The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-11-27


AMERICAN SUCCESSES TX ARr-OuR tsrGLLso-
! TAL PROGRESS The attention that has been de-
ve'ed 10 The fine arts in this country, within the
'abt few years, is producing results of which
We have reason to be proud We have always
maintained that it required but encouragement
10 develnpe amongst cur scnlptors and painters
those intellectual capacities which would ena-
bic them to compete successfully With their
foreign rivals. The formation Of collections
by persons Of means, the frequent importation
of works by the best modern European mas
tors, and the liberal prices paid for American
productions of merit, have all had the effect Of
stimulating to an extraordinary degree the am
bition Of our native artists. Considering tue
! low estimation in which American efforts in
! painting and sculpture We're, up to a compare
lively recent period, beld, It is surprising that
! native genius should so soon have 0verieaped
the difficulties that inserposed between it and
! generous appreciation. In the history OF no
| country do we find tho Same marvellous pro-
sress made In the two kindred arts that has
been made here. Without public schools. with
out government aid, without, In short, educa-
tional training Of any sort, we have, In
the lass quarter Of century, jumped,
"a 1t were, from the crude efforts Of
infancy to the triumphs of matured skill.
Where can like instances OF rapid develope-
| ment and advancement be pointed out: Ger
tainly not in Italy, where the taste for art has
been the slow growth of ages. Still less IN
France and England, where q sayi-h admira-
ton for antique models has for more than
century checked all efforts at originality and
. independence Of thought. The successes that
American genius has achieved, though neces-
sarily but few, have raised il to position in
the world OF art that is attracting the attention
and envy of the foreign schools If it con-
tinues to advance with the same rapidity, it
will soon command large share of the patron
age by which the latter are sustained. This
result, if attained, will be entirely due to the
qualities that have assisted US in our political
and commercial career. Our painters and
sculptors have the same contempt for the con-
ventionalities Of art that our statesmen have
for the conventionalities Of diplomacy and that
our merchants have for those of commerce.
The consequence is that they feel themselves
free to give way to the promptings of their own
genius, and are thus enabled to work out con-
ceptions that would have been strangled in
their birth by the letters which European pie
JUDGES have imposed on art.
We were never more forcibly struck with
these truths than on the occasion of recent
visit which we paid to Mr.. Schaus' gallery in
Broadway. There we found on exhibition
piece ofsculpture for the merits of which we
were wholly unprepared, although the prev
ious reputation of its author, Mr.. Palmer, pro-
missed something of more than average excel
lence. In this work, '.The White Captive" the
sculptor has achieved an artistic triumph
which the efforts Of none Of his American rivals
have as yet approached, and which il is no ex-
ageeratisn to say has not been surpassed by
the productions of any modern European sculp-
tor, not excepting even Canova. In sentiment,
chasteness of conception, beauty OF outline and
delicacy OF handling, it realizes all those @sthe
tic features that are to be found COM
bined in the Greek ideal, whilst at the
same time it expresses forcibly the
story which it is intended to convey.
Those who admired in Powers "Greek Slave
the feeble sentiment which the artists skill Of
manipulation has invested with SO much soft
ness, will, on seeing Mr.. Palmer's "White Cap
tive at once comprehend the defects of that
work. In carrying out these kindred concep-
tons, the one has proved his power to create,
whilst the other has exhibited merely faculty
of imitation. The statue of Palmer is, in short,
an enduring evidence of the original and lofty
aims of this early phase Of American art, and
its fame will live when Powers much cried-up
work will have passed into the oblivion Of me-
diocrity.
There are some facts connected with the his
tory of Mr. Palmer which should render us ad.
ditionally proud of his success. He has never
| been out of the country, and therefore has been
able to learn and borrow but little from the
great classic models He has been from the
beginning simple student of nature, owing
each successive stage of advancement to his
own strong perceptive faculties and his I'M
wearied power of application. The story Of
his early life is curious one and affords another
illustration Of the slight chances which deter
mine the most brilliant artistic careers. When
aboy he had fancy for carving with penknife,
out Of wood or shells, medallion heads having
more or less fidelity as portraits One Of
these canoes was shown to Tom Walker,
of Utica, well known lawyer Of that day,
and a gentleman Of refined tastes. Struck by
its excellence, he was surprised to learn that
it was the production of poor neglected lad.
Interested by his precocious talents, he took
him under his protection, and gave the first
direction to his studies. Thus, by accident
was shaped out a career which, if we are to
trust to present indications, is likely to reflect
the highest honor on American art
In doing full justice to the genius Of Mr..
Palmer we must not forget the claims of another