New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-10-19

tcurs.
The lectures in this volume were prepared
for delivery in the town of Cambridge when
was so lcny the residence Of Mr.. Alls,on. Al
though they did not receive the last touches
Of the authors pen, whose sudden death pre-
vented their revision and their delivery, they
betray no marks of imperfect or inadequate
treatment. They are elaborate, profound
acute. and discriminating in thought; and ex-
pressed in style of simple and polished bean'
~. The first lecture is devoted to survey OF
the general characteristics of Mr. A'lstons
genius. while the remainder are taken up with
a detailed examination of his principal pictures
Presenting materials for forming an enlightened
opinion on the subject treated ot, We cordially
recommend them to the study OF all intelligent
lovers Of Art.
The foundation of Mr.. Allston's emlnence,
according 10 the lecturer, was laid Ill his gen
oral cultivation of mind No one eau look upon
rho works that came from his hand without
perceiving, at glance how much he was III
d.bted for his success 10 the highest intehec-
ual culture: Just as one would perceive the
same thingfrom reading such poetry as Bryants'
or such prose as Irving's, To still greater de-
gree. was Allston's eminence founded Oh the
truthfulness and earnestness OF his nature, ana
the pure andlotty principles on which hepursuea
his ART. He made pictures, without reference
10 any narrow, personal ends, but because nc
loved and honored Art on its own account, ana
~ the ONLY medium in which he could reveal to
others his conceptions of the beautiful, the
grand, the divine In no instance were the!
painted without the deepest meditation and the
most earnest study In each case, having lound
n thought which he was burning TO utter, he
concentrated in it every faculty, affection and
knowledge of his mind This was the reason
why, for an artist of his power, he painted COM
paratiyely SO few pictures. His mind, more
over. WAS of Religious cast He looked at
subjects. as he looked nc nature, through re-
lieious medium Everything WAS colored by It
to his eve. In the true and universal sense OF
the term. il may BE- said that Beato Angelica
was not more religious man than he-llor
even Overlook.
The distinguishing characteristic of Mr.. Ais
ton rs an artist was bis genius for COLOR. In
this respect, he was unapproached, certainly by
any artist of the present day, and might, without
improperly, be classed with Titan and Cor
reggo 81 am not afraid" says Mr.. Ware" to
place those names in immediate juxtapostion,
though Allston himself might have shrunk from
the distinction. II any one will compare the
colorinr of Allston with that Of Titan, he VIII
perceive that, while the results are different SO
as to prove aproper independence OF one over
the other, the one is not inferior TO the other l
am ready to say this deliberately, and with my
most entire conviction of its unexaggcrated
truth. / may be mistaken, OF course, but such
is my opinion. And this obliges me to add, that
| cannot, willingly, yield to many power OF
discrimination in respect TO truth OF color.
When knew, u few years ago, that was about
to have an opportunity to see the works oil
Titan. examined, with renewed attention,
all the best examples of AllstOn; and when, at
ter careful study of very many OF the best
instances of Titians pencil, | returned, and,
with that experience fresh in my mind, again
reexamined the best works of Allston, | felt
that. in the great Venetian, / had found nothing
more true, nothing more beautiful, nothing
more perfect, than had already seen in Ais
ton. | cannot but think that most persons,
who should go through the same process, would
arrive at the same result. When passed from
the Venus to the Valentine, could acknowl-
edge no falling off The hues of the one were
no less perfect than those of the other. 1t was
nature in both, and nature when most beautiful.
They both sought to represent nature when
adorned and adorned the most. There was no
Tuscan nor Doric in their style; it vas more
even than Corinthian Nor was their taste ever
atfault, though they so preferred, and practced,
the gorgeous. Their hues never glare upon the
eye. All the deepest and richest tints are
there, but in such harmonious union, that d.
vine simplicity seems the only result. Just as
in nature, we know, il is a complexity which
battles all comprehensions, by which every hue
is produced which gives enchantment to land
scape, 10 the color of cheek or hand In the
case of such artists, their cOors are SO broken,
and mingled, and cCntrasted, that no one tint
ever predominates and stares upon the eye; art
is concealed and buried beneath nature"
Another trait of Mr. AllstOn's genius as an
artist was his remarkable power Of expression
His power over the human cOuntenance was
very great, and though not to be ranked among
the first artists in this class, he certainly held
4 high place among them. With his dread OF
csrcature, he was chary of painting face with
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