New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-12

KS
go, ntbcr causes of the depression of American
art Mr. Tucke1man enumeratcs the promlseuous
,itI which its professors are too often in
r,l H., tl,ir ignorant admirers They are fed with
m,kisb doses Of newspaper praise, and the culoSles
IF n.rsonal friends till tlrsir heads are turned by
odotion and they resent every judicous censGre CT
,b,ir works as a private ailront. Mt 1ucScInan
ILL contends for the exercise Of just and impartial
criticism. lie deems it the first duty OF lover OF
ort in this country to practice Discrimination. In
fins we entirely agree with him. Let the lash he
vigorously laid on pretension and careless perform
ancc. Only the CALLED jade will vince No man
with the soul of true artist is gratifed with unmer-
tied applause or shrinks from just analysis OF his
powers. OF criticism Of his works"
Passing 10 Mr. Tuckorman's biographical sketches
which include q wide space of tfme, and singular
variety of character we give our readers side view
of his nortratuTe of Jarvis early painter who was
in his prime rs a contemporary of Irving and Pauld-
ing nearly half a century ago The Bohemian phases
of his life are admirably depicted as fellows
Among the numerous ecooDtTcities Of Jarvis was c
tGe mutudr: and 20 this haludc Of mind we must al
tiibute his pervclse denial III great merit to stunt,
though it rsg have originated IN that artists "aitnt
toroitopf his own Youthful aspirations one OF us
fIyoTIte books was the Life Of Moreland, whom DC
drcnled character akin 10 his own. For many years.
Jarvis ann laly made professional tour to the south;
his s,Iif5s we're I'm constant requsou; vagahondage
was irtRfyc; auecdote > tOrte: by tuus extra'aSnt
and Iaiol; ois dramatic and domeS ic almost destitute
~ what The Psychologists call the organ ct otueI -
Nv instinct convyia 10y temperament, capable OF lsot
0 t M effects vet iprudrut aud reckless, wli L"sts
of acqU9utauces, Keen observation, l1cNprcssic 'ti
violent prciudires, and genial feic" shp-c tit ~
man. q known through still current anecdotes an" tse
reie nal nisceUccs OF his iuiirates Is Tar ivV NJ
character Than painter his words are more Nll ~
li, pictures his personal qualities more salient @ ss
professional for the ica we FORM OF JartIs as Who
Linn several memorable chaf@tteis Lliii" ~ ma
affect the oddities Of human nature; he Ienns u
sometimes OF AbeIe,hy ava sohGuc ,d ~ b, love of
Hook OF FuSeh ana again or JciIolu, III III ',or
uotOrety his fantasy IN costume, ms TrnarkaDo
saiiOna talents aud initiative ski. MS ilhd OF aluNb
sforics ms ndepcndcnt habits, costly dinners. ana III
urnvised suppers and the variety Cf ChmAcVeTS Wiz
Which he ia cgltict, are hlil NiNldy lNoi"4VI
aud have i'm "a InauueI caused the artist 10 disappear III
the b0nn-cnmpauion Ills way Of lie favored ths PR
,r Iis strdio I'm New-York was the fnvo-te haunt OK
lie wits; and in winter, he the welcome guest oi;
,as ever meeting with curious adventures, and adding
% his stock of facetious dramatic narratives; rs
artistic iirpcmcnts aud domestic utcrsiisalr tc, ~ al
condition., dccatcrs dresses, cradle an easel mnSlgu
glasses, hooks, lay bsHleS-lieAtllc2Nt G1nIuSUi 4
fines ricturcsqnc. hut rarely comfortable; yet anu.
these lrilapheIusa OF art and economy the richest
zed-c.uvas hacks cafen with one lfonged loih' "i
rare wines drunk without The ai5 oil colksCic", it
rrcorizcd AZ one time by ms long cont trimmed WIN
docs: now 10y tie daudyn, and NOW 10y The slovcnucss
,ii had beeY fatal 10 Jarvis: doubtless his
many of his ilJo,aU ft descriptions The rGic
Of snSh life S S9 San ce he t o etdd
sccoutrol. and foresight but, Wltial jaws, s ms
friendly bogapler boasts, was no hypocnte or sNt3
raut his comic powers and tales OF uaNccl WIN
lis abors artist are among me curious so.lu p
TONED by fashion; aud the deeper insight aud more gcnI
allied experience 81 sciculhc era h' lo w.
slpated the popular falaey That genus j. 'l,o.
to rcckessness, and ~ pursuit e arr ana 9teialuc
valid excuse for despsug the Wholesome uS'ilANo "
social conformity.
