New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-04-26
THE FINE ARTS.
Tho National Academy of Design.

visitor familiar with the New York Gallery OF Fine
Arts il q. once struck by large landscape upon
the rieht, No. 81, Southern Italy," by Mr. CROP
sEY For moment-so strong 10 its sympathy
N feeling and treatment with Mr.. COLES pic
tures-we were at loss 10 determine by what
right II was there and we could not perhaps
more adequately express our Subtraction wl'n H.
than by saying that it makes good the place oil
Mr.. CoLE's Italian picture, which In the New
York Gallery hangs in the same spot. That 1t 10
not an imitation Of that artist, bat the genuine
and legitimate work OF another mind, is very
clear 20 any one who 10 at all familiar with the
development of Mr.. CRoPsEYs power. The re-
uemblance is sufficiently explained by the reaec.
ton, that the great general Impression OF Italy Is
the same upon minds OF similar artistic charac
ter and ability; and that it's expression will be,
therefore, not at all unlike TIE truth Of this
abatement in music and poetry is nothing new to
poets and musicians.
Mr. CROSBY calls his landscape Southern
Italy" and we must congratulate him that he did
not undertake the subject until be was assured OF
success, both by the necessary residence In Italy
ard absorption of its spirit and by his emsncIPa-
siop, through longer experience and consequent
selEconGdence, from his earlier manner, which
was not at oil adapted to the representation oil
profound repose, which must be the visible spirit
of every Italian landscape upon the canvas, as
it il in Nature. The earlier pictures of this artist,
although teemiDg with promise, indicated by
the very character Of their extravaganza, were
yet too ambitious and restless They had no TO-
- Al ~ hill .,nth ffc
and points distracted the eye and wearied the
mind The eye bounded about from one object
TO another with kind Of cismayed delight in the
causes of its fatigue, as Action fed awed before
his own hounds.
In the present picture aud generally ia sll that
Mr. CRoPsEr this year exbibits-we feel that Ac
,eon has now awed his hounds aud the hunt far ring
ing through the woods and lingering in the mem
ory-is harmonious aud happy. No 81 contrasts
well with the scene from the Pontine marshes, by
the rame hand, that hung in the last Art Union
exhibition. That was by no means free from the
earlier faults, but it certainly was full to Hash
Ing the genuine feeling. IL is also better and
more successful than the circular picture OF the
Tiyoli Temple, engraved for the April No. OF the
Art Bulletin, and destined for the next Art Union
display.
The great success of No. 81 can be most pro
ibundly apprehended by those upon whose mem
DRY "Southern Italy has even so dssueueotyPed
ITSELF The luminous lsnguor OF the South-brood'
Ing over the ruins rich in remembrance, or as the
most lyrical Of poets sings in lines with which we
might well summon the dreaming shepherd in the
foreground.
"The splend0r falls on castle walls.
Ana mountain submits old 10 story
The long lght shakes across the laEes
And The Wild cataract leaps 10 glory
Blow bugle, set the purple gens replying
Blow bugle, answer echoes, dying dying dylus'
This OF course, is the triumph otthe picture, that
its conception is so entirely stepped in the Italian
spirit aud its execution so able ard brilliant that
the spectator behodiDg il, sees and feels Italy
In this respect, which, hey ond the technicauues
oftresiment, is the measure of success In awoTk
Of the kind, it is not surpassed by anything upon
the walls Of the exhibition. But It has further
merit and one unhappily too rare among Ameri
can lapdscapists: that it is an elaborate and
beautiful compo siton-yet without any OF the OBJ
vious faults Of landscape composition. Ii is not
an imitation of Claudes architectural marines
nor Of sSlvator's grotesque grandeurs; nor has II
the academic impos,ibilisy OF the French land
scapsts Of the school of POussin, against which
the modern Parisians rebel by rushing into the
opposite extreme, and painting simple natural
scenes, oiten without character, and aiming TO
express sentiment by color alone.
In No. 81 we have well considered material
admirably adjusted All that is most striking
and peculiar in the Italian landscape ia seized,
and the character Of its peculiarly is also repre-
sented The stream stealing through the pic
ture, having the foot of the ruin stroSn hill
ripping against the broken arches in the middle
ground. and smoothly slipping under the more
perfect bridge beyond. skiltally leads the eye,
far into the rich repose OF the distant sky
and to the dream-drsvn promontory, that
seems almost & part Of the soft kyscenery.
In all ,llis there is nothing forced or sophomore
or extsyagaRt. 1t is no more lovely landscape
than the eve may actually scan in Italy. No Ar
tistor Poet ever felt that it was land TOO ex'
travagsn,ly extoled. Il is Just the peculiarity
of reaches that they DO offer this variety OF
charm. The Italian landscape is an aggregate OF
beautiful bits as the Artists call them. Il is,
essentially, an artistic landscape. 1t suggests the
idea Of being composed" more wildly than
any that we recall The Artist, however, has
not therefore, given US combination OF char.
scteristic studies, bat he las fused them into a
new whole and made picture.
We might take exception doubtless to some
things We remsrk slight SAVIOR Of the earlier
tendency in the intense viydness Of the green in
the tree Of the foreground 1t is not quite locally
true. Southern foliage is not 6sshy like our
Spring woods from which this tree might have
been taken, but it is deep and lussrous ard com
posed in character. The vine is the most brilliant
Italian growth. We could have spared, too the
procession with the cross, passing the bridge on
.as's's 1t is unnecessary and beside annoying
eye BY claiming an undue attention, it injoreS
40 general breadth OF effect by feeling Of too
s''1'0s'tl. We suggest too,--under correction,