Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-09-02
EDITORIAL Correspom d cncc.
NEw YoRK, August Goth.

the fine Arts is that which attracts most notice
The taste there exhibited, together with the
very creditable contributions in sculpture and
painting Of American artists. gives promise oil
more cultivated era and purer union of the
beautiful with the useful. than the country has
yet known. And disposition to spend the
superfluous wealth, acquired by years of toll
and frugaty. has come, In the natural progress
of American socety-but the ART to spend 1t
with refined taste and educ ated Judgement has
yet to be acquired. The facility with which
our citizens may now 60 abroad. and the ready
access afforded TO the most renowned galleries
and studios OF Europe, have done much TO i'm.
prove our appreciation of the fine Arts but
the collection of pictures, statues, &c. now on
on exhibition at the Crystal Palace. will do
more to dlffuse among our people an apprecia-
ton of the elegant and humanizng arts. oil
which these are the products, than all agencies
heretofore existing.
The exhibition, in its display Of works Of fine
art, greatly surpasses anything we have ever
had in the United States. The picture gallery
has not yet been opened, but, scattered here
and there in all available places through the
building. are to be seen works of Pencil and
the Brosh--some of them of exceeding beauty
while Sculpture has embodied in Thousand
shapes The teachings Of history and the con-
cepiions Of genius. From Italy alone, there
are nearly two hundred pieces OF sculpture;
and Austria. France, Great Britain and Ire
land. Denmark and Holland, are more or less
worihly represented IN marble, plaster. bronze,
Paran and terra Gotta. Nor is our own coun
try backward in It's show OF excellence IN the
sculptor's ar--for the Greek slave by Powers
would, OF itself, sustain the honor of the Amer
can name, if it stood alone. And it may be
mentioned as striking evidence of The gener
al merit and altractlveness of the exhibition,
that this matchless work-the purest and most
perfect have ever looked upon-is not able
to detan the hurry ing crowd Of spectators who
daily throng The asles-but, drawn off by
some other form Of loyeness. or some rare
triumph Of ingenuity, they hasten on from
object to objec: A short time ago. you re
member, when the Slave was exhibited in the
principal cities of the United States il was the
object Of eager and delighted inspection by
large crowds wherever it was shown. Here,
though probably generally regarded as first. it
is but one of countless objects of beauty almost
equally attractive. In addition 10 the Greek
save-we have. by the same great artist, the
Fisher Boy, Eve ADD Proserpine. They all
seem 20 me fauldess in conception and finish.
unless it he the Eve, which lacks (perhaps
1aaiUnpd1 ,A no al na1,sh ,F ,l, Il,
The Italian department, through it presents
some figures of unspeakablo lovelnsss, must
be said TO be more remarkable for tho quantity
than the quality of its contributions There
are not many objects that claim attention for
boldness or originality OF design, although they
are all more or less marked by that felicity OF
ofexecuiion, aud skill in workmanship, which
characterize the nation OF which tho fine arts
are speciality. We have all the traditional
heatnen Gods and Godesses; the whole an
cient mythology over again. from Jupiter To
mans to Pastoral Pan. 1t would DO easy to
point out lines ofbeauiy and grace, power of
expression and excellence of design here and
there, and this may undertake hereafter; bat
in the main, The expectation Of the cultivated
few is hardly satisfied, and the th oug turns
away from the unknown Gods and Godesses
the Joves and Apolios, the Hebes and Gany
medes,t some homely conception Of every day
life, that touches domestic chord--such for
example as the little girl vainly endeavoriug tic
thread her needle.
The Danish department, with its grand re
hgious groups of our Savior and his Apostles
by Thorwalsden. presents a most imposing p
pearance. This noble collection, once stand
in the metropolitan Church in Copenhagen, is
owned and exhibited by Edward Bech Esq.
Danish consul for New York 1t is by many
considered the great artistic feature of the ex
hibiton. 1t is intended to represent the time
when Christ, the arisen Saviour, stood among
his Terrified and affrighted" followers
greeting them with the words, "why are y,
troubled, and why do Thoughts arise in you