Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-09-07
30 NXNN.


Letters from England.
30 NNXN.
LoNDoS, Aug |, l,jj
wv. 'G- 'n at lgst . series Of ;ctarc.
by John Martin have haon on c5 libtion in
London and hive attracted considerable in
tcrest among artists and amateurs am
sure you have all noticed an oil print Of
"Belshnzzar's Feast" which friend SMITH
used to keep in hi. shop window when was
last in Burlington If mistake not, there
WAS also II print of the &" Fall Of Nineveh, -
both subjects conceived in n style which some
, of you may have thought sublime, some ter
rife, others too glaring and extravagant to
be deeply suggestive. In precisely the same
style Of conception and execution are the
three pictures grand and solemn pictures
rs they are announccd-of THE Last Judg-
mont, " The great day Of his wrath, and
- The Plains Of Heaven by the same Artist
Indeed could not help thinking that there
wa. something quite apropos in illustrating
the " Descriptive Kew to these pictures
By extracts from the Rev Robt Montgomc-
rvs Poems. The . Last Judgment is the
grand centre piece Of the series, the other
two being expansions Of the view on the right
and left Of the great judgment scene. There
is the great white throne and him that sat on
it the four and twenty elders about the
throne sitting, clothed in white raiment with
crowns of gold on their heads and above all
luminous circle representing the Supreme
Beneath lies the city Of Jerusalem. Over all
the left Of the scene lurid light is thrown
from the moon now ''turned into blood" The
first resurrectionis supposed to be past the
nations of the four quarters Of the earth and
the armies of Cog and Magog are pouring
down to the valley Of Jehoshaplat to besiege
the city Of Jerusalem. Suddenly the trumpet
Of Judgment is sounded lighting comes
down from Heaven and AN earthquake rends
the valley, ant separates the Holy city and
Mount Zion from the enemy. Now put it
to you whether in spite of the awfulness Of
the subject, you could repress smile when
you remarked two or three loaded trains
putting into the foreground with their passen-
gers, and one actually switched off into the
opening abys. suppose these were de-
signed to indicate that Cog and Magog were
purposing to prosecute the siege with
vigor." In the immediate foreground on the
leit,arc personifcations of all the deadly sins
in which, mitrrs cassocks, supplies, scarlet
and cowls, figure largely as drapery Every
conceivable phase of the terrific is exhausted
on the countcnances and postures of the
doomed - Some are overwhelmed by the
earthquake and swept down into the bottom
less pit some crushed by the falling noun
tains, or blasted by the lightning and others
abandoned to grief, horror and despair at
their eternal doom. The earth is trembling,
lettering. crunbing, sinking into universal
ruin" On the right, in the foreground are
gathered the blessed awaiting the consumma-
ton Of their felicity In the mean time, how
ever, Mr. Martin Ia. made the most distin-
guished of them sit for their portraits. Tn
fortunately. i'll order 10 attitudinize for our
benefit, they are Obliged to turn their backs
upon the judgment scene so that instead of
gazing with rapt and absorbing expectation
on the spectacle in the heavens they look at
us rs quietly and self-cDn,ciously rs the por-
traits on our walls. Conspicuous in the
midst OF n little American clique is the
Stuart Washington. In another part we re-
coguize the Chanios Shakespeare, Reynolds
Johnson, Bacon in his high-peaked hat and
frills, Fore and Cowrer in their strange
hcad-Gcar, -" Old familiar faces" in the
old familiar wig, frilllcd, curled, and flowing.
tho whole constituting a curious and enter
t4inins; picture gallery. but q! how discor-
dlnt with the theme. ln tho dim background
we get gimpses of the plains of Heaven, and
Of saints in white roh"s walking in glados or
resting in bowers
The " Great Day Of hi- Wrath" is con.
cci,ed in style which at the first glance ap-
pals and tcrriiies, ing an accumulation Of
all the most startling aud threatening images
which n hold Imagination could draw toe
grthcr Bat after we have locked q. few ,rp-
ments and had time to anaIyzc the impress
sion produced on NJ. we find that our imagin-
atoms md feelings have locn PLAYED upon hy
a rude Land, that our scnsihiltics have been
shocked aud narrowed by violent display of
the coarsest instruments of terror Cities
and mountains are tumbling headlong into
the abyss stars are falling from heaven
afirighted kings and great men, rich men,
bondmen and ireemen, are hiding themselves
in dens and calling ON the rocks to cover
them, All this is depicted in the most awful
and revolving manner. II cannot be denied
that the artist has in this picture shown
great power-but it is displayed so wantonly,
50 like mere brute force, that we instructive
ly rccoil from an exhibition SO entirely alien
to the domain of Art.
The Plains of Heaven" would bo more up-
rrorri,f"ly christenod, "a Fairies Picnic
Y ia sinative scene in Heaven it is
sIml'y !. hralnus. Gay, wanton figures are
floating about in the air others are tossing
on beds of flowers others amusing them
selves in the water. The colors are all
bright even to dazzling the light is 'garish'
the whole scene yoluptuous, eXuayagaut,
and worse than all, earthly in every part
Having heard the opinion hazarded that