New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-17

studies from common nature hs W s0VH N0it~
tures Of their classes. The figure representing
the chief executioner is perhaps the most success
ful one in the picture certainly the only one which
has the expression Of determined masculine char
acter. There is a coarse ferocity IN bis movement
which is finely conceived and entirely aPpro-
priate. The menacing figure upon his left is too
trivial for the dignity of the subject and so mean
" conceived as really 10 offend good taste MI
Leasing being Protestant, Of course has depict
ed those who represent the Church and the
bieotrv of the times with enough vulgarity and
obesity to arouse contempt and disgust.
The right hand group Of the picture has still
less spirit in it than the left, and If that wants
appropriateness of character and expression, this
is still more deficient. The figures, with two or
three exceptions, all seem posing by the hour for
the artist to paint the draperies. Their faces ex-
bibit almost an utter want Of emotion or sombre-
ness of expression that belongs to their tempera-
ment, and is in no wise increased or diminished
by the event Even the women have no beauty;
nor is emotion, the only thing that could compen-
safe for its absence, TO be found. There are
however, occasional limitations Of deep feeling,
as if the artist felt vaguely in his own heart what
were its outward symbol in attitude and gesture
But whether this be so, or whether he is without
the knowledge, is not easily decided Still, one
thing is sure Just when you hope to be brought
into sympathy with the martyr, that which al
lured YOU for an instant is unbalanced by some
thing purely material, and your feeling and
pleasure are dissipated. For example, in the
foreground of the picture, belonging to the group
of Hussites, though not with it, is the figure OF
partially kneeng woman. Her back is toward
YOU. so that the face is not seen, but there is
degree of intentness in the position which iLdi'
Gates an interest in the martyr and you perceive
that in the shadow Of the rock before her she
counts the beads Of her rosary. Just as this act
is about to identify her in your mind with the
martyr your eye is arrested by her highcolored
and prominent costume, and the sentiment which
as an accessory is not only beautiful but relevant
becomes lost in the representation of red jacket
and blush green skirt. And so throughout the
picture. wherever. the artist essays to depict
sentiment or emotion in features gesture, or posi-.
ton. he fails mainly through the Intervention o.
some purely material object. More than anything
else in the picture the martyr himself is failure
in this respect because he has the materiallty OF
the whole picture to contend against. The char
acter and expression of the face is that OF an
emascuated priest. 1t is wanting in both manli.
ness and religious fervor. 1t wears the pallOr OF
ill-health, and though some may discover divine
enthusiasm in its expression, we confess our in
ability to perceive in it anything more or higher
than the fanaticsm of imbecility.
Thus much for the artist conception of the sab
iect. Considered mechanically as regards the
composition, the work is strikingly defective. The
law which decides whether composition is good
or bad, technically speaking, is that the incident
once chosen and the principal character decided
upon, every accessory object introduced must
highten and in no case lessen the interest belonging
to the chief actor. In the picture before us the
Duke, bis horse, the cardinal the capachin with his
barred head and sandaled feet, the kneeling woman,
the young nobleman, the burgomaster, the shep-
herds, all remain more, much more wildly in the
memory than Huss himself, and for the reason
that they are all excellent, but inappropriate imi-
tations of external nature, while the hero being
in the middle plane of the picture is incapable Of
such literal treatment and has not sufficient ideal
force in his presence to outweigh these bald re-
productions Of mere externally.
We have spoken ofthe school which Mr.. Boxers
collection represents as genre school. Leasing
is at the head of it, and his Martyrd0H Of Huss
is q genre picture OF remarkable excellence. tits
evident that the subject is not necessarily Of that
class and consequently this is a genre picture
simply because the artist has made it such by his
treatment. In it he has resorted for success TO
mere sGuogr fare, technical knowledge and man
ual dexterity, no doubt from consciousness of
his inability to depict the morale of the subject by
the representation of human passion and eherac-
ter. And though Leasing is at the head of this
school he cannot be considered as first among
living artists even in his own line. In the bold
and actual rendering Of outward nature Paul de
la Roche is incomparably his superior as witness
the NAPOLEON Crossing the Alps while for fearless
execution Of light and shadow, form and texture
Leasing. cannot be named with Horace Yer
net. And thus there would be no great diff
Guilty in multiplying instances, from both the
French and English schools, wherein this kind Of
treatment is found Of higher excellence than in
the work before US, but our limits forbid
The disadvantages of this method of painting
are, that the literally every object is imita
ted, the more completely is the sense satisfied,
and all means Of appeal to the imagination de-
stroyed Still, even with this method. sufficient
nterest may be excited for the heart if not for the
imagination, by fine and appropriate delineation
of human expression. And in a subject where
no particular sympathy is appealed to, accurate
limitations of satin, velvet, cloth, furs and other
objects of still life, under varied effect Of light
and shade and color, may sometimes produce very
pleasing sensations. However, when the subject
is fraught with deep interest not only in the his
tory of its time but in succeeding centuries and
the artist failing to depict the dominant passions
and emotions Of the event, essays whether in fol.
fllment Of his original design or as mere dis