New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-10

JAIL I'm moftals descend 10 men. For Il 10 po-
etry thar mites humanity and heaven.
WhAt oostrsst between the old scriptura ap-
partition OF an sveDging God and this happy bar
M Dy OF Gods and men upon the GreciAn soil =
lnefe men felt their union with the divine, Tor IN
the celestial vlstsnts they beheld their own traits
carried out into Immortality. But elsewhere,
crushed in fear before q scOrDful Lord, men have
doubted and disbelieved. The profound pefcep-
ZION OF the artist IL clearly presented IL these pic
lures. Dividing the world into six periods. he
gives, complete in each, the development Of the
human race, in connection with that peculiar view
OF God which grew naturally from lis peculiar
chGAcier and history, at any one time. The hs-
urea OF Gods which he draws, might belong TO the
Do or New Testament TO classic or barbaric
hesthenism, and are never the ecclesiastical and
Prlestly forms Of the conception OF Overlook or
OF scHADOw. They are thought out OF the his
torcal conditions of peculiar phase Of social ex
iftence and the necessities Of a Time. They pre-
sent DO theological bat philosophical comPre'
heDslon Of the religious sentiment.
But while KAULBACH does not represent the
history Of the World in such a manner that he
selzesthe eliminating point OF lis development IN
iull reality and sruth-while he unises to histOri
cal reality & supernatural truth, and a thoughtful
instead Of 4 superstitious supernaturallsm-the
metaphysics of the mind rather than the mysti-
clsm OF seDtiment-he merely frees himself from
the abstraction Of theological ideaism to fall into
tLS us Oi Auokncf ~ ~ uts ttetcl
that be paints but the ptE0s0phy of history
But We must not tarry In these mystical mszes.
Advancing in our survey and passing over the
second piaster upon which Scion is TO appear,
we come to the third great picture The Destruc-
tion of Jerusalem" The original Of this work,
painted in oil, now stands in the new Pinakothek
10 Munich. Here, in continuation OF the leading
idea Of the series, appears the Roman World IN
the prime Of its race Annihi ating might Over the
ruBs ofihe city sit the Prophets who foreto d the
sorrov Of Israel, accompanied by the Angels OF
Judgment In the left background presses for.
ward the victorious Emperor on horseback and
encircled by bis warriors The middle group
shows the High Priest surrounded by his family,
sacrificing himself to the avenging God and IN
the right foreground, pursued by the Furies, the
Wandering Jew rushes forth over the earth.
There is terrible truth in the forms and groups OF
the dead and despairipg, and the horror o. the
catastrophe is heightened by the lurld illumna-
ton of the burning city.
In the left foreground family of Christians de-
part from the ruin, guided by three floating An
gels This group is Of impressive besuty-an
idyl Of peace separate from, yet set In the midst
of the aW ful tragedy. Yet nO,-nOt altogether sep
arate. Three lovely Jewish children in agOnized
entreaty kneel and stretch their clasped hands In
suppcation toward the retiring Christians, to
save them from the universal destruction And
the Christians They pass on, praslng God, nor
needing the prayer of the guiltess children
They 60 piteousy out and bear the selhshness OF
intolerance with them into the religion OF love.
The first picture upon the other side Of the hall
is an older Cartoon which KAULBAcH drew for the
Count Rsczynski in the years 1851" The
Rattle of the Huns" The subject is a tradition
of the Athenian philosopher, Damascus, and de-
livered 10 posterlty by Photius. IL is based upon
a battle of the Romans with the Huns, led by
Attila before the gates of the city. 80 eariully
desperate was the fight that only few leaders
upon both sides survived. The tradition tells
however that high and invsibly in the air, night
and day, the battle wsged, and its roar rang
audibly along the plain as the combatants closed
in the struggle. Damascus rather doubts this
tradition, and History omits it altogether. twas
probablv the story of the battle upon the Catalan
MAN fields brought to Rome and blended by su
perstition with those fearful barbarian wars
KAuLBAcH SEXES the spirit Of the tradition in
bis cartoon In the back ground rises imperial
Rome and in the middle and fairgrounds are
grouped the bodies Of the slain from which some
rise 10 Join the phantom struggle IN the air. The
mass Of the combatsnts 10 represented with
wonderful variety of passionate vigor The Ian
auid lingering of the bodies as they rise from the
earth is given in the most mastery manner.-
KTy S ds has doBe But 'n his
sal painting.cycle it will hardly pass. We can
indeed reflect in this picture upon the wandering
ofraces and the struggles OF barbaric heathendom
growth of heathenish culture-can see the alle-
eory of the sefdestructiveness Of the heather
might: but we do not see the contrast OF all this
the hope Of the Future rising serene out OF the
ruins of the Past. The Battle Of the Huns Is
! neither an actual historical event, nor even the
alesorical representation OF a world historical
catastrophe nor the arbitrary treatment OF an
| imaginary theme. -
While thus a large space and picture are
awarded to that chaotic theme, the first formative
power of the Christian principle 10 treated upon
| the small space of the Beighboring plaster In
| portrait of Charles the Great. This arrangement
| Of pictHres seen to be hardly Iust, In view OF
| the philosophical scope OF the whole series.
In the fifth great picture we are in the times OF
] the Crusades The cartoon 10 completed, ana
| like the others hereafter TO be mentioned STANDS
| for pubic inspection in hall Of the new Museum
! In the midst Of the background with les roofs
cupolas and towers, shines the goal OF the newly
! awakened longing for the orlent-Llon' IN
| neapderipg train winds the long procession
! through the picture bailing the city from the
| heights ofneighboring bills. Upon one summit Is
group of X nights Bishops and Priests fall ofl1oi-
lee FL the long desired sight Over second hill the
procession still passes, by Godfrey oil boulioB,
! and behind him hocks the crowd OF Crusaders
with waving Gags victorious trophies and brill
| liant Eastern booty. We discern among the he
! roic forms. Bohemund and Tancred. Not long
since RACED the battle here aad slain Saracens
/ cucumber the ground, but the vision OF the holy
! Zion is the reward Of Christian herolsm. In the
midst of the foreground-lust in one OF the turns
/ of the rosd-stsnds Peter the Hermit in torn and
/ fyirg garments, his face turned 20 ZION and MS
+ knee bert in in ward praye Behind bis back, yet
further in the foreground, are the Penitents, part
weeping upon the earth, part covered with the
tokens OF abaement and despair. For them
Peter sises his arms supplicAtingy to the glorious
goal. whittier also Godfrey looks, bis head
girdled with chsplet Of thorrs, while he reaches
the crown Of the Holy Land TO its Redeemer.
For 4, is he who comes cloud borne over me
second bill. in garments Of the grave, and with
+ his oustretched embracing arms, making the
/ sign Of the Cross By bis eide stands Mary the
/ Virgin aud the Misunderstanding that inserces-
sion for which universal Catholic Christendom
paws. In the circle arourd stand the Saints and
MARTYRS. The human sin that was Indicated IN
the group Of Penitents finds different express
sion in part Of the procession Of Crusaders, who