, 1864-01-12

Report of tho Fine Arts Committee OF
The New York HlStof1cal SoclctJ.

Among the reports presented to the New
York Historical Society at Its recent annual
meeting was ono by the Committee on the
Fine Arts, which beautifully describes the
4rogressEof art in the United States during
the war. 1t was read on behalf Of the Com
mittee BY William ]. Hoppin. After some
subjects, the committee reported as follows:
Before closing their report the committee
desire to say q word upon the relations be-
tween the subject which they have to some
extent IN charge, and the great war in which
the Iation Is engaged So far, the arts Of
heroisn1, patriotic devotion, the noble chari-
ties OF the North, or-what, alas! must In
numbcrless cases perish from the rcmem-
brance of men without any record-the IN
imaginable sutlcrings and the glorious mar
t, rdoms Of the loyalists Of the South. The
pencil and the ehisei have done infinitely less
tLan the pen In perpctuating all these
things. Indeed, no war which was ever
wnged has been SO thoroughly described in
litcrary way as will be this gigantic struggle.
No war ever enrolled among its soldiers so
many men who nre skilled In the art Of COM
position, The vast numbers of private let
tess, diaries. communications to newspapers,
official reports, pamphlets, apologies, Of this
nr that General, besides the more ponderous
md formal histories, will make the 1fternture
Of this revolution more copious and atllucnt
than that Of any war TINT WINS ever xagcd-
State has already completed between thirty
md forty thick folio volumes entirely filed
with clippings from newspapers alone, and
many Other persons are making similar col
1ectfon6.
s'But The pictorial method Of preserving
memorials Of this war hns BEEN either neglect
I'd or ai,nsed. It ia truc that The illustrated
newspapers arc full Of sketches purporting to
he pictures Of Important scenes; but the tcs-
timony of parties engaged shows that these
reprcsentafions are, when they arc not taken
from photographs, not always reliable The
desire Of producing striking effects some,,,
times overcome all other considerations, and
Tic truth is now and then sacrificed to the
demand for dramatic actton or pleasing
MAY Of light aud shadow, Many Of these de-
signs are Of little value, excepting ns studies
Of costume. Some Of them are positively
i ing and fabufous. Il all the terrific hand
to-hand encounters which VIC have seen TOR
two or three years displayed in the pages Of
cur popular weck1ies had actually. occurred,
the combatants on each side would long ago
have mutually annihilated each other. like the
famous cats Of Irish history.
1.-THE photographers have made by fsr the
most important additions to the pictorial his
tory Of the war. They have prosecuted their
undertakings under circumstances Of great
difficulty and eycn danger, running the risk
Of having their dark chambers converted into
ambulances, or destroyed By hostile shells.
But the caution and dcnberntion required 1or
successful views Of this sort are obyionsiy
impracticable in the confusion OF battle,
md therefore It Is not surprising tnat NhaL
we have. hitherto obtained 10 nus WY nus
been little pesiaes q fepfesenta1lon ol taat
awful "stlif me- WINCH Inc pialn ELBOWS alae1
the con1lc1 Is over.
we nope that mo1e attenuon W VIZ 4,9 ~ Pa4l Prl
by the higher af1lsts 10 sunlGcls q tlus T solt
In future. II Is well knoHn mat Holaee VET
net, WHO has gwen Inc most sal9AAe P!ctltss
OF the French campaign IN Alsiers ana else-
where, made personal stndles OF tne scenes
he painted: we arc Elad 70 near tnal oae ot
our OWL ustlngnishea palnleIs ans lae inten M.'..
tlon TO illustrate the famous battle Of Chat
tcnooga by visiting INC spoI anu segiag Win
bis own eyes the remarkable natuiai iSa.ules
OF the scenery "ihen maee that cunniee not
only one OF 1he poloesI out atso tna nost
pictorial IN thc Afstory o. "aT: -.
"But SO fur, as we have already Eaid, PM PM
little has been done IN 1his "ay; WIN tne
exception OF Leutze.s clear poEtralt ol baEn-
e1de. 1e" excenen. gsonPs,, II sr9a sn1.;,o ~
AoqeeTs, nnu lH9 oI tnlee spaIa.eu oaaMtnSe
| by uarley ana Eastma1 eonnson, Sns,n5s esSass,cts
ans lhlng ms ueGn piuuuccu u I'LL cnA Auiths;
character iuns1fat1ng Tue WIT
But whatever may 20 the failure OF LIS
extraordinary struggle TO INSPIRE our nItlsts
with the desire to record its history, y,s.l u y
euch immense amounts Of treasure andcausc
such widespread Anxiety ana sof1oW, ~ na: