New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-01
ART ITEMS.

-Palmers statue of the White Slave has been sent
TO Boston for exhibition and Pages Venus opened
TO the public in Washington on Monday. This meu-
ton of these two works Of art in which mud ty has
teen expressed with greater freedom than the antique
Greeks ever ventured upon recalls the first attempt at
artistic nudity in this country and shows what vast
strides we have made in that direction within quarter
oeninry Ii ia only twenty three years since the
first group of stauary by American artist was eX'
bibited in New-York. This group was the g Chanting
Cherubs," which the late Fenmore Cooper purchased
of Greenough in Florence 1t consisted of two marble
cherubs shout three feet high; and such was the ex
IRENE iastidOusnes of public that they had TO be
exhibited with bit Of white Grape tied round their
innocent marble loins. Since then we have been
accustomed TO % The Greek Slave" " The White Cap
i've" and Pages Venus" Nudity is no more an
objec Jon TO work q art with than it was with the
~ baIitic people Of Pompeii and Herculaneum Bat
there il large and strong party of enthusiasts among
who advocate drapey one of the essential prin-
ciples Of Christian att and vigorously oppose the
growing tendency of artists TO an imitation of the
aesthetics of paganism
In the Dsse dorf Gallery there three beautiful
examples of American sculpture though they were all
three executed in Italy. The statue OF the Dead Pearl
Diver, by Paul Akors, native Of the State of Mairei
the Fisher Girl by Hart, VirRinan, and the
charming statue of a young child dancing, called
" Dapcing Jenny" by the late Thomas Crawford, Of
N,w-YoTk. This last statue one of the latest
works of the amented artist and is remarkable for its
simplicity and sweetness, buy the subject is hardly suit
able for ii dignity of marble. Our soul ptors
have labored under the difficulty of not being able TO
seize Oh an adequate subject for the employment of
their talents. In each OF these three there is
absence of sentiment and character. In CrawfoId's
Dancing Jenny nothing bat young chdd in
ordinary dTess, lifting up foot. The statue tells
story, embodes any legen0 or sent moot Of
elevated nature. In the Fisher Girl we have simply
young girl with net her lons figure without
meaning history, and which makes appeal to the
imagination. In the Dead Pearl Diver we see the
corpse of young man having a perfectls feminine
head, lying in painful position, but one well calcua.
ted give opportunity for the artist display his
anatomical knowledge. The Greek Slave and the
White Captive have no more meaning than these Dis-
seldof sculptures. Labor fol labor sake AVS Locke
ID against nature aud we may say with equal truth,
that art for arts sake is repugnant TO sense
and honest feeling. Ar it, or should be, but the
means TO convey ideas, and ulpures which mean
nothing are as useless az house built for show which
and noble ornament; and all fine art is ornamental
in eonuadstincton to the useful If anybody should
fancy there ID paradox involved in tins sentence, "A
little reflection will convince him OF his error
The " First Annual Sale OF original paintings, at
the Academy of Desgn in Tenth street, though in
clucDg very fine pictures in the catalogue does
not appear to have excited much interest among tue
artists as it should have done The catalogue contains
20 pieces aud among The painters We ind the names
Of CTopfey, Clifford, Gignoux Hubbard, Sonntag, De-
lessart, TAFT, Ehninger, lnnefs, Co eman, Edmonds
Peele, heDstu, and Others Of equal celebrity. Bot
mtpy OF the paintings are secondhand and the coeo
ton appears like an auotioneers speculation To give
true value to such SALE it should take place under the
management Of the artists u emselyes, and then the
pnb &c would feel that il not ord nary auction
enerpIse If the artists would but take tine matter in
hand, and lnauguratc annual sale of paintings after
the maj ner Of the sales Of the Book Trade il might DO
made nosl beneficial tie interests Of art and be tho
means OF attracting 10 New-lork large number
afiisiS ard coDnoiss,us la this Tt sale there
are fone Of the beet works Of Peele tAiee admirable
pi'tors by GignCuX, one OF the Ltte Housh'e pers
OF Econad Frore and graceful little piece by Count
Cabx, who draws the fashion figures for the
FetH Courier des Dunes.
We learn that Mr. Boechor has purchased anoihe
Of the landscapes of George l.. Brown, exhibi.
lion at No. 7GS broadway" Mount Plate in q
Storm" Mr. Stewart of Fiflh avenue has purch ised
several of these andseopes aDdwe observe that good
n any of them have " sod' marked upon them.
Mr.. Rooster has painted three large Scripture
pieces, two OF which have been successfully exhibited
IN various parts of tho country; but very strangely