In striking contrast to this picture Of an irregular
Genius. whose brilliant endowments flashed ftiuily
over the habiual wrctchedness of an unlicensed ca
reor we present charming sketch Of youthful al
fist whose recent death has coudcd an early promise
Of no less excellence as a man tLan Of distinction rs
an artist
William Henry Furness. born in Philadelphia, Pa, IN
1901 te sop of ne Key william H. Furess, the highly
gifted aud much.beloved Unitarian Cvlne Of that city,
grew ny, when love OF at had beeun to manifest
itself around him; he was familiar WIN several me GO"
lectiOus Of pictures and he heard thor rIts discus,
Ivy intelligent men and women; WIN pure inSihe l9r
tue beautiful ana IemalkaDle uPrsNlns ~. W., 49,,
lac early seized the latent charm and IFecaltd lhe
higher prlnclpiV, ol aIN anu iio' 49, ~ - ~
IN, site and school education, ne u'ltIh'i'" D."
bis vocation every aid and encouragement was Afforded
hin. He soon became an accomplished draughlshdn,
went abroad ard studied az y, a. ~
tablsied himself as portrait P.iner ~ me n' 80
and had taken the highest rank in MS profession ""n Ne
love and praise ot We Euun pug. Wiz, ~. VIZ ~ ,r
VCuuc artists-WhCu, D. his ioIIcih ycal, on e tlh "l
Sa16 itc7 he dicd m his residence az Cambridge. from
sidI, attgrl Of dse,,.c 81 the heart. induced Joy
were cold, symptoms Of which lad previously MANIFESTED
Ills father said Of him. In a sermon, after his death
lie NE not only slnsuh4y hay was, ln very
point view, great success ABOUT ihe age "l t'A '
when he left rb0ol he went into couutIu groom. A-r
wears service there he came 90 mt remember III u7
II we're ycstordayaud told me- that be should never nlc
coed ll Iu,.nc-s-tnat could not possibly iccocct
prices why then, asked, do you not DO what luh
want 10 dor May g he asked ln return. Certainly
replied And without day delay hc took 10 MS pen
eli and his earliest efforts received among YOU orar
! friends, such kindly encouragement, ana hc IaMdF
gained such name for the 1dcy 81 his likencs'r' an
crayon That be soon urged BY friends IA brooklyn
90 there and thence he went 10 Boston where c found
30 much occupation in crayondrtwing that after itr
dcHce OF two or iAr,c yeaIh H. tna e,y ii,'s ,eiy l
ply all the while, he was not only Wholly lndep-uoc.
wille yet hardly more than hOy,-hc WAS enabled TO
accumulate the means Of a more thWi Two yt1is To-.
dece abroad. whittier be went, studying in Dusseldorf
and Munich, Dresden ana Venice. His course WAS so Ia
outward circumstance were concerned Us smooth -
When he was a child, and occasionally ill., some Of the
household there were, who Thought IT hardly To he de
sired that he should get wei az was uhcut 10 IELc
how with his delicate nature he was over 10 make Als
way through the rough world But as the years came
and passed. he vas never under the necessity OF maAg
his way His way was made Tor HIM Ana le passed
through the earlier period OF ms lfe and indeed through
his whole life bird through the air, as beam Of
lieht; only he asked very seriously, whether
ness and duty what was delightful 10 him. Yes. n
mere worldly point Of view, his life was very success
full He was rich, IN that he had no desires that ran be
yOnd his means ana III otleI iesptcl9 .ncIc I VIZ
| few have the privilege which lac possessed
! OF comforting and blessing others more bouhlI
! fully than IL in their power 10 express In
| repeated instances he was, as II seemed TO those
most interested supenauraly successful ~ restOr
ing the lfeke images Of the dead when he had rot
known them in life, that survivors poured out their very
hearts linn In thankuness, and no one ever received
more touching expressions OF gratitude than he When
We recall these Instances now can we have the Thought
that he been of that his life not TO HIM,
1t was 10 US. a rich full, most generous blessing!
IL was not account Of any extraordinary ability
an artist that he wonderfully successful in such
| cases. Other artists he used TO say might do the
same but they tciH not 10 very painful work
hm,-yery exhaustDg; and again and again he on
the point Of resolving decline all such attempts but his
human sympathy was too strong allow him to make
the resolve And when he undertook tho work his whole
/ might, mind, soul, and being were thrown into it,
American art lost one of It's pure and promising
yOtaiies by the death Of Furness Educated in atO-