Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-09-25

1 anu innocence, Tor no child IS born with
an anxious face no infant is sent into
the world with hang-dog countenanae.
Even where the stamp of vice has.be-
| gun to set its seal, it may be efaeed by
care. Her Majesty has in her posses
sion some photographs of boys snatched
from the streets, whose faces after a few
months training were scarcely to be ira
ced in those portraits of their former
features. Photography so nearly speaks
the truth, that it is likely TO become q
great adjunct TO art-education. True. it
enlarges the prominent features. and
deepens the shadows, as the world exag-
gerates the great characteristics Of a
man but it cannot create mind. Look
at Albert Durer's " Man of Sorrows
that heavenly face with a suffering body
and compare it with the photograph
recently imported vicious Uase actor
in q greasy wig Sun of heaven, thew
use thee badly when they put thy life
creating beams to such uses. Then, too,
there is a fine piece Of spectacular en-
craving, published by the Galvanogra-
phic Company, called Don Quixote :"
but where is the amiabIe Don? A ruff
fanly patterer" in a chair surrounded
by stage properties, with his eyes turned
up, is there, having left his vocation Of
selling " bull-roarers at on'y 'apennv'
for the sitting.
Wonderful as IS the discovero of pho
tography, and minute as are its delinea-
tions, it can only copy. Art can create,
but can create only up to the conception
/ Of the painter. Lely's women have no
minds; Lawrence's ladies small moral
ties-like their painters. George Nor
land loved pigs, Teniers beer-drinkers.
Sir Joshua Reynolds children. and their
art has been graccd inaccordance there
with while the amiabIe Fra Angelica.
although so successful in his Paradise" :"
when he came to paint Satan and his
crew in the Last Judgment" drew only
distortions; and Giotti was so successful
with his Madonna-the Mother Of moth
ers-that the very women of Florence
wept as it was carried in procession to
church. What a stride between this on
gelic face and the first portrait drawn in
charcoal by the hand of love, which
turned to diamonds to light up the cot
tage Of forIorn girl Parsee-like. we
give thanks to the sun for having DESTROY
ed that prolific race which distorted the
human face divine" attive shillings per
sitting; thanks, many thanks 10 it, for
having dissolved the portrait clubs, which
sowed fiat inanities broadcast over the
land at five gnineas per head.
We English have ever been fond of
portraits, and have perhaps the largest
collection in the world, could we gather
them together not that we are vainer
Of our personal appearance than other
nations, but home habits seem to have
developed in Us an especial love for Dor
traits and landscapes. There is scarcely
a book whose sale is not enhanced by a
/ portrait of the author, il perhaps We ex-
cept " DiIworth" and other spelling as
sistants, with which are often accompa-
MED unpleasant "reminiscences. The por-
trait helps to illustrate the writing, and
a clever work without one is like talking
to beauty behind a curtain. But we
often err in taking these portraits. We
select any time of life, and condition Of
mind, and that we transmit to posterity
as the likeness of the man whereas. it
IS but glimpse-little more than q
shadow, of the living form. Ask the
mother if ever painter drew all the
sweetness to be found in her beloved
child's eyes ;question the lover about the
locket at which he gazes so oft aud so
earnestly, and see how he will disparage
the artist Yet true love Is not blind,
]
as the ancients depicted it. It looks be-
meath the surface-it searches the heart
and discovers the connection between
that and the face. Hatred is blind
Like the blow fly, which seeks tainted
parts it can only discover defects, The
poet, the painter, the musician, and all
who deal in poetic expression, should be
painted as soon as the fire Of tneire eyes
breaks forth the historian, the phiIoso-
pher, and all who think deeply, just as
thought begins to line their brow the
holy man, in his gray hairs while wo-
men Of all classes should be selected for
! portraiture ere Time with his rough fin
/ gers has brushed the bloom from their
cheeks. This may seem very fanciful
to some minds. but there Is rs much