The Washington union., 1857-09-12
WEEKLY MISCELLANY or LITERATURE AND AKT.

IaeubcIoi. Messrs- Williams
ves Of New York, for the liberal Of five thousand
dou has recently been exhibited in London, whittier
il ws sent b be engraved As ancpaied IL has Gre
Aied little scstion among oonnoisscurs Of the Old
World The following notice from the Times viii give
fir idea of the comments upon the picture which have
appeared IN other British journals and is on the whole
Abel and just criticism Of what may lie regarded AZ
one a the successful efforts in the department Of
American landscape painting. The quiet manner how
ever with which the 1hundcrer ignores the existence Of
ali American painters Stewart and Aston viii cx
ote smile among those who familiar with the pro
daotons Of MnIhone and Copley, not 10 mention
Others q our early artists and Of Cole Innan, Du-
rand, sulIy Page, Ieutzc, Elliott Huntington, and
others among later II may be, 10 English per
ceptions, ''fat burglary committed 10
institute comparisons between British and American
painters ian ride of a horse one must ride
behind = but, not to speak OF the years that are 10
come should not be much surprised if had the
temey 10 send their works London exhibition ON
tho heels OF the approaching exposition Of the works Of
British artists ia New York. which learn will ooprisc
about three hundred oil pictures and Of water-colo
about two hundred among them plentiful sIninklin
Of works belonging to the re-Raphaete school Ac-
Oing 10 the Times, it is already proved that with two
EXCEPTIONS the United States in painting cannot boast
any OF than local celebrity and we saIs-
poet 1T will 20 TO be thought shortly But 10
the Times article
The Italian pture-dealers testify to the fact that
american tourists among their best and creeaest Gus
toners. There Is no investment which experience
essentially bought than pictures; and at the
rent stage Of csthets in America there is still great
deal a experience to be purchased by transatlantic buy
Of smoked canyasses aad deliberately worm-eatcn
panels Still John Ball has right TO too loud
Jonathan this 1t is only of late wears
that picture buyers have begun to learn that
modefn works Of art safer investment than old
tl.-
believe that Yankee srcwdness viii be far behind British
In this respect when school Of genuine American
art has 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 well borrow. Washington
Irving Cooper, and Bryant led the way Mrs Beecher
Stowe Hawthorne, LongfeIlow Lowell, and score Of
minor poets and novests, have followed, and
almost many readers in the Old World in the New
AS it with literature cannot but hope it will
be with art American originality and grasp are
too great to bc long confined to the fields Of industrial or
mechanical activity With such country and such
cannot but look forward to new and national
Development Of painting also. In sculpture high honors
have already been won by Americans Powers and
Greenough rank among the first scupors whom Florence
has educated, and Gibson has declared he has
nothing TO teach Miss Harriet Hosmer young American
lady whose statue of Beatrice Cend formed of the
most prominent ornaments the sculpture at this
year. exhibition Of the Royal Academy But in paint
ing since Aston and Stewart the United States have
not bsasted any Of than local celebrity 1t is
true that they have given Newton and Leslie but they
rank as English, and not American painters.
g Under these circumstances we note with peculiar
pleasure the arrival in this country Of remarkable pic
tme by an American landscape painter Of American
subject the gricst and the defiant of all
ordinary pictorial power among the many scenes which
The New World offers to the artist
|" The painter is Mr. Frceric Edward Church. and the
subject Niagara Few have been more often at
tempted by the pencil and none has hitherto
pletey laughed ii to But Mr. Church has painted
the stupendots cataract with quiet courage and pa
ent elaboration, which leaves ns for the first time
sed that this awful reality is not beyond the range
OF human imitation
g Mr. Church picture is oblong Of some seven on
eight feet by three and half if eyes have not de
oeiyed The view is taken from the Canadian side
little above Table Rock and ii includes the whole sweep
Of the Horseshoe FALL to the of Goat island
The characteristic merit Of the picture is sober truth 1t
bears throughout unmstakabe evidence Of the close
and successful study To paint running water is always
difficult Bat when the running water is the expanse of
Almighty river, broken into countless eIdes by rock
eiges. and huryipg TO such fall, Il may well be
oiyed what labor has been necessary to apprehend the
bewldern fts what patient mastery to represent them
to leave the spectator impressed by the presence
Of the supcndous reality with the abstraction Of motion
and sound "
Anachronisms in art are not uncommon The follow
ing, which derive from private source is amusing
instance of matched pair of large coored Itho-
gas has lately been published in New York. represent
ing Washington at the battle of Monmouth and Jack
at New Orleans. They very well executed, but
the st named contains glaring and laughablc blum
der. The battle Of Monmouth AS is well known, was
oughton the 2sth of june and the day stated to have
been the hottest Of the hottest record;
men dying from heat than killed i'll battle. And
yet the artist has represented Washington mounted
white charger with his cfoak on As Yelowplush would
say, phanxy his pheelinksl"
The following account Of the present condition OF Chas
Fenno Hoffman, the poet who has for several years been
inmate of the Pennsylvania State Hospital for the In
sane, viii sadly interest those who knew him personally
when his unshnttered and win be read with
regret by all who familiar with his writings. Few
appeared 10 advantage in social life, and his
literary attanrnents OF very high order There
many in this city who win remember him during his
bef residence here in ls4s, which period he held
ceIksip in the consular bureau of the Department Of
State, under the sceretaryship Of Mr.. Clayton
Harrisburg Herald
His face is shrvee up and his whole body shows the
effects of time and dsesc He still retains that fine mil
itry bearing however which he gained in the army,o
and for hours will pace up and down the long aisle Of his
vision,v giving orders 10 his fellows, whom he mag
ines his soldiers and prepares them for the march
Tcn again. at times he win become in sort of pcnsive
mood seeming appreciate his position and mourn
il but this Is seldom. He is generally vigorous and io-
VIAL he In days gone by Every visitor OF ntelli
genoe who the asylum calls TO Hoffman He
receives them all with hearty greeting, viii ask them
TO sup and drink with him, and when they leave invite
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