Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-06-16
THE DAILY TIMES
ARTISTS IN ITALY.

snail nave an account in due time, being past.
propose giving you in this letter ramble among
the studios of the American artists. There are
some whose works have not yet seen, but
hope to be able in my next to give you the con
clusion OF my researches on this subject. o.
American sculptors there are at present in Rome
quite goodly number. For tho following list
| am indebted to Mr.. Mosier
Sculptors- Crawford, Ives, Rodgers, TORY
Wilson, Story, Bartholomew, Mosier and Green.
hough, (brothar of Mr.. Greenhough who made
the Statue of Washington.) Panters-Brown
Chapman, Freeman, Hall, Inns, (since left :
Saunders, brother Of the U. s. Consul y Terry
and Won Patton.
In Florence there are, as we'll as my memo
ry serves, of Sculptors, Powers, Hart, Calf,
Akers, and perhaps one or two others. Painters
Page, kellogg, and Nichols.
1t is not my intention to show any distinction
In the order of names. | give them, together
with the result Of my observations, just as they
happen to turn up. If lean a little towards
the best side of their productions, it is not be-
cause | see nothing faulty in them, but because
there are champions enough for the merits of Ita-
ian art and learned critics enough to point out the
faults of American art. There are many talen-
ted American artists now in Europe, who are de-
for their support; and it is rather reproach to
US at home that their most liberal patrons are the
English. We are apt to abuse John Bull for H.
liberality towards us, and very often with JUS
tice, but sometimes the old gentleman does not
receive credit for what he deserves. | venture to
assert that where one dollar is spent by Ameri
cans in Europe upon English artists, the Eng
lish spend five hundred pounds upon our artists.
Perhaps something is due to the fact that in
cpn1ptura at1 have GREATLY tho adyap.
tage: but the off-hand and generous manner in
which they give orders to our artists eyinces a
liberal spirit, no matter what may be the mo-
tive. | only wish that our wealthy men of New
York and Boston would devote little of the
same sort of attention to the interests of Anne
rican art instead of wasting money every year
in buying up trash and encouraging imposition.
One good original production is worth dozen
bad copies of the old masters. IF ever " intend
building up taste for the fine arts in the United
States, the best way to begin is by encouraging
our own artists to make good pictures from ma
ture, and not by employing them upon copies of
the old masters, which can be never as good as
the originals. No copy is as good as an original,
save that which is made from the fountain head,
from which all artists should copy. taste for
the arts can never be promoted or encouraged in
America by importing pictures or other works,
that can only have the effect of disgusting peoples
neither is it by academies or academical cliques.
1t is in the genial sunshine of popular favor that
poetry and the arts fourish-not in gloomy halls,
where contention reigns. But here we are off
again on prosy lecture.
Passing up the Via st. Basilio, took a peep
to-day at the studio of Mr.. Ives, the sculptor,
whose works had missed seeing previous to his
departure from Florence. Had anticipated the
pleasure that was in store for me, assure you
it would not have been SO long deferred. Not on
ly was highly pleased, but most agreeably sur
prised; for, often as heard his works favorably
spoken of by the artists of Florence, my atten-
ton was not aroused, owing perhaps to having
heard and seen good deal in Italy only to be dis
appointed. Something above mediocrity is re-
quisite to enlist attention, after a sojourn of
few months in this land of art, where every
church and public promenade has its boosted sta
tuary, every palace its gallery of paintings and
sculpture, every family its household busts. and
every tourist his flights of enthusiasm on the pro-
auctions of genius. In truth, genius becomes
rather a drug; and one could almost wish of art,
as DR.. johnson did of certain piece of difficult
music, that 1t were altogether impossible. My
visit to Mr.. Ives studio has convinced me that
there are more ways than one of obtaining cele-
brity in art, and that genuine merit Often remains
unnoticed in consequence of too much honesty
to adopt Legitimate means of obtaining patron
age While there are thousands ready to award
their blind homage to the genius Of Canova, and
purchase at any price the meanest trifle from his
hand, there are in Italy at this very moment
American artists, comparatively neglected by
their countrymen, greatly superior to him in all
the essential attributes of genius-men who
would be sorry to own the authorship of his
emascuate productions; and when | say this of
Canova it is not because he is an Italian, for ge-
MUS is not of country; but because it surprises
me, after seeing what he has accomplished, how
an artist, so deficient in manly vigor and know
ledge of anatomy could ever have arrived at emf
nence on the merit of his works alone. Icannot
but suspect that he owes what popularity he yet
retains among tourists (for the best artists with
whom have conversed rather underrate him) to
the fact of having been the first to revive the arts
in Italy, and perhaps in some degree to having
supped with Madame de Stael, made statue of
Pauline Bonaparte, and formed the subject of an
idea for Byron: who, by the way, had about as
much love of art as he had of virtue. This
much for the cause of truth; and now let us re-
fresh ourselves with something really excellent
in art.
Mr. Ives has just finished beautiful female fig
ure representing Spring. The subject, of course,
is not new, but fortunately it is as broad and
as beauty itself, and affords an
endless variety in design. Nothing can exceed
the gracefulness of design, the simplicity of posi-
ton, and the general tone of harmony and truth
fulness in this work 1t does not startle by its
novelty; you feel that it is from nature; not pre-
scented through the medium of morbid fancy
straning for effect, but through the soul of ge-
nuine votary, who loves nature too we'll to offend
her Unborn modesty. The figure is the size Of
life. 1t is that of beautiful girl just budding
into womanhood, seated ON bank of grass and
flowers engaged in the innocent amusement of
decorating her hair, probably in the very natural
hope of captivating the heart of some Grant
knight of the woods. Her left hand is graceful
ly raised to Ter head and in her fingers she
holds string of flowers, with which she is bind
ing her hair; the right arm is lowered, and in the
hand she holds the other end of the garland, CIV
ing variety and development to the neck, should
ers, and all the beauties of the form, especially
that winding character of outline so essential to
heautu Around The hins "a ther tallinn he