The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-01-19

we are aireauy proud 70 o@D has promised h
historical picture, which l think our Cover n
ment will be rich in possessing
| | have no intention. nv dear friend. of at
tempting to put On paper either pictures or
churches, or the feelings with which they ami
mate me. know too we'll the failure eminent
authors have accomplished in attempting this,
to strand my little bark ON such rock. / only
say, much as | have to assure you that | see,
appreciate, and love, all these rich stores open
ed before me. | am sorry in saying that am
alone in this. d., although far more culi-
waited than has no true appreciation of art
He calls sculpture stone-cutting and considers
painting merely decorative art, something
above gliding, but infinitely below architecture
He styles the old masters cold humbugs" and
| says it is beneath the dignity of PEOPLE to be
enthused over such trihes. Above al, has be u
contempt for what he calls cant of criticism
the dilettantism which hangs its raptures on
great name, and gees wild over paintings
which have long since faded from ordinary OBJ
sereation. 1t is to be presumed the artist did
not set before the world a work requiring the
best exercise of the finest eyes to at all and
we are to presume that the unsparing hand of
Time has gradually withdrawn the effort from
our gaze, leaving cant to worship the frame
But this contempt for the false in criticism car
ries him so far away, that he will not admire
what in reality is beautiful. | know there are
paintings in the Louvre. by immortal names
and valued at enormous sums, which require
| the brightest sunshine and the best eyes to
trace out forms which have long since followed
their great creator int the regions of the dead
A young artist here pursuing his studies-a
true child of genius and friend of ours-has
sad time with d. He cannot realize that such
| opinions are expressed in earnest, or that they
i are not born in ignorance. He vibrates be-
tween the two, sometimes getting exceedingly
| angry at what he takes for badinage and at
other periods ascribing the expressions to ig--
norance, and kindly undertakes to educate and
enlighten. | shall never forget their first visit
to the Gallery of the Louvre. watched them
with much anxiety and considerable amuse-
ment. d. was pulled by our wild friend before
picture, and, to see it, pushed like child
into the proper position
"There, now, what soy you to that? Gid
ing, is ita Call that gliding, if you dare"
"Well, if it is not gliding, what is it ?-what
is your artist aiming at?-what do you call
it?n
Canit?-why, it calls ITSELF That is Titian's
great picture if not his greatest. That is the
Entombmentn
Indeed! WE'LL what of it,"
"What of it why it's immortal; it is per-
lection; art can no further 60. True artists
worship it,"
| 81 beg your pardon; but if art can no fur
Their 60 art should never have started"
"Eh! what-how now? Show me defect
IL you CAM"
"Well, the body placed in that way be-
tween the three men is either held up miracu-
lousy, or your artist knew very little of the
weight of flesh and blood as for the color -
But he was interrupted by the furious art
ist who began gyrating about the room sha-
| hic hon dc nd too al rIv
to speak plainly. He had way, when excl
ted, Of pirouetting round in sort of dance,
| ,phiah ives tn r.,p ;r-cs;etihIy fi,nry
al say they can hold him-anybody can see
that-certainiy they can ANY that-that
knows anything-knows that"
al beg your pardon" responded D., serious
ly; lin matters of paint and pallet you are
quite able to speak but at dead lift my
dear fellow, | am at home. And say, with
out hesitation, such an attempt to lift as that
would kill Moses"
"Nonsense stuff you don't know anything
about it. Now, I'll show you we three can
hold you up in the same position, and with all
ease"
"Thank you,n responded D., dryly; 81 don't
care to he made martyr Of"
But Doctor Bob, with a merry twinkle in
his eye, proposed to make lay figure of the
artist, and, seizing him, the three began to
stagger over the polished floor pulling our
friend the artist about until they all nearly
fell down, and ono Of the guards on duty in
| terfered. Our enthusiastic Instructor was not
to be discouraged in this way he pulled d.
from old master to old master, oil the time
protesting and lecturing. Ho i aused before
one, representing an angel flying from group
Of astOnished people.
| CHOW look at that There is beauty; see the
coloring, the expression, the distance the
handling, the action-note the action !"
"Certainly dc--very much action should
say that fellow with wings was making at
least sixty miles an hour; he ought however,
to be attached to first class locomotive"
L. went off again into his queer dance, and
the violent gesticulati0n continued, with va
rious expressions of outraged feelings and
contempt, until they stopped before u marine
| view, certainly very beautiful thing.
"If you condemn this am done. Now only
be candid, stand here-.here's the ocean for
you"
"Itis-well, all have to say then is if that
is fair representation of the sea, Christ walk
| ing on it was no miracle; it is hard as bricks"
Outrage could go no further; our friend
fairly boiled the pirouette was twice as violent,
| and continued until he ran backwards against
q little nan, on very high stool, busy copying
a Venus.
4
served this little copyist He was not higher
than my shoulder he wore hump back, and
looked at the world through spec.acles. His face
was wrinkled, partly by age nd much by sour
ed nature, as if disguised with the world; and,
as his little face peered out surrounded as it was
| by gray bushy hair and whiskers, he rcsem-
bled an exaggerated weasel, scratching for
eggs Whatever might be his contempt for
things in general, he had high regard for his
work; for when our frantic cicerone fell against
the STOOL the little man might have saved him
SELF but he sought to save his picture. The
result was, that the picture fell, and the petit
gentleman ttmbled sprawling upon it-punch-
| ing a hole in Venus's head, and altogether ma
king sad work of the affair. He regained his
feet with face and clothes presenting what
d. called proof-sheet," and scolded terri
blythe word beast" being the most distinct
and frequent Our friend retorted. I could
only hear the phrase miserable daub," when
the capsized ran at him, and we should have
had battle royal, but for the prompt interior
ence of by ISLANDERS and guards.
| While | write, the booming cannon an
nouces to Paris the elevation Of bronze statue
to the memory of Marshal Ney, upon the
spot where he was executed. Poor man he
little dreamed, when looking at the cold gray
| light of q drizziing morning for the last time
on earth, of the uss to which his death would
be put 1t, like everything else here, Is
political move and while the Bourbons and
Orleanists are rejoicing over their union, the
Bonapartes, at the spot where fell the blood OF
Ney, thunder their defiance
A QUAINT CRITIcIsM.-A newspaper before
US states, that at tn. breaking of the ground