New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-17
THE AMERICAN ZINE ART,


Tn the noble picture by Paul DelarOche, re-
duced copy Of which is now exhibiting IN thi' CITY,
called the Remicycle dss BeauI Arfs in the center
Of the com position sit enthroned the three gods OF
Grecian art, presiding with the aweinspiring MAJ
esty of genius over the mighty meu who have
ca, ned immortality since by following in their foot
steps. This trinity OF Grecian art are Apelles the
painter Phidias the sculptor and Ictnus the archi-
tect In those early days Of civilization, art de-
voted itself to the purposes of religious instruction
alone. Apelles painted the ideas OF goddes'es,
Phidias sculptured the forms Of the gOds,
and Ictnus built the temple whose pillars st.l
remain to fascinate and awe the world wherein
they were worshiped Art had not then learned
that her highest purpose was to benefit mankind,
and that 10 add to the wealth and the prosperity
of people was her ultimate destiny. And so
in the vast assembly of immOrtals grouped by
the genius of DelarOche in his admirable picture.
there ale many architects, many painters, and
many sculptots, but no ship-buider, no represen-
tatve of those benefcent men of genius who
have conferred happiness and blessings upon the
world by building the floating temples and palaces
which in our modern times have served to bind
the uttermOst parts of the earth together, and
brought all mankind into one great brotherhood
or community of nations. Indeed, IN all the
epochs from which this great painter derives his
characters, shpbulding was never thought Of as
belonging to the category Of the iue arts, though
il had been carried on ever since the earth
was peopled yet it may be called an American
art, because it has here reached its highest point
of excellence, just as sculpture and temple-build-
ing, which were old arts before Athens was
founded, eliminated in Greece.
There are now on the stocks in New York two
ships, which are as well entitled to immortal re
membrane ss the ParthenOn, and their archi
tect is as deserving Of renown as Ictinus Of
Athena One of these ships, which is as much
work of the fine arts as any temple that was
constructed upon the firm EARTH and as satisfying
in the lovely harmony of its lines to the prac-
tced eye of the connOisseur as any "thing of
beauty" that ever gave joy to a cultivated taste,
lies at the Navy Yard, and was described at length
in our columns some months age. The Niagara,
the ship in question is now nearly finished, and will
be launched at the end of this month. The other ship
to llcn we hluQt IL HOW DuluiuB w tnc hiCHltcct
of the Niagara, George Steers, who first
became known to the public as the builder
of the Yacht America. She lies at the foot OF
Seventh street and is intended as one Of the line Of
Collins steamers, and we believe, is to be called
the ApRIATiC She will be the largest timber
chip in the world and we think we do not
aeeerate in the least in stating that she will be
also the swiftest safest and most beautiful. In
her present condition this immense structure can
be seen to much better advantage than she will
ever be again for when she is decked the whole of
her 81 mmetrcal figure cannot be once on the
inside and half of her beautiful lines will be hidden
when she rests in the water The length of this great
monster Of navigation is about $50 feet, and her
tunnsge, by carpenter measurement, will bs about
$500 tuns The diameter OF her wheels will be
forty-five feet We have taken the pains to ascer-
tain the exact dimensions Of every part Of this
noble vessel the amount of timber, iron, and cop
per that will be consumed 10 her construction,
the cost of her hull the number of passengers she
will be able to accommodate, the power of her en-
zines. and other details and though to repeat them
can afford no better idea of her magnitude and
beauty than the exact measurement of the Apollo
Belvidere, or the weight Of the mutated Venus of
Milo, would afford of the grace and loneliness of
those works of art we give them here in table
as follows