New-York tribune., 1867-03-12
FINE ARTS.
,p. porHEeMEL's REPUBLICAN COURT IN THE TIME
OF LINCOLN"


absurd and snobbish title had led us to expect The
ttIo il absurd because, by the very nature Of our
Covcrnment there can be no court in this country |
nor ANYTHING resembling one; it is snobbsh because
II argues on the part Of those who use the term
willingness if the thing itself cannot be ad 10 nave
a pnchbeck imitation OF 1t.
In Washngtons time there was, indeed, something
like Court for the first President tried to give an
outward dignity TO the office he held by insisting on
certain forms and ceremonies 1t may be remembered
that soon after his election he addressed letters 10
John Adams then Vice-President. and also 10 Nadl-
son, Jay, and Hamilton. asking their advice with
regard to the establishment OF an Official etlquette
in the intercourse between the President and the
people and he early fixed upon certain personal
behavior TO Indicate the different degrees OF respect
in which he held those who were introduced
TO him. Thus, ho only gave his hand TO Official
persons TO ladies' and TO his intimate friends re-
ceiyng all others with certain frlgldlty, WHICH,
it were not natural to him. he knew very wen no" 10
assume, standing erect, with hishands behind him.
dressed with punctilious care in a costume of rich
materials black velvet coat and breeches SILK STOCK
inrs. a lace neckerchef, and powdered hair' vi
course it was not difficult, in that early tune, TO
maintain this ordered, and somewhat prim, reserve
New-York and Philadelphia were villages, and the
people were villagers all Americans, quiet, God
fearing and the powers-that- respecting people;
and neither in these towns nor In Washington City,
which was then amere backwoods settlement, was
there any such mob as in these later days nvades all
sanctties even in the very Holy of Holies the East
Room spts freely as in its own domestic circle ahu
once year. picks the carpets, wall paper anu cur
tains into shreds, and carries them away thus piece
meal as memorials and proof of its pilgri mage we
have changed all this; and in Mr.. Lincolns day there
was no vestige of the Court of the hrst fresi-
dent Mr. Lincoln represented tho Democratic idea;
tho idea of the true not the sham Democracy-ln
its simple purity As thorough gentleman as
George Washington. he very different from tnat
great man in all external things and while dignity
nor courtesy ever failed him, each was inamfested
in way not borrowed authorized by any con-
vention; a way inimitabe; Abraham Llncolns own
noble and beautiful manners those TfS 1So hau Da siog
among his peers could be more at MS ease than MT
Lincoln in whatever society; yet we Imagine that II
sons as this when he taking what he called,
with such depth of meaning and such humor, his
public PPn ooRes and 0r kid Sove s0 R
whether he would or no, laid aside his
spontaneity for while But he never was really
awkward. he had too much modesty and too much
pride for that: his kindly humor. his simple great
ness dffnsed itself through tho crowd; the magnet
ism of his touch. the manly tenderness of his fine
eyes made every man and woman his friend, and it
may be doubted whether the receptions Of any Presi
dent within memory have been 80 pleasant as those
OF Mr. Lincoln. But there was nothing in these
receptions nothing in the host and hswife certainly
nothing i'm the guests, that in the least rcsenbled
Court heLefcre we object M s'rphsy az the VsTy
Derby has given 30 this picture and We hope that,
il is to be engraved, ii will be called, SIMPLY, "
Reception at the White House III the time OF Lin
cOno ,
Except in the general similarity Of the two titles,
we do not discover any reason why tins picture
should be brought into comparison with Mr. Hunt
ngton's unfortunate Republican Court In the Time
OF Warrington But, as II - expressly announced
companion 10 that performance, we may say
tf.I -, MI atir yul
drawing in naturalneSs, II ~ altogether superior.
Brought into comparison with hT Himtngt0hs
picture as standard It Is 10 much better that ~
might deserve TO be called positively fine work
but then. do not propose TO judge u by any such
low criterion. The picture must stand OF fall meas
Pictures Of the class 20 which this beionp ~ have
comparatively little interest as works OF art for they
appear To be rather manufactured 10 SUIT supposed
popular demand. than 10 be created by any poetic or
artistic impulse. The class is getting TO be largo
one. aud suppose the business OF making hnd eN-
hibiting them aud the selling OF the cngfaNlngS
afterward must be profitable one, else II would not
be pursued with such persistency Criticism, how
ever has relation O any merely mercantile aspects
Of its subjects. and must Therefore approach every
of these compositions with adctcfininhton t0see
how far il fulfls the conditions imposed upont by ITS
subject II such things are asked for by the public
if it thinks il worth while 10 spend It's money for pic
uTes Of this class. We will do what We can to bring
painters and engIayers up 10 what we think The true
standard. that although lovers of art we hold
these things in small esteem. they may be made AS
nearly worthy of respect is possible.
Mr. ROthcrncls picture is by far the best OF !
the long list of similar pictures that have been
painted in our country. The colOring Is quite |
agreeable, and the effects are gained by purely |
natural and simple means There ~, we think We |
may truly say nothing theatrical affected either
in the general disposition of the groups, or in the
action of the separate figures 10 is by means an
easy thing to bring into one picture of moderate |
dimensions so many OF the marked men and women |
Of any particular period, and put them into natural |
attitudes with due regard both 10 their individual
characters and their respective Importance. The |
most splendid the most successful example Of the fit
Hemicyce" the only really Interesting PICTURE Of
the class we know but that fine work hna |
serious faults of prejudice personal and national of
Injustice no doubt unconscious and OF failure To
aDprecate certain great ones of the earth a their
true value If DearOchc has not in all respects salts
fled the conditions Of such work how can we OK.
pect smaller men to do it, with smaller subject
We DO not expect u; we thhK we i9iH estimate tne
difficulties of the task nay, we hold them actually
insurmOuntlblc
The real center of this picture is neither Mr. Lin
coin nor Mr. Seward-though it rather the Minister
than the President-but Mr. Chase He ~ advancing |
directly toward the spectator down the middle OF tho
ROOM having his daughter, Mrs. Senator Sprague, on
his arm. On the left of the picture Mr. Seward, |
dressed with his traditional care stands IN Jaunty
attitude before Mr. Edward Everett on the arm OF |
whose chair Mrs. Gould lIoyt is leaning AT tho |
other side of the picture Mr.. Lincoln is shaking |
hands with Mrs Gen Grant, who has just been intro
duced by her husband. Mrs. Lincoln, who stands ut
the Presidents left is payfully tapping Gen. Scott
on the shoulder with her fan. This s the main dis
position of the groups, and il is sufficiently natural
We think that Mr. Stanton is not given the Proml-
ncnt position due him. while both Scott ana Everett
are done more than justice to. " -,
But there is a more important point, In which this
picture fails and fails decidedly that t almost
suffices TO make the whole work OF no historical
value. There il not really good likeness TO be iound
among all these heads: with the exception OF sueh
prominent characters as Seward and Scott u would
be difficult to recognize the different indindaaas;
and they very poorly painted beside, Mr. Rother-
mel apparently having no power whatever To put ex-
preston into the human face. In this respect he
falls very far behind such common place
painter aS Jrumbull whose pictures the signing