Polynesian., 1851-02-22
Oil painting was invented by Hubert and
John Van Evck ic ldN0

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History teaches US the arts were protect
ed; and artists made the companions of EN-
Perors and kings from the time of Alexande
the Great, who spent most Of his leisure il
the company Of Apeles. Ceasar did thu
same with Protogines; Charles the Great
with Mings, and condesceuded to support 8
chair for Mings to stand on while hanging 9
picture, and dismissed the courtier who re.
fused to do so, telling him such men as h.
could be created in day, such as Mings
by no power but God. Napoleon honoret
David with a seat in the Ministry George
Ill esteemed Reynolds among the highest Of
his private friends. Lawrance enjoyed the
intimate friendship Of his son George Nv. II
time allowed of my adding the history oil
these painters, you would find them of very
humble origin, and their excellence in the
art, was that which conducted them to the
highest ranks Of society
Let US for moment consider its primitive
object as language, comprehensive, even
to savages, when exercised and cultivated
among the educated and polite portion of So
ciety; refined by minds such as those who
have been courted by the powerful and aided
by talented men among whom they lived
what is not learnt? History brought up by
its power, bringing US into the presence OF
past Heroes with force indeiible. Re-
iigious precepts have been given to us with
an impressive influence greater even than
the text-it has rendered, to vulgar minds
incomprehensble passages, clear and i'm
posing. The Church of Christ fostered and
cherished this auxiliary, nurturing it as bene-
fetal to the civilized world, in presenting to
the eye the deeds of our Saviour, too i'm
pressively to be disregarded, too powerful to
be forgotten.
Their utility as an accomplishment is to
conduct to any science by path strewed
over with flowers, giving beauty to labor,
and making study luxury; it demands much
patience, repays much pleasure; at home.
or abroad, on mountain or sea with pencil
and paper we can transport the scenes we
pass, to friends far or near Thus an end
less source Of pleasure to those who foster,
or bestow their product. If we take into
view the various avenues connected with the
highest ranks of the fine arts, the elevation
of the mind, produced by the constant and
scrutinizing examination of Nature; the wis
dom of divine providence thereby discovered
must necessarily force us to adore Him and
delight in the objects so beautiful to the eye,
so mysterious to our feeble intellects, Sc
rigidly correct, in their various forms and
character, so bountifnlly bestowed on US.
Hence it must be inferred the student of the
fine arts finds pleasure where others cannot
leaves the vices and follies of society to con-
template and delight in the works Of the ON
nipotent, and if he views them rightly, their
influence must bring faith, consolation, and
contentment.
Strange as the contradiction may appear
truth is the first and grand object of the
painter, that he may more effectually de.
ceive-the vision. The excellence of imita.
ton is, its proximity to the original, deceiv.
ing the eye by tru,hfully copying the lights
Small pictures have been painted with such
that came and pecked at the grapes, by
Apeles). Somewhere have read Of a dog
dashing headlong through the canvass, ex-
pecting to refresh himself in the water rep
resented on it. A transparent curtain paint
ed over part of an interesting picture, gives
an almost irresistible inclination to remove
it. These, however, are mere tricks, dero-
gatory to those who aim at the higher branch
es Of the arts. The necessary requirements
for such are so numerous that Benz. West,
at the age ofSO, declared he was but child
in the art Of painting. His productions,
nevertheless, were so highly esteemed that
he attained the Presidency Of the Royal
Academy of England.
When visiting the various galleries in Eu-
rope, particularly that Of the Louvre, was
astonished at the number Of persons found
employed, copying the pictures and statues,
in number about 400, and led to reflect
on the utility of the arts in a commercial
point of view. was aware ofthe high esti-
nation in which they were held by the COM
mercal cities, and states in ancient times as
well as in Europe during the middle ages
The people Of Rhodes were deeply engaged
in commerce; yet the progress they made in
the arts, especially in sculpture, is truly as.
tonishing. The Eginetans we're likewise 9
commercial, but they were also an elegant
people. The beautiful sculptured marbles
lately brought to England taken from the ru.
ins Of thsir temples, prove the fine taste o
those islanders, and the high degree of i'm
provement to which thev had attained il
sculpture and architecture. Argas, Athens
and Corinth the seats of transcendent goot
taste, were more or less commercial; a
were in fact all the cities Of the Egean sea
and of the Cyclades. Since that period th'
commercial cities and states of Italy, Pisa
Florence, Lucca, Venice and Genoa, Hol
land and Flanders though last not least, vii
remind YOU of the unfading glory which com
merce has derived from its muni6cent pro
lection Of the arts, that adorn civilized SO
ciety.
j Confirmed is the belief that great com
mercial nation is bound to encourage the fin
arts, for the moral effect, as well as the in
tellectual dignity they confer on society, an
that they also assist in extending that YER
commerce from whence pecuniary wealth
extensively derived, but which, without III
\ aid of the elegant and intellectual arts, woul
terminate in vulgar display of barbarou:
redundant, and fantastic 6nery, such as "
now ridicule in the practices Of wealthy, bu
semi-barbarous people with whom we hol