New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-06-12
THE FINE ARTS.
Reviewers Reviewed.
"The little dogs and all, 81.
~ swee,heNrt, see, they bark 4; me.

IRE o. " -, n thu work would be shared by all
D. o~ Id were ready TO hail with open mind what
F.s.,. udsht say In Its fsvsr,-for II any differ
o." = oppion Is fair and impersona, II is certainly
%" "a Art We have thus far waited in vain a
n IN, Fprnfn1 Post and another in The HOME
vA' .,,ped IAN Artist" have, indeed, poured out
a...o,.l anipadversion upon ourselves but they
p-,,ed 10 set forth the greatness OF the picture,
be -,,honsb we much admired, seemed TO US made
W. ,hs highest requirements. In commencing our
fs ws stated our opinion Of Mr.. Dursnd's position
.,.,s and thereupon The EUenias Post and Home
ooen upon Us in full cry. Our eritigae Ia de-
'.a =. a. sLape" "sophiSticdI and Gegrad,d,' show
,san ne best notires" "an Impeachment ftae
.,,reesOn" ciHfulaisrqreseHtatiOa Of Scripture"
-. o, rcrss," "singulGyly unoourteOns and cgsa-
- "a. outreee--cOming from under co0T, mean
..sss." "pssonel hate and spae In dtss1i'e" "rd"'
.,s.Hog "a Ruk heir In the critics mind, "riRe-
ofa& oaidpScf" &c
MT work for the Summer months, thia,-yet mean
40 nee word of the merits Of the picture except
,.h,,k assertion that 1t fulhlls its Office as well as
's..,e can" Had our fluent friends paused moment
80 Why our ytagEe was unjust or why it was
go, TO say that Mr. Durand had failed to paint
u,eture 10 line entirely novel to him,-had they
~, a 10 do anything which ii was their duty in the
.., To d. we should have allowed the gust TO blow
have wiped off the mud and duet, and gone quietls
critical way We will not forget that the first arti
~ - The Post assumed 10 consider the principles Of our
.,c,.r. but rs its personal acerbity prevented the
-.x,s, from comprehendng them we must still refer
a., reader who wishes know them rather to our own
tsbeuent than 10 The Posts exegesis of them The
ct slso that The Posi- refrsned from attacking thos;
,pcpe. until the pictures Of certain artist were crit
d and that il has heretofore never really entered
de ss until the artist the subject OF remark
ytaby engenders the suspicion that its articles
vten from feeling for an artist than from any
special regard for Art which, a matter Of friendship
h,ery beautiful ~ see, bat criticism is not Of great
weight
Wa shall not follow the theological discussion Of The
Past rems king passGn thatitis no reply to opinions
N call the holder of them infdel What Is said OF
criticism In general and the duty of the critic, we shall
,op,ider in adjusting accounts with The Home Journal
But why did The Post say that "the subject was chosen
IA, the artist and not By him" Alas alas save me
from nv friends" Does The Post In the very 0rtieuIo
rtis Of It's article, to deprive Mr. Durand OF the
prsise Il has been implying, and cut him OH with
he shilling of magnificent science" and "exquisite
feeling"
The of The Posts structures will be naturally
sdesd In the dissection of the communication of An
Artist" In The Home Journal And If we write at some
length we do 90 not in defense of our IN position
which defends ITSELF but In the interest Of art and those
mildred pursuit. whose dignity it is the tendency of such
ippsnt personal Trades those of anonymous
sdversaries sadly to lower.
1An Artist" commences by quoting the opening Of
our viique, which we re-quote
aWhntever Mr. D0rand does 10 undeni4bly excellent.
We bad the pleasure last year, OF recording Al some
length our impression vi his characteristics as painter.
His position is assured Aquiet, pastoral poet-a Thorn.
son on canvas-slways soOthing-never inspidog-sure
10 please equally not 10 surprise-a careful and
loving student and itaor Of the placid aspect of nature
and genius that bcatbes pastoral peace over all ais
works-such was in general feeling Of Mr. Durand
n an artist Ii has been confirmed from 10 year.
There has been little marked advance, within our re-
collection although certainly no rerocession AZ with
Bryant In poetry, Il does not. seem that the ar
tns experience deepens and widens with time
VIVA. they paint sing to-day, they might have
painted and sung tReny years ago. Without insnuat-
Ing that either painter poet suggests the remark is
vet true that he who labors u preserve reputation
win be very apt to deserve IT, Toe stern claim
made upon every artist of whatever department is TO
leave what he has done behind him. in his perpetual
passage to greater achievements. 1t is terrible law,
but we all held 10 It, Asd the history q" hlustrous
men 70 the story of their unceasing advance"
Upon this An Arrist remarks thst Messrs. Durand
and Bryant are hidden to be content with excellence
and "respectabiity that they told they are not
crest, because greatness always surprises. We ex
pressed our opinion of Mr.. Durand's picture, and
called IL excellent Now to meet 4" An Artist" upon
the ground OF personality TO which he forces us, we
ak ii the most Mandatory adjectives to describe
men of a lower range, what is left for the higheri
Dir. Durand is great" what is Michel Angeloi If Mr.
p,r.nt IL mana than what is
Why, this very writer few lines further down, sails
them "two very sblemep," which cannot but INK
10 quite as derogatory to their dignity excellent
lie charges us with citing before Anonymous
ihoriiy" these two very able men, forgetting that
The personality of the critic is nothing, and that the
work In question was cited before principles which
never anonymous He continues by declaring, with a
great felicity of expression that we aim to thrust
"upon their brows two small garlands of 'Daphne's
d'shless plant seeking the while to sng them to the
quick by poisoned thorn wreathed with the verdure
Of appreciation, Is this far criticism :"
Well sgais if for the greatest hu genius there 10
nothing but large garland of that plant, how can "two
very able men" aspre to mere than small" onei
Nay, the smallest leaf of that laurel which haoos with
eternal spring the brows ofthegreat men ofhioy should
De adudeed to the gentlemen In question they, fan
ey, would not find that allowance n mean outrage"
=" An Artist" continues;
at strain of remark seldom applied 10 the works Of
,hose that are passed away yet 10 my aud feel
ing singulsTiy uncOuTteOus and offensive toward
ootemporares Ii either of the gentlemen thus dealt
with we're hero of the hour mounted upon vogue, aud
nding roughshod over a blinded public deba,ing the
general taste Ivy csptrsp, filing his pockets by the
hurried abuse of certain popular elements OF effect
would understand such sspeIity and perhaps il
40 II stands Il looks 20 me like outrage coming from
under cover, mean outrage
Il either of the gentlemen" were in the category
described should little try them by the high
est standard. To measure mans work by an ideal
success in It's own kind Is to pay him the Hottest com
p6ment II In squestion Of grandeur and beauty we
should condemn IAN artists" style because it failed of
he sonorous music of Millions prose- tia, of the old
Preachers fancy he would not feel it outrage lie
says;
Collective manhood has silence for the failures of
able men, and Joy and reward for th7ir Il is
only your individual who has been socially froisss or
Perhaps oyershadowed who lets of peard OF this kind
under the where the approved have pao by
Opinion ChaFlea Churchill unAarvalua1