The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-09-03
ART AND ITS FIDELITY TO NATURE,

In that excellent book, Col. Wallis Etch-
ings Of Travel" an anecdo!e is told of Gar
rick criiicising Raphael's cartoons. The great
actor took exceptions to the attitude of Ely.
mas, the Sorcerer, who stood, he said, with
his feet stretched out like clown whereas
he was no vulgar fellow, and should have
been pictured, therefore, with his arms ex-
tended, like gentleman seeking aid 81
will show you" said Garrick, "how he ought
TO be represented" Accordingly, he closed
his eyes, and, like the blind Elymas, began
to cross the room. When he had reached
the middle SIR Benjamin West, who was one
Of the company, approached him and told
him not to aller bis position, but TO open his
eyes. Garrick's surprised exclamation, when
he obeyed, was 81 am Raphael's Elymas." ("
He had, in fact, forgot, as any blind man
would, all about the graceful, gentlemanly
extension OF arms OF which he had spoken,
and had insiinciively advanced his feet and
toes, ike the feelers of an insect, exactly as
Raphael had represented Elymss, the Sor.
cerer.
The anecdote Should be printed in capital
letters on the wallof every ariisi's study
The degeneracy Of art about which we hear
so much, is owing 70 .he neglect of nature
more than 10 any ether cause. Young paint
ers, aspiring lobe Leonard de -4iaeis, forget
The lifs-lon9 slseyJ Iie made of drawing, and
ffoolishly axpscfto delineaie the human fig.
ure by sort of intuition. Or they 81, for.
ever at their easels, touching in and efasins
by turns, in vain effort TO secure harmony
of color, instead OF going abroad among ma
ture, palette in hand, and copying the tiuts o.
the sunsei sky or the sradations Of a rainbow
Or they take sketches eternally in India ink
till their pictures all grow dead and gashly
alike. Or they attempt 10 improve on Ma
ture, something IN the same conceited spirit
which made the old Portuguese Marquis say,
that, if he had been consulted at The Creation
he could have given, he faliered himself
some good hints. In short ,lhey take every
road but the right one 10 reach the gaol, and
then com plain Of The public, when the faul
| is in themselves.
The truth of this assertion, that the degen
eracy of art is owing TO the neglect of nature
is further shown by the popularity OF moderr
genre pictures as contrasied with those devo
ted to what is called high art. People buy
Landseef's dogs, because they are true to life
and anybody, in addition, something OF hu'
man feeling but they would not buy Hay
don's Regulas, because it was neither true
to life, nor to human passion. Landseer, iC
continue the illustration, is no, an artist in
the highest walk, but he fills the highes
grade of the walk he is in; while Hayden
and nearly every other modern devoiee o.
high art, labored, or labor, In walk fol
which they want capacity, or study, or both
For 10 paint heroes, in snch way as tc
kindle enthusiasm in the spectator, requires
both more skill and greater knowledge o
nature, than 10 paint a dog or stag, ever
though ,he1ast may be dying, and look ou
on us with appealing eyes, that almost seem
human. Depend on 1t, the key TO the degen,
eracy of modern art, is waEt Of fidelity to
nature, the result, in some cases, Of power
| TO execute, but in most, Of sheer ignorance