Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-04-21

be pardoned for such an improperly by show
ing how well he could execute it., I can of
fer no other explanation. y
And here L must mention disproportion
In the size of the figures which is unpardon-
able. While the nlan in the coonskin cap is
drawn almost full size, the one standing on
the rock and holding the flag is only
half the length of coonskin's left arm
/ And yet there is no distance between them,
: -Coonskin could turn around and reach the
! rock the other stands on with his hand The
width OF the flag Is equal to one-third the
| height of the man holding it, and vet the
+ stripes and stars appear as distinct at that
distance as though they were but twenty
| feet off. If we make scale of twenty parts,
| the flag fills one, the man holding it three,
| coonskin fifteen, and the men immediately in
the foreground, twenty. This proves either
| that the man on the rock is drawn too small
or the man IN the coonskin cap and his group
| are too large, The error consists in repre-
sentlng the man on the rock far off while
| the rock itself is near
As dynamic composition, it is harmonious
throughout. The procession is not only in
motion forward but each figure has an indie
pendent and appropriate action of its own
No two persons are in the same attitude
| One extends his hand and points out the
landscape, one is climbing, one reaches over
and goads the off OK, some hold the wagon
from upsetting, and all have accordant mo-
ton.
| have neglected to mention that this paint
ing is the work of Mr. Emanuel Leutze. a
German artist of well-known reputation 1.-The
same who painted "N ashington Crossing the
Delaware" Mrs. Schuyler firing her Corn
fields" g the Carnival of Venice" Z" Puritans
escaping to America" and many others of
less note. Of these the best is that of Mrs.
Schuyler firing her cornfelds, though another
Is more widely known. The reason of the
superiority IN this case is that the compost
ton contains fewer figures, and the action is
centralized and harmonious. Mr.. Leutze's
forte is in dramatic rather than historical or
pastoral composition. Where one has given
US so many good productions, regret exceed
lngiy to speak harshly of any but while this
picture IN the Capitol has many excellencies
1t contains more blemishes than any other bv
the same artist. The figures are well drawn,
the expression forcible and appropriate. the
drapery is graceful and natural, while much
OF the coloring is faulty. A pair of mules,
chocolate colored, have on achite harnesses
which has very unpleasant effect, the
straps OF the harness crossing in such man.
ner as to give them the appearance of skele-
tons The sunset is dead, heavy, yellow
paint, rather than the soft golden tint of ma
ture. The artist claims some indulgence on
the ground that the view is too near. But
he is entitled to little consideration on that
account. He must adapt his picture to the
circumstances. The wall is immovable and
SO is the point from which it must ever be
viewed. But the severest criticism is vet to
come and that is, that the artist has failed
to conceive the character and scope of his
subject. He has has given US a train of emf
grants crossing the mountains and called it
the migration Of Empire. 1t may not be out
of place to allude to the origin of the title of
the piece. The occasion which produced the
poem was this: Bishop Berkeley, of England,
who took much interest in the growing pros
poets of the American colonies about the
year 1928, made an arrangement to come.to
the United Colonies and establish college
IN Rhode Island with the aid of ten thousand
pounds appropriated for that purpose by Par
lament. AS he was about ready to sail he
produced the poem commencing:
Then shall be sung another golden age
The rise of Empire and of Art.
Westward the course OF Empire takes its way
To represent this idea Mr.. Leutze has given
US train of covered wagons, such as one can
see at any time in the far west. With equal
propriety he might have represented John
Alden, taking home his Puritan bride Priscil-
la, on the back Of white OK. That would
have been romantic. Here we have nine
rifles, four dogs and violin, but neither
pillow, spade or blacksmith's bellows Some
one suggests that these may be in the wagons
Ritie barrels prOtrude from one or two of the
wagons but no pillow beam. Empire, appre-
bend does not travel under cover-a city set
upon hill cannot be hid. A more appropr-
ate title for the picture would be Emigrant
7rayeling, or Crossing the Mountains, a more
humble theme, but that is all it represents
fatal defect in it is, the unpromising view
ahead. The country towards the west appears
to be a continuous succession of mountain
tops. say appears, for it is not quite distinct,
and it is a little uncertain what the artist in
tended to represent. Some of them, however,
are distinct, and from the tops of three, a
volume of smoke shoots straight upward
showing volcanic formation. And when the
choppers shall have cleared away the tree
which obstructs the road, the train will pro-
coed on its journey over this interminable sea
of mountains. | conclude that the promised
land is not yet in sight, for in the whole pic
ture there is not a tree sufficiently large to
make fence rail.
The coloring of the picture is too high,
and there is super-abundance of yellow
throughout the whole. Not only the entire
length of the sky, but the mountain tops,
scarfs, shawls and other portions of the drap-
cry are Of the same yellow. The compost
ton comprises the figures Of twenty men (in-
Guiding one black, seven women, two of
them having infants, and several children
There are also nine covered wagons, about
ten oxen pair of mules and some cows and
young cattle. But there is nothing which
inspires one with the idea of grandeur-no
ing which indicates the majesty of State on
the move. The persons comprising the train
are all of the same class and would all go to
farming, but unfortunately they have moth
ing to commence with, and will therefore
take to hunting with their dogs and guns
"Westward the Course of Empire takes
its way" but if this is empire, it is getting to
travelling incognito.
If the paintingis not complete failure, it
fails entirely of coming up to the dignity of
the subject AS representing an emigrant train
1t is open to severe criticism-as representing
commonwealth on the march, it is failure
Empire does not go pioneering, it makes no
reconnaissance in force. l have seen no crit
lclsm on this painting, and am not aware that
any has ever been written. have, howev-
er, seen some notices of it by correspondents
who make an indiscrimiDate use of the ad-
jectives "grand," beautiful" "splendid,"
magnificent" as applied to it; and in ques-
tioning the justice of the popular adulation
1t has received, | know not that my views
will be sustained by any artist in the country.
If my notice is lengthy, the subject is extern
sive. 1t is one of the largest sized and most
conspicuous paintings in the United States,
for which Mr.. Leutze received the sum OF
twenty thousand dollars MONTICELLO.