The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-07-12


girl sits over her cooking FIRE in clearing on the
bank, overhung with feathofy bamboos, and what
look like tree ferns The loneliness Of the sceneis
relieved bya couple of canoes, and glimpse
caught between the wooded islets of riverside
town or village. On the distant bank of the main
stream, beyond the forest Of the auvial plains
bordering the river, the lower spurs of the Cord-
leras rise in purple afternoon light out of the white
mists which cling to their sides and fill their ho-
lows. Beyond these is seen family the snowy
range of the Andes, and high up over all, like
huge white cloud, towers, a hundred miles away,
the white dome Of Chimborazo. so long reputed the
monarch of mountains, whether in the OLD or New
World, but now dethroned by more than ono peak
of the Himalayan dynasty. The dominant i'm
preston Of this remarkable picture ~ sui: nos;
fuxuriance Of alluvial tropical nature, heightened
by the contrast with remote, inaccessible, steriie
majesty, embodied in the cloud-hke mountain
which locks so serenely down on the teeming nie
about its base. BY the side Of the CmmD4razo,
and in our Judgment still more impressive, hangs
the picture of Cotopaxi-ths highest In that nuge
chain Of volcanoes. extinct or in action. wnicn
pierces the Andes ct narrow Intervals from Mexico
The SPECTATOR looks over table land ten thou
sand feet above the level, one Of the Pdrdnsos
Gas these plateaux are called) Of the Quito as
trict. The limestone. rock, split by fury forces
on the right into . river gorge. which gives pre-
canic lake, is thiny clothed with sparse grass ana
patches Of low shrub, and intersected by deep
raynes, Of which we must suppose several De-
tween US and the burning mountain. y! Coo.
paxi itself. represented fifty miles away. we see
only about three thousand feet Of snow-oapped
conos; five thousand feet are hidden from US ~
the cenvexity of the earth. From the fattened
smoke cloud. which, caught by the wind at Ger:
tain height above the crater. is bent down ana
rolled sideways till IL 0bsoures the eastern region
OF the sky, and half shrouds the RED disk OF the
edges Of the Andes, and are reflected in the
volcanic lake below the mountain till its
surface glows like molten copper. The western
heavens are lmpid in the morning light, and
fecked with sunny clouds. The picture demands
and viii repay the closest scrutiny. All the parts
are wonderfully finished; in particular we may
direct attention to the geological truth Of the
limestone gorge In the right foreground, to the
volcano, in successive jets, indicated and to the
exquisite subtlety in the bounding line Of the
snowy cone as it dies away into the faint blue Of
the horizon line.
These pictures will certainly sustain, and, we
think, enhance their painters deserved reputa-
ton. His is not the kind Of art most readily
apprehended, perhaps, and most congenial to the
majority of minds keeny alive to aesthetic impress
sons in which the imagination Of the painter works
its effect through few and massive means, ana
broad distribution Of light and shadow but that in
which truth is conveyed by the multiplicity OF
faithful and characteristic detail. But this multi
plicity is governed by Mr.. Church with consum-
mate skill, and the general effect is never lost
sight OF in maze of particulars. Then the paint.
ing of Mr.. Church bears the impress OF q mind
formed under influences which are plainly not
English OF European. 1t is Individual, but, at the
same time, national, and in this respect has the
very character we should ask for in American art,
if it is to be distinctly and specially productive.
There is about these pictures q combination OF
what is grand in conception with what is almost
h0mey In the accuracy and finish OF parts, OF
which we seem to see the equivalent in other
manifestations of American genius. In the same
gallery will be found very true and spirited pic
ture on large scale (eight feet by seven feet,
by Mr.. Hayes, the best animal painter, we under
stand, in the United States, Of bison bull,
which, disabled by an Indians arrow, has
fallen behind the herd, and il turning with savage
eyes and frothing muzzle, to face herd Of Looping
prairie wolves. There is great vigor in the paint
ing of the huge brute's shaggy sides and lumplsh
head; and the prairie vegetation, the sky, with a
red twilight CLEAN on the horizon, passing into
slaty bank of cloud relieved against clear evening
gold, and the eager yet cowardly action OF the
pursuing wolves, all show close study of nature,
and power in its delineaton. As matter OF
course, we should rather have had the subject
treated ON smaller SCALE but size has its tempta.
tions to the painter here as well as in the United
| States.
Here are also series Of statuette groups. cast
| from the clay of Mr.. John Rogers, Q young, but
deservedIy rising New York sculptor. The sub.
| iects are all suggested by the late Thus we
| have .'The Wounded to the Rear-One Shot more,
| q file of volunteer soldiers, one binding up his
wounded leg, the other taking Q cartridge from
| his pouch and in the act of loading his gun for
a last crack, in spite OF his disabled arm.
| "The Friend in Need" wounded federal
scout, the veins Of one arm swollen under pressure
| by o rude tourniquet closing wound above the
| elbow, succoured in the swamp by q runaway
| negro The Confederate Fugitives," Southern
family come to cast in their lot with the federas,
| the male figure a masterpiece Of character and
| expression; the Post Office, with woman receiv-
| ing news from the war. "How the fort was
| TAKEN volunteer returned home and explain
ing to his father, old blacksmith, who leans on
| his anvil, eagerly following the explanation the
soldier is giving him by the aid OF horse shoe
and nails for attacking fort and guns, and redau
| formed by file and hammer, to represent the rs
Ali these groups have the refreshing and unmis
takeable stamp of nationality upon them, and are
admirable for life and spirit Of action c!everness
| of grouping, and truth Of expression. This Is bet
ter work for the plastic artist than initiating an
| tique nudities, or outworn sophcisms. Here, al
| least he has themes that come home to the heart
| of his critics, and breathing models In the world
| around him.
Tom Thumb and Friends 1T Court.
[From the London Post, June 26l
| On Saturday afternoon, BY command Of bel
| Majesty, General and Mrs. Tom Thumb, with theil
infant daughter. Minnie Warren stratton, and &C
! rem, arrived ct Windsor Castle, for the purpose o.
giving performance before the members Of the
royal family. The General and his party had beer
| performing In the course Of the week ct the Wind
sor Theatre, and had left for town, but on receiv
ing the Queens commands the little people imme.
distsly returned. On reaching the castle they
were 1t once conducted to Of the private STATE
apartments, known a. the "Rubens' ROOM" OF
the north side OF the palace, and where for many
years the theatrical performance took place. II
this room their Royal Highnesses Princesses Louise
and Beatrice and Prince Leopold were seated II
front Of the platform and surrounded by the ladies
and gentlemen OF the Court, among whom were thu
Duchess Of Roxburge, Lord Methuen, Lord Charles
Fitxroy, Sir T. M. Biddulph and Lady Biddulph
Lady Caroline Darlington, the Hon. Flora Mac
donald, the Hon. H. Stopford, the Hon. Mrs
wellesley, &c. The performance commenced
Tom Thumb with q song, my Native Land.
This was followed by "lmpersonations Of Bill.
O'Rourke" and Napoleon Bonaparte" by Genera
Tom Thumb. Mrs. Stratton, the Generals wife
then introduced her infant daughter. The pro
| rramme also embraced Q duet, 1.-The Lover
Quarrel" sung by General and Mrs. Tom Thumb
a song, "The Captain with his Whiskers," by Mrs