New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-03-12

,n,,~ q, skv equal to that in the upper ei'nSnu
P"'"N"o " mar Of the Andes" Mr.. Bierstedt .
70 ,i,bout color, which may 90 uue' Du' ~ -
SA! 70 .i,v which must be false. Then, agaih'
,,s".a,odt,s mountains are high; Mount Lancer
.,st.l, inaoeessibio Mr.. Church, on the o'her
s1 oonnot naint high mountain; something vi
a. ns,rre belittes every enc that he attempts 10
.o,,,av for Us; but this is a deficiency when ne
Innoi heln. Their hight he can never maze US
81. lint he has studied their structure, and gives
their general forms with considerable uN1n, 80
p,erstadt evidently has not aciear uhdeiS'"n''o
these mountain FORMS In his picture tocy "io -
aed. confuseJ they have not inc Ho'iO" VI
nature. 20 ,oonp.o;n
A, frs. blush. Il might seem as II mountain
fo,ms saon at such distance, must heeessuin!
,oot mnddled and confused. But, without gong 80
o., 90 the Rocky Mountains any one may ta'ie!
N;,oso that this is not So by looking at the way Ill
-hiob Tho atmosphere affects any large body-a
.buroh spire, or great hotel, or, II he is In inc
.ountrv when he reads this, LET him study, IN NE
NEXT walk, the effect of distance upon the hlsne''
hill in his neighborhood. He will see thS'' "s 'no
hm ,ooedes the smaller details, such as lndlVluu"
,,os. the isolated rocks disappear one by one nc
ar a..ro,n-al seatures are more and more clearly
,,....o,. cd ;rdeed II is not until the whole
mountain has become blue or gray OF purple eio"u
ar a;e.onco that these structural features ever
s;.ar,ea, altogether; and even then, not IRON the
eve that knows them wei and can uauSi"" 'h'
hints thai to Others are uninielligibe OF unse'n'
While. oven OF this stage of almost impapaole His''
=. sudden shaft of light from the setuDg sum- OF
s,om some break in the clouds, will throw out every
muir into strong relief, indicate clearly oy strong
shadows every important hollow and raVihe' anu
write all over the cloud-ike wall an lew s'rohs
,vnsbles of light and shade ineligible OF once 10
Che lovers eye whether he be geologist or no. the
essential facts in its history. But, once ior an e'
,s he assured that there is no moment, whether ~
IA nassing from cloud TO pepable mountain OF Holn
nalnahle mountain TO a cloud in the horizon, whcn
VIC can say that it looks confused and muddied'
And when We sec that Mr. BeTstadt has painted
his giant mountain in such way that its forms are
NOT thoroueh,y ineligible, we know that it mns
he either because he did not study 1t attenuVei!
enough, or else because he has not yet the skill
paint what next to the sea shall we say, Is tic mos
difficult thing in nature TO report WIN tru'n'
Still, in spite of drawbacks OF detail, when w
are bound to notice, and all the more, let us confess
sanddly, because of the position which The arus
boldly claims for his picture, it is plain that Mr.
Bierstadt has endeavored TO see the truth OF nature
and to report il. Thus the forming OF the cloud
about the mountain top as the wind DIVES the va
pors Of the valley mp against the snowy sides ant
ever the frozen glscier-felds is represented Wltf
care and faithfulnoSs; it is not merely conventional
painting OF cloud, such as we see in nine out o
every ten academy landscapes. We should haS
been pleased, however, if the ragged edge OF tha
smoky looking cloud at the top could have bee
omitted; a bit Of clear blue sky would have bee
"A most welcome there.
kl As for the glacier We must take the artists wor
for it, knowing nothing ourselves of these myst'
rious rivers, but what Agassiz, and Desor and pho
sogrsphs have taught Us; but this one looks o
night, and adds greatly to the scientific interest
the picture. II addresses itself solely to the ey
indeed, and in no wise TO the Imagination, but III
fault, If il be fanlt, is that belongs as "
shaIl see presently, not TO any particular detail
out TO the whole picture.
The accuracy with which Mr.. Berstadt ha
peiated the Indian life in all its details, must be e'
Ii.pt 10 those who have had the opportunity OF ex
,uinine tho very fine collection of arms, imple
mepts and dresses which he brought with hin
from the West; OF who have, in any wsy, studie'
che subject Indeed this is by far the best painte
portion OF the picture; it is plain that the artist
not orly thoroughly acquainted with this part o
bis subject, but very much interested in If. An'
30 one can have seen the pictures OF animals whci
he has painted without perceiying that Mr.. Bier
stadt bias careful accurate habits Of observation
and mnoh mechanical skill; this picture OF tn
Rocky Mountains inclines us To hope that time will
develop other and higher faculties in him.
One very noticeable feature il this picture is tn
absence Of vice which spois a great many pic
tures nowadays, and which has marked to
very painful degree each of the three pictures whie
Mr.. Church has painted since tho Niagara" w
mean, the vice OF attempting to win cheap popu
lar applause b. representing nature in startling
theatrical moe !; something out Of the common
and, not only 0, but painted il way to Civ
special prominer ard importance TO this aspect o
the case. Now, from this egotism and melodramsti'
vein, Mr.. Bierstadfs picture is wholly and remark
ably free. As we have said, or intimated, tel
years hence more study and practice Will have en-
sbled him 10 paint 10 re accurately, more surely
and with more knovlecgc; but we doubt if he vii
ever paint with more Sirectness or more uncon
seriousness We de not believe il easily possible L
have painted the figures il this picture with NOR
freedom, or moro simple, unaffected nature.
The position, then, thst VIC would accord 10 Mr.
Bierstadts picture is one Of high rank in the fel(
II historical landscape Notthe highest; because
70 deserve that place, the subject shoHld be one o.