The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-25
NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, DECEMBER Is, 1859.

BRILLIANT PROSPECTS, OF AMERICAN ART
Fsom the succession Of exciting events which
hsSe otcurred here within the last few month,
in connection with art, it is evident that we are
entering upon one Of those great his.o rio eras
which marh the strides Of q nation ia ciyiliza-
sion and refinement. In painting, in seal pture
and IA decorative art, native genius has proved
in that short time IFS ability to cast aside the
shaehiea Of conversational prejudices ard to
assert Its own claims to originality. We have,
in fact, arrived in all three at the sezne stage OF
independence which, in sculpture, enabled
Praxiteies, Apelses and Lysippus to depart
from Whist is called the grand style, and to de-
vote themselves to the cultivation of che beau
tifui. Our sculptors rejecting the purely clas-
| seal models as guides, are seeking to create
types for themselves, which, whilst they retain
the best features Of Greek art, shall yet pre-
sent character entirely distinct from it.
Our painters, equally patriotic in their aspira-
lions, are also laboring to arrive at the forma-
Non of style which shall as plainly Indicate
their nationality as the works of Paul
Dslaroche and Andreas Acheabach do that
Of the French and German schools.
In 'architecMre, ia landscape gardening, and in
decorative art generally, are to. be detected the
same evidences Of independence. We are de-
Veloping in short, all the elements which enter
into.th constitution of great national schools,
and'i in this we are aided by the free character
of oar institutions, our disregard Of examples,
our tendency towards skeptioism and, lastly,
the peculiarities Of our climate, which IN
doubtedly exercise powerful Influence in de-
termining our tastes.
There is another cause still to which may be
ascribed the boldness and originality of the
creations that are obtaining for American
sculpture and painting this strong character Of
individuality. in Greece art owed its origin to.
religion, and its refinement to hero Worship
In Italy it fret degenerated into the admiration,
of brute force, and was then impressed into the
service of religion, borrowing. the stiff and UNI
calmly forms in which the conceptions of the
early Christian epochwer clothed. 1t was not
until the time Of the medieval republics when
independence Of thought and action was en-
couraged by political influences and by COM
mereial intercourse with the rest of the world,
that the artistic genius Of Italy emancipated,
itself from these restraints and attained its
highest point Of Intellectual development.
Still Catholic traditions and forms continued
to exercise over it q certain amount of control,
imparting to it much that was conventional.
and much that was false in taste.
From all these influences art is fortunately
free in this country. We are neither idol wor-
shippers nor hero worshippers, and no particu-
lar creed imposes on us its Anticipated forms
and prejudices. Where such unbounded liberty
exists for the Imagination of the artist, his in
SEPARATIONS naturally assume a holder and more
original character than those which would oc-
cur to him under different circumstances 1t is
to this latitude that we unquestionably owe the
remarkable Development that is now manifest
ing itself in every branch Of native art.
There is but one thing required to impart to
the progress that we have indicated all the i'm
pulsion necessary to conduct it to great results
Art can effect but little without patronage; for
while the artist labors he must live. As the
merchant princes of the Italian republics fos-
tered the artistic genius Of their country into
intellectual life and strength, SO must our own
merchants constitute themselves the protectors
and encouragers Of native talent. They may
rest assured that the favors they confer on it
will be more than repaid by the credit that it
will reflect back upon them. To be amongst
the first to assist in the foundation of great
national school Of art is an honor for which
monarchs have striven, and for which men who
have made fortunes in trade may make an
effort without derogating from their own self
esteem.