New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-06-04

.omething to say he has without any doubt remark
able talent and ii rests with him whether ne VIII employ
n on low work or on high; that which VIII feed the
mind support 1t and exalt It, that which Will simply
smuse and beittle 1t.
But work OF much more prctension is the r" Lair OF
tho Sca.Serpent," work which, coming directly aer
the design from the ARABIAN Nights, shows a Ten
dcncy toward meodramaiic and sensational subjects
which we cannot too earnestly doprccnte And we de
precate it the more because we most INSTANT! an"
oLeernv recognize the power there is in these worAS
womb we waste time in trying to turn some vi
our elder artists away from the SUBJECTS that
they ohoosef Let them paint " Home GUARDS, an"
"Iooos and " Nosh's Arss" and " Ewes" and Queen
Maries and Soldiers Widows, ad nG"se0m' noood!
marks them; but Mr.. vedder can reach higher than
these puerties aud platudes and he las no right 10
descend 70 them.
We believe that no rightE constituted MIND can iooA
of such picture as the d" Lair Of the SeGScrpent
without actual disgust-disgust propuuonea 70 INC
iptensiv and truth Of the conception. The artist has
seriously to consider the question. it right to paint
everything - Is Art aembracins and docs she dSai'
fy low and brutal themes by merely taking them ufon
her lbs and repeating them TO those who viii ston
mos. decided mo-" oar whole theory of art rebels
agaistfhe assumption. Here, in this picture We enn
not see what good or high purpose served by painting
this loatAly brute. 1t suggests misAtier image
Turner's wonderful PythCnbut there WIS purpose IN
the painting of that; the subject was worthy.
Yet Mr. Veddcss conception OF his subject shows re-
markablc power The lonely spit of sand stretching
out into the sea- the desoatc barrcnncss Of flo spot
I'm. only Inv the trail tllS
monster who lies coed up fold upon fold. with his dull
eyes looking out upon to swaying. su!iry sum
NOR sea; hardly could these things have been more
simply forciby painted. The only weak point Is 'he
painting of the head it scarcely TO the body
Tho terror ought to have eliminated in the dun CLEAN
Of those awful eyes the grsy horror of that best"
face but in reality it diminshos. We are afraid,
when we see the creatures back fancy coming upon 1t
suddenly as we ramble over our iaYorite beach oil
which be has been most frequently md veraciously
seen But when we find his head in tie seaGe we be-
gin to gather confidence; he looks mild monster un-
scientific impossible Agassz would instantly tuEn up
his nose at sucA al inpostsre
II seems 10 u.s. in considering this artists
work-and he rarely paints an5thng that is de-
void Of interest, and never except in this H.
stance anything which rcpels the spectator-tboi
he is searching for subject, impoed by certain in
stnct or by double instinct and with very little sat
isfacton or happiness in the result far Those in
sncts are love of certain effects OF color, and lean
ing toward the grotesquo aud isaeal in subject: Now
Ii will be seen that these strong motives leave hin
very field Of work, and il is our bicf that sc
long be continues shut himself up in it, he will ac
oompiish nothing worthy Of himseE or OF his powers
The color that he loves is not natural except IN ceTtn
subjects certain scenes the subjects that he delights IN
exceptional and if too much dvet among viii mar
row and not enlarge the mind They to be found in
literature; seldom in actual o and even if he should
succeed in the almost impossible task OF Illustrating
such poet Dante, he must elthat at best ii Is but
secondary work. and interesting to few.
And yet We see obstacles to Ar. Yedders success in
subjects drawn from history modern life obstacles
which however it is doubt easily possible FOR hin
TO surmount Thus far, be has shown power TO rep
resent the human face; he would have 10 give u
deliberately much of his prepossession in favor OF wha
is quaint and grotesquea surrender which. We frankly
admit there no. the slightest probability Of his max
ing We began by saying that we do not exactly know
what to make OF his work One difficulty arises fror
the iInpossibity of reconciDg conviction Of hi
power. both in conception and in execution with th
fact that he 80 seldom exert that power worthy sub
jects Why will he not take a theme from Dante
Pray do not let him be modestly afraid Of Dore 1ba
wonderful Frenchmans Dante is the least admirable
of his works. SchefeIs "Iaolo and Francesca" ant
Deacroxs Dante and Virgil in the Boat are WORT
all Dor6s designs pat together. We heartily wish Mr.
yedde would try his hand at some such noble worthy
s,k and leave Sea SeTeats and Roos Eggs for people
who cannot do better. He can.
No. 49,. "THE PETS No. 204. "OUT ALI
NIGHT" j. II. BEARD.
No. 1S4 is very nicely painted, erring on The
side Of hardness ESPECIALLY, the white dogs skin il
altogether too much like nabe, AID too little like hair
The Liack.and.tan is very 6.armingi now tLat The
artist can expression and action well he ought
to try TO give Us the sones and warmth Of these little
creatures coats. You must stroke such darngs, you
know; tina. is one Of their uses and it is disappon
ment feel for far and TO fad stone STILL We are moi
in a fault finding mood; If VIC have not time when We
60 the Gallery TO stop and chat with these doRets
we never pass them without friendly nod Of recOgn
ton
No. 249. "CoLUMBUS MAKING HIS WILL"
L. III. MAY.
Columbus is here represented, on canvas Of
mighty dimensions, making his viii oboHt four days
after it is too late. lie is assisted in the Performance
of this unrecorded miracle by selfpossessed noble
man. and is regarded with afectonste interest by
several eeelesiastics whom is quite the rule in