New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-20
CUURCHS PICTURE OF THE FALLS o.
NIAGARA,
From The London Time,

From The London Times.
We do not know the authority for the anecdote Of
the Young American traveller who, Boosting Of his
fathers picture gallery, and being asked Of what mas
t.rs it contained specimens, answered, ION, my
fathers pictures are all LeOnardos and Raphaels,
except few Coneggios.
The Italian picture-deaers can testify to the fac
that American tourists among their best and
gre enest customers. There Is no investment "a TO
which experience is more essentially to be bought
tan pictures; and, at the present stage OF estbetcs
in America, there is st great deal Of experience TO
be purchased by transatlantic buyers Of smoked can
vases and deliberately worn-eeten panels Still, John
Bull has NO right to crow too load over Jonathan ON
this IL only OF late years that our own pc
tuIe buyers have begun to lesn that modern works
of art are safer investment than old ones, however
yagpifceptly christened; and We cannot believe taat
Yaikee sheudness will be far behind British IN this
r. spect when school Of genuine American ART
has come into existence finding themes in the life
and nature OF the New World. The United States
long lived the literature Of the mother country.
But now they are beginning 10 lend a. well as DOR
row. Wastir gton Irving, Cooper and Bry ant led the
way. MIS-. Beecher Stowe, Hawthorn, LoDgfellow,
Lowell and a score Of minor poets and novelsts,
have followed, and now count almost as many read
er- in the Old World rs in the New. -,
As il is with literature, We cannot but hope viii
soon be with art. American originality and grasp are
too great to be long confined To the heids o lndusa
or mechanical ACTIVITY. With such country ana
such race We cannot but look forward to new ana
national development Of painting also. In sculpture,
HIGH bopors have already been won by Americans.
Powers and Greenough rank among the first sculptors
whom Florence has educated, aud our owp Uipsoh mas
declared be has nothing 10 teach Mss Harriet nor
mer n Young American lady whose statue OF Beatrice
G.. pci formed one Of the most prominent ornaments OF
the tculpture-room at this years exhibition OF the
ROYAL Academy. But in pantirg-since Aston and
S,twart-the United States have not boosted any name
Of more than local celebrity. Ii is true that tasy
have given us Neston and Leslie, but they rank Is
English, ard not American painters.
Under these circumstances We note with peculiar
pie azure the arrival in this country OF remarkable
picture, by American laI dseapc painter, OF an
American sutject-at the graIdest and the most
defiant of oil ordinary pictorial power, among tue many
scenes which the New World off 10 the artist.
The painter is Mr. Frederic EdVard Church, and
the sub,c CT is Niagara. Few scenes have been more
often attempted by the pencil, AM none has hitherto
more con pletely laughed It to scorn But Mr. Churcn
bss pointed the stupoad"us cataract with quiet cpar
az. snd patient elaboration, which leave Us, for the
FIRST time .a,isfed that even this awful reality is not
beyond the &c Of hanan Imitation
Mr. Cburch's picture il an oblorg Of some seven or
eight feet by three and half if our eye have not de-
ceived u.s. The vtw is taken 1om the Canadian she
little above Table Rock, and i includes the whole
sweep Of the Horseshoe Fall to the corner OF G0a'
island There il no foreground or shore. The spec
iatCr locks right along the Canadian rapids as Their
swirls COL verge Tor the tremendous leap A shattered
Tree trunk is caught in the opposing eddies which
hun and chafe into foam over the layers OF brown
ok II light striking their edges toto transparent
green where they fpg themselves over the lips OF the
edges, in their hurypg course to the plunge OF the
mighty river. About the center Of the picture
the bend Of the barrier enables us 70 watch toe
downward leap Of the riser, not in sheet,
but in inrpmerable cascades from every projecting
POINT shivered into fine frirges Of toau sod losing
themselves in the spray ~ wtich the mass of ,ter
j. urnsd by s fall. Across the wet air VI this spray
cloud the rainbow filings lis prismatc arch. Beyond
we see the distant lines Of foam that marks the 'apts
and further siil the terraces Of the Chippewa shore
flushed with the rich hues of American autunnal
10 IL A e. Es
e purte cloud break the calm eIpan-e Of golden sky.
m, Il sracersc merit of the picture is sober truth.
II b, ans throughout unmisiakabe evidence Of tue
most csose aud successful study To pant ruOoios
a.r il alvays diff. ult. Brt ghen the running
i ,be expsp.e of mighty river broken in;o count
l.,s edo by rock hedges and herrying 10 such fall
,nsv w,l l.. conceived shhi labor has oeeu oeee--
az 10 ap,,sh,ai the be"d-rine i'c' sha' Plil:at
ftr.p7..cn: rtrm - ~ 10 leave he -. ct,o
, nv -, rrc. e. c. ii the sup 'ndou reality
- -. ,t.,ra -, 4 - l,icn IA souDi