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

great merit IN every sphere which he At
tempted. In Art also, his excellence was coo-
fined 10 no one class. la history, portrait
ideal portrait, landscape, marine pictures. or
cabinet pictures in short in every branch or
painting, his superiority was unmis,akeable In
the collection of his pictures, which was ex.
hibitcd few years since in Boston, NOTHING
was more striking than the variety which he
had tried with complete success, FROM tina
magnfcence of the Jeremiah " to that ex.
quiste piece of humor The Poor Author and
the Bookseller" unless il were the amount Of
the work he had accomplished notwithstanding
the minuteness and carefulness OF the finish.
He loved the grand and the beautiful with the
passion of mind great in itself and bent On
great achievements in that department. But
he loved the humblest work OF art almost u
well, and despised nothing. The quiet Dutch
feeling with which he could work upon stone
jar or vase, upon q vessel of gold or silver, or
any object Of still life, was scarcely to have
been expected from mind that was chiefly
devoted to tie sublime and magniicent-t0
Jeremiahs, Belshazzars, Miriams.
I'm the midst of the variety, showing tumof
mind which courted every form of excellence,
there was one mental attribute under which al.
most all his works may be classed, and which
stamped itseIfupon his whole being This was
the feeling for beauty in the widest application
ofthe term, which, as in the case of Raphael,
oyerr,lled every other sentiment. Not that he
was destitute of the conception Of grandeur.
He had a deep sense Of this quality. Ii was
one of his strongest desires TO express il aud
fill Others with the same sublime emotions by
which he was himself possessed. But it must
be admitted, that he did not succeed so well IN
this as in exciting the sense OF beauty. There
he was at home. He dwelt in beauty, and
beauty in him. There may be found in his
works. at times, awant of expression; u want Of
grandeur, where YOU naturally look Tor IT. q
want of vigor, in conception or execution;
lack of that Astounding life, which, in the works
of some artists, draws the spectator like mag
net; but everywhere, in all the prcdomlnant
forms. whether of man or woman, nude or
draped, in water, land, cloud, atmosphere, tree
or rock; and as well in color as in form, beauty
and grace are the inspiration, the informing
soul; these, the universal presence thar lends
attractions and nameless charm to every sub.
iect that came from his pencil Ii it was not
everywhere aud in everything, in every picture,
it was always somewhere and in something, and
cave its character to the work gave that merit
which stamped upon it its value. Here he was
emineutly of the school of Raphael and Claude,
born under the same star--a vessel OF the same
divine inspiration"
Such are the principal features presented in
these lectures as characteristic Of the peculiar
genius of Mr.. Allston. We have given SO much
space to thcsegenera considerations as oleayo
ourselves no room for the brietest account Of
the authors special criticisms. But no abrldge-
ment can DO Them justice, and they Will richly
reward an attentive perusal. There are one or
two passages, however on the great unfinished
picture of the artist, Bclshazzars Feast"
which we must not omit:
BELsIIAZzAR's FEAST.
The subject theme Of this picture, styled the Bel
shszzar, il too well known to need to be stated IN tho
Scripture extracts which describe IT, II must be enough
to refer to IT, briefcr description may, however, be
convenient. II IL large picture, painted upon can
sixteen feet by twelve The design oil the artisLs
to represent the effects that would be produced by tue
appearance ol the mans hand coming forth upon the
wall in the sight OF all the King the Court and all INC
magnates Of the kingdom IN the midst OF blaze OF sd
pernaural light, and writing on the wall OF the palace,
the wclknCwn words the effect OF all thf and Oh inc
Interpretation OF the words by the prophet Dnlei upon
the multitude OF the people there present upon nose
sitting the banquet and upon the roye persons them
selves The which the artist attempted 20 present.
is of portion OF the interior OF the palace OF the King
and the architecture belonging 10 1t the King on ms
throne the Queen and her attendants ID MEL and inc
asrooccrs IN the front ground the banquet anu poso
who cit at the table, in the middle distance with inc
people who crowd gallery above; then, IN the reote
dttunce, the yast interior Of an IDOLS temple WIN uv
idol himself in the center beneath blazing crce oi
lights the temple hOor assembled by Successive is"S
OF broad steps up and down which the people are seen
hurryng ia their terror Such in ewwordr a. possiDe,
il n description OF the picture t,
The fret observation have TO offer ON the suoo0l Is,
that the difficulty Mr.. Alrton experienced during -
many years (more than twentyD in completing tio
work, seemed TO prove, with sufficient ioree that I'VE
OF class Of subjects to which his genius was not suted
lie a ior large pictures, and multitude oil
figures. Not that he had not the imagination requs"
not that he wanted any Of the intellectual force requisite
art has seldom in it, whole history, produced Innd
Of brilliancy conpassbut, that he preferred
another kind OF subject much that he undertook any
other with reluctance with too much looking al the
amount OF labor involved be willing to graple with
it, earnestly and heartily, TO go through with any
higher feeling th0n that performing duty or donsa
job, which could never produce grand rsult. E'pe
cHly, considering the comparative rowncss wan WHICH
he wrought YET they had their attractions and TWO no
attempted, and cthers he sketchcd. still, he was not
for them, they for him. The artist IL mirrIoreh IN
HE works. The moral dio-yncrasy shows 1seii ~ ~"
picture the statue, the building the book. MI Ai
st0n esfonially solitary In Catholic tinn7, no
would have been q monk He would have been aiiother
AngeI;co Fra B,,toloneo oyerbeck You cannot
think OF him in public places, Inngng pr0mDcaouhy
with mon; you cannot imagine him making dnisi
speeche-, present ut, seekng or enjoying cfo~I.
society more or adorned it more, just as be instne|
lively slrunk from the many What lac loved and pre-
ierred IN life he did in art He loved most and eS
ceIed ,cs, In single prires He sought his happiness,