 10 the curious and beautiful diversity whic
| rewards the seeker after natures mysteries. Som
| plants droOp their leaves at night, the flat pal
becoming flaccid and pendulous. Others of tb
kind called compound, as clover and vetche
close Their leaflets together in pairs, and occasion
Ip5t Irnnn at th,a ii
three leaflets of clover bring their faces to the ou
a | side, and so form triangular pyramid whose ape
is the point OF union between the leaflets and the
stalks. Lupines, which have leaves resembling
e seven fingered hand without palm, fold them /
= | gether like lady's half closed parasol. Chic
weed raises its leaves to embrace the steu
| and some species of lotus, besides many of its ell
!. CANT family, the Legumnos@ bring them togeth
in such way as to protect the young flower bu(
u and immature seed vessels from the chill air
10 | night. These only few ont of the mar
cases which could be instanced of change of pos
}, ton in leaves, whilst in flowers there seems to
$, no limit TO variation. The greater part shut Il
ID petals at night, the stalks declining one sid'
l. but there are some which roll their petals bac
and curl them up like miniature vOlutes. II
ID sleep of some plants is probably unaccompanied
re any external change. The same may he said
t Campanulus, and other bell shaped flowers. T
Il, TOUR peialed flowers of Cruclfere, it should ha
been observed, are remarkably careless of repO'
H. Their sleep never appears sound, or consta
'e 1o many successive nights they seem restless,
he IN the morning always look dozy and uncomfor
ne BILE. When flowers are over blown, or the pla
as II an annual, Is near its decay, the phenomena
ee @ sleep are very considerably diminished. In ia
''s they only seen in perfection when the grow
powers of the plant are in their full energy. DE
M duous lrees-lhat is, such as cast their leaves
" autumn-are in a sort of trance in the win
months. Flowers, too, lose their sensib,ity al
| gether when the period of fertilization is passed