New-York tribune., 1867-10-11
FINE 1RTS.
CONSTANT MAYER's LOVES MELANCHOLY.

CONSTANT MAYERs LOVES MELANCHOLY.
J. Quincy & Soa have published a chrome
photographic copy of a picture by Constant Mayer
which was one of the few good ones in the Academy
exhibition of 1866. young German girl stands in
meditative attitude with downcast eyes, her hands
lightly crossed before her and holding flower the
evening wind gently plays with her pale, golden
hair and her not very handsome but pleasant, honest
face ia slightly c0uded with expression that
savors is seems 10 U.s. rather OF discomfort tAan Oi
mcIancholv We have called it good picture, ana
il is so the artist has tried 10 tell his story with SIM
plicy and with truth TO nature. Iuele Is 10 stItl.
ing for effect and aiicctatlOn ana IL tlc aItls6
las failed as we think no has, IN fully answering
The expectation raised by the tlte he has chosen lOr
his picIre we can believe that h0 mas not iaeu iOr
want of trying and that he has not attempted 10 put
MS OF with costume and accessories. 10 our mind
tbc rcture ia agreeable by virtue Of its large sim
plicy: thero is excellent drawing IN IT, both OF the
figure and of drapery; the hands, too, are wen
drawn and characteristic, at dlce DELEGATE ana
strong aud belong of right 20 this bOunliul youth-
fnl figure The color Of the picture, though II mas
the modern German vice. is better than usual; and,
if remember the picture Slilcienuy 10 spear
with certainty we should say that 1t has been iost
faithfully followed by the photographer, Mr.. fapro-
nina Chromo-lithomaphy Is most useful invention.
and we are heartily glad to see the rapid progress
that is being made In pertectngi 1T on TINS SIDE tho
wafer
We venture TO speak fpenmanshipa las 4 fine art
although in these days Of steel pens and gold pans 1t
has so fallen from its high estate that we shall proba-
bly be laughed at for doing But there was time
when the manuscript page written with good pen OF
reed or Quill. and with excellent ink. quite wor-
thy Of the beautiful border with its delicate or spen-
didcolorth surrounded n. Even when illuminated
manuscripts had ceased TO be produced, driven ont
by the invention I'd printing the profession Of the
Law stll preserved its traditions and gave wlle en-
ploymcut ~ multitude ot trained ana shIliul SCH
eners whose beautiful text. clear a. " engraved on
"a
and It's German Italian character gave 10 even an
indictment on Il warrant AZ AR OF almost Spanish
coartosy and added new charm 10 The attractions OF
u titlc-drrd. There was iimc' 700, Wneh ho4,
chants tool, pTde IN wrlinga least !egDl haid ana
il staid that even sermons used % be written IN 50
clear pgnmauanp that The F0Od men VINO WIO'c
thcm could read them fho second time as easily as
the first. Bat this day has passed away completely,
and il has been reserved for tins generation 10 ai-
uOuncc the doctrine tlat good hahu Is a sigh OF
moral and mental weakness. This doctrine has been
orthodox so long. that man who can read ms own
writing after il Is dry is hardly able 10 command any
position of responsibility. But there are signs OF
reaction and, indeed the reiOmeT5 have put que5-
tuu that cannot easily be answered. w nat j. tAo
u.rr they saw "Of writing nj all, If what ~ written
cannot he read. even by the writer" (" To which
poser no answer has yet been made although sew
eIal of the most famous men OF the tne' anu ny con
sequence The very worst penGn a9 pen INA o'''s
One of the sturdcst and pucklost OF the
refomers, is Miss johnson, Young lazy
she teaches penmanship after very simple, but, az
fLe same time very slire process at her rooms III
Miner d SOmcrylllos new building on the corner N
Fourtecnth-st. and Broadway. We have takoh pans
10 examine this Syshm thoroughly ana nave lOund
il all that Miss Johnson asserts 1t is There 49, how
ever machinery, nothing roundaOout nor intricate
i'm the system Miss JOhnsOns main reliance Is on he
own clear and thoroughly Scnblble directions ana crit
icem and on tho intelligent falthiulnesS ol her
pupils. They are not ~ bc magnetlIcd INTO Sooi
handwriting they are TO work for 1t but II they VIII
do their part the teacher Will be Justlned IN assuring
them that good handwriting Is WITHIN ther power
Miss johnson brings tho very highest recOnmeh-
datiOn both for character ana capacity rom our
bost men aud wOmen and while lt - not our way
10 leave tho beaten track aud advertise any one 5
affairs in an editorial columns, we have been SO nuCh
pleased with this ladys Idau of teaching IN particu
lar and we much Interested IN the elOIis 10
help themselves Of women III general that we nave
no hesitation in begging Few hundred OF the pcOplo
who every day, write MS illcgb0 letters, asking US
10 print accompanying illegibe manuscripts 10 JON
Miss JOhnsons Writing classes, and 80 90 httio TO
Tighten our editorial load.
Mr.. II. r. Lux of No. 2G0 Delancey-st. has shown
us n specimen of his skill in painting on porcelain
which is so much better than what is ordinarily seen
that we take pleasure in speaking of it. The plate
brought for our inspection carried n portrait of
Gen. Shaer an excellent likeness. and painted with
GOOD deal of spirit. Mr.. Lux is ready 20 receive
orders TO paint portraits separate pieces of
porcelain, cups plates. dishes Nc or on services ior
dinner or tea This Is, OF course not the most arts
tic way OF decorating porcelain, but IT. Is VeS od
way nevertheless, and ~ not without lts auEahags
With all its fraglity there is nothing more mpeIis
able than crockery, and plate painted by Mr. Lax,
if not untimely cracked by servants, may reasonably
be expected TO survive the crack OF DOOM
Our readers may like to hear candid and intelli-
gemt English opinion Of the pictures by American
artists in the French Exposition. We quote the fol-
lowing from the Atheneum:
The order OF the Catalogue OF this great gathering next
conpes TO examine the Art OF the United States OF
America, which may be described under two heads tl
that which Is French IN origin as IN hhtnre secondly
that which prose. Tho latter class cOnprehends nch
that Is valuable mnch that Is interesting but as II aims
10 typographical In landscape and merely illustrative
In ngure-panting, IS by means or the highest I'M
portaDce when we reckoning up the wealth OF lho
world In Art with this class rank the large Op0Sraph
cal and meteorological landscapes or Messr' ChurCh,
"The Falls Of Niagara" "1he Rainy Season III the
Tropics" and, inferiorly 10 the last as less eeSiVey
achieving common aim, Mr.. Bierstadts Inc Eocky
Mountains'-Mr j. T. CtOpsey's" Mount Jefferson New
Hampshire" These arc spectacular pictures OF t COM
mon sort scenes on smaller SCALE ana NaluunH III
their way Better In painting and finer IN sentiment th
these Il Mr.. j. Ilarts River TuuXs, Connecticut u
bright landscape. showing "A gently flowing HIeaH' US
meadows aud trees. Ia Ny. Kcn'etts Lake George
Autumn" 10 tho besattiug opacity Of United St''','