Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-04-20
FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 20. 1860.
uerrin~,. "yiIIase Blacksmith. 81


Not long since we gave an extended critiquc
of this fine picture which may still be seen al
West & Johnston's Bookstore OH Main street
The last No. of the Cosmopolitan Art journal
has the following notice OIL the subject:
Tur AwArps,-Ihc destination Of the original
painting Of the 'N'illagu blackSmith' Wa, decided
hy the iates to be Richmond, Virginia, and
the recipient 10 bc Ex-tnvcrnur Henry y. Wise
Good hands for il 10 fall into. 1t has been the sill
gular fortune ,or rather, tue Ln-iurtllncj Tor the
best things Of each previous year awards TO 20 tc
the small or Ot-o-thc-wny places, where the Asso-
citation could not he particularly benefited by their
exhibition This simple TACT goes to show how ab-
surd and uniuundcd is the Inference, occasionally
made BY those partially informed in the matter, to
the rlcct that the Directory, in some way, could and
does control the disposition Of the premiums. Ile
awards are uniformly made 10y committee oi dsiii'
tercStcd seutcmcn whose names alone, where they
ure known, guarantee Of the integrity oi thelI
work; and the Directory cannot, II II would, cnntro!
or even Influence the disposition Of the premiums
All subscribers sand upon an equal iootlhgIhonc
has precedence over another and by the award made
by the Committee the Directory abidcs to the letter
even though il should c0sign some OF the choicest
and most expensive works Of art TO the most out
lunlish places, Of the most unapFreeutlNe quarters
1t really WAS source oi satisfaction u inc d.
rectory that the ''Nillusr Blacksmith" should have
fallen 10 the name o Gov Wise il would have been
moro lllan pity il such work O art Ind gone 10
Sotlnn crossroads, or 10 some single SUBSCRIBER
liyill. far away toward the setting sun. but, It was
10 power nt tie Directory which sent It 10 l.ict-
molid, ami, therefore, they deserve no more hlinc
or praise than should come from having done their
duty in abiding faithfully by the award We are
happy 10 learn that the picture has met with warm
rcerltion Mt tue hands OF the Rchmond people, and
trust il HAY lon. remain one ol the ar-trc;-
Slircs Of their city.
We arc glad tha, the cart Journal has cN-
pressed its decided dissent iron the strongly
unjust views of one of its correspondents, one
W. j. Stillman, who preslnncs to write IN es-
say on "Amcrican Sculpture As specimen
of the prejudice and isnoranrc OF tins critic
we quote few passages, which cannot but as
toniSh our readers:
Crawford is deficient, both i'll conception
and scientific knowledge. His Washington,
of the Virginia monument, is utterly lacking
in dignity and hig gh manhood, though not with
out a statucsquc feeling which, with many,
passes for those qualities
On the other hand, this Sapirnt critic extols
to the skies Grown, with whose equestrian
Washington, on Union Square, New York, ma
ny of orr citizens are familiar. lie says: SIN
his best work, the colossal equestrian statue of
Wa>hingron, there is developed i unique and
subtle and i,lealism which distinguishes it from
all modern statuary; there is won-
Jcrlul cxprcssircness in the work; even in eve.
ry minor part Of the figures, every bend oicvcry
limb having spiritual significance. so that the
whole statue becomes instinct with emotion,
even the horse sympathzing in its expression.
4 . Of all works Of art which Amt-
rca'S S"!,s have produced there is none Of
which she has better reason to be proud.
W. are perfectly willing to leave the judg-
ncnt as to the comparative merits of the two
works To those who have seen and studied
CrawfmdS and Browns "Washingtons.