The hydraulic press., 1860-10-27
The Pafntfnig Art.

The Painting Art.
The San Francisco Evening Mirror ex-
claims, il language Of ecstacy-"The Phare
"a French paper) makes statement which,
|if true, shetiid cause thrill Of Qualification
in the veins"of every true lover tf art" In
the contextsme ere informed, as al reason for
this enthusiastic exclamation, that there is
now in the State small painting executed
by Rhbens, one of tnegrcat masters of the
painting art.
With all due respectFto the opinion of our
contemporary, we wish to say, as one'who
admires the practical-eyen as connected
with the beautiful-that there is nothing so
very surprising in this announcement, if it
should prove true beyond a peradyenture.
We have, in our lifetime, seen several paint
ings said to be the work of the great-the
incomparable-th divine masters. Enthu-
siasts venerated them, and interested parties
extolled their merits to the skies but to our
vision, they bore striking resemblance to
half-developed daguerreotype, or the pic
ture on the paper cover Of an old fashioned
parlor fire. beard The images were obscure
from excess of shadow, and the colors had
/ the appearance of being daubed rather than
painted on the canvas.
Who would for a moment think of pro
nouncing such productions superior, if they
had the names of Smith orJones appended,
instead Of Rubens or Michael Angelo?
The modern artist-and we assert it with
a full knowledge of the pity which will be
excited in some quarters for our lack of ap-
preciation-the modern artist, we say, has
accomplished more wonders, impaired more
sublimity to the canvas, arrived at greater
degree of perfection in the painting art, than
all your Rubens, Rembrandts, Vandycks,
Titians and Michael Angeles combined. IF
they 'haye'no frescos on Vatican walls to ex-
hibit, they have landscapes, historical char
acters and events, birds, beasts, fishes, fruits,
aud countless varieties of the human form
and face, drawn and personated with such
accuracy as to defy better workmanship
either in correct deliueatioh, classical group
ing, truthful col0ring or r.lifeIlike'expressio
We have, in our generation, Sully, West,
Stewart, Harding, Cogswell, 'Cf6cer, Nahl,
Tdball, and hundreds of others-some of
them not yet arrfved'at'the eliminating point
Of their fan,e--whom it might be considered
profane to compare with the German and
Italian masters; but we do it feariessly, and
in the candid belief, that if other intelligent
minds were divested of their prejudice-or
we might rather say, of that false sedtimen
tality which is received on trust from tour
lists and book -makers-and would Judge
dispassionately between the two separate
schools of art, they would not hesitate to
form and express the same opinion.
Give us the painting that is animated,
warm, mellow, and striking in all its details
of finish-none of your dusky affairs, with
an eye, a nose finger or a foot protruding,
and the balance of the painting SO deeply
obscured, that the design of the artist be-
comes purely matter of conjecture.
In time-when antiquities are esteemed
for their intrinsic worth, and the lovers of
art generally, form opinions for themselves,
instead of playing the part of Echo to the
erroneous pronouncings of others-it will
be discovered that in nothing-not even the
art of painting-have those who went before
US been able to produce anything that would
compare successfully with the Examinations
OF modern genius.