The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-03-03

an undying purpose? And which is the more
diynely beautiful, a Saint Cecilia, harping to
the angels with rapt face uplifted or such fair
ministers of consolation and redemption, as in
our own day have borne Heavens light and
peace into the gloom and despair of the prison
and the mad-house, and made the very abysses
of crime vocal with Gods praise
TX these opinions can be sustained and am
sure they can what | have said Of the re-
gious subjects of art is doubly true of the
mythological-as regards painting, at least
which should become eniranchised with the
growth of free thought and widen with
the circles Of time The exigencies and ne
cessties Of sculpture are more imperative
and absolute Yet who cannot see, even in
this, breadth of spirit and universally of
thought which did not belong to it of old
Some Of our great modern artists are throwing
soft flush of rose upon the pedestals and
around the feet of their ideal statues This
seems to me typical of new warmth of
human feeling creeping upward into the once
coldly isolated and superhuman forms of scup- !
ture.
have seen in IN Italian garden stately
figure Of Juno, wreathed about by Towering
vines and n head of JOve crowned like Bac-
chus by purpe-ripened grapes. And 80 it
seems to me- that the poetry and the needs of
",
pernal art, have added living grace to its
cold beauty, and benehcence TO its stern ma
jesty rejoice TO see whatever there is of the
heroic and poetic peculiar to our age and race,
passing into stone, and better than figures of
Olympian grandeur. stamped with gOdhOod |
are forms on which | may gaze till | think |
see the very marble heaved with the beatings
of great human heart
Yet one of the most sublime statues Of mod /
ern times is that Of neither God nor man |
The Angel Of the Last Judgment-by Tene-
rani the first Italian living sculptor. 1t is
colossal sitting figure, the power, beauty, and
divine majesty OF which are utterly beyond
description. The arehangel holds his trump,
not raised, but resting across his knees, and
seems awaiting the moment and the signal to
sound. There liz a solemn waiting repOse in
the figure and in the face an intent absorbed
look Of listening for the word Of DOOM grand
To awfulncss You hush your voice. your
breath As you gaze and you gaze till il seems
that all Gods universe is listening with him
Nothing can be grander than the wings of this u
angel-broad and high, though but half I'M
folded they shine behind him all stately and
slvery white every smallest plume seeming to |
make a part of that charming stiffness, and
looking as though their upbearing power and I
swift vitality had been suddenly frozen in that
dread expectancy. ,
look upon this figure 40 majestic and
mighty yet waiting subordinate and obedient,
as most wondrously suggestive of the greater
majesty and might of the Infinite and Invisible
God. For this reason ii is more to me than
the Christ Of the same artist, which is less
fOrcible and not more divine. Next to repre- U
sensations. in art ofthe Sovereign Father, which d
are simply blasphemOus, ! place nearly ali :
attempts to portray, or embOdy, the inexpress-
ble sweetness sadness, and meekness of Him
who walked earth sOrrowful poor and lowly, II
yet whose death agony darkened and convulsed /
the world-with whose last groan Nature, dis g
may ed, cried out to God.
In strong contrast with this grand figure is
the fainting Psyche, which stands near it. in
the studio of the artist. This seems to me
the lOveieot representation have yet seen of s
that exquisite ideal of olden poetry She has {
just opened the fatal vase sent by the envious i,
goddess and inhaled its deadly vapor She
has dropped it at her side and is sinking to-
ward the earth. Her beautiful life is yisibIy b
passing away you see it dying out of her very ii
wings which droOp with an almost leaden
heaVDess in their airy tissues--in the langud
failing of the limbs, the weary falling of the HI
eyelIds, the death kissed sweetness of the lips in
So tender and touching and softly beautiful is ur
this figure, that gazing on it as | did through An
tears, could scarcely beiieVe it work of art
1T seemed rather magic crystal ization of some
gentle poets dream Of love and death Tene-
rani has many other statues Of rare grace and gu
beauty, but none which impress me so much az wa
those have mentioned. of
Mr. Spencer, the Young English sculptor,
has IN his studio among many other admirable
things, his charming figure Of Highland Mary on
which, by the way, has been ordered by the =.
Queen All, what an Omni potent leyeller and ''
exalter is Gcinus-thnk of the poor plough
mans hareloOted peasant love, in Buckingham l.,
Palace Il"
Mr. Spencer il executing, in marble, several
Of the noble works modelled or designed by the 70
late Mr. Wyatt-among which have most de-
hight in "A beautiful group of children, surprised
by storm.
Steinhauser has Just finished o colossal sit
ting statue of Goethe, attended by the Genius RI
Of Poetry bearing harp. The figure of Goethe a
Is full Of the grand repose, and the head and il
face marked Wy the beauty, cold and proud :,
the almost supernal dignity of that poet uni
yersal and irresponsible-the great II Am " Of u
German literature The Slight, youthful figure ii
OF the attending genius is graceful accessory ii
whOse presence, If not absolutely necessary IL >,
yet justified by beauty. .
An object Of unceasing delight to me is the
young V ,Olin Player but just executed in mar Ii
BILE, which will, | am sure, take rank among "
the finest works of the artist. IL was created h
IN deep and sweet poetic thougbt-the very 9
soul of music seems breathing over the face y
and flowing through all the lines of the exqui-
site form, in the visible harmonies of grace v
In strong contrast alike with the powerful, i
subtle, pass.oned Italian genius of Teneran ~ I,
shown in his Angel Of the Last Judgment, his :
PSychs and his |enuS-and with the deyout /
nd oil |
of SteinhauSer is the cold, yet spirited classic I
yet emphatically English genius of Gibson :
This last is by no means wanting in poetry, but
he is not poet--hls love of beauty is a prin-
Ciple, or Il religion, rather than n sentiment or
a passionate waits on the oracles of art be- | I
fore delivering himself up to the inspirations of
nature. la word, he Is an artist, fundameDt- ,
ally and finally, above all, and through all
His style Is broad and free, yet sure and sus-
tained-aiming at excellence rather than eff.
fect-if not marked by the highest power and
grandeur, displaying ever great force and vital
ity joined with decacy and grace. A rever-
eDt worshipper of the spirit aud forms of an
tiaue art il follows that his works if not start
lingy and powerfully original, are pure in con-
ception and faultless in execution, They do
not always captivate the Imagination, or ap.
peal strongly 10 the passions of the heart but
they delight the taste with noble forms of
beauty which are alike tho triumphs of genius
and the slow results of art.
OF the works of this sculptor, now Ia Bone,
| admire most the NdyeiSSuS, an exquisite
figure; the UOunded Amns0n >. the Cupid and
Butterfly; Psyche Lo,ne by CupidS and the
Pheton II composition in bdSsO reiievO full Of
fire aud strength. In the lovely story OF Psyche
he seems to reye and many Of his representa-
tons are worthy Of the immortality Of which