The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-16
TIE nnMEs OF The eREAI YOSEMITE.
nditor of fho Bvenino 7eleoraph.

II the writer OF TINS article were 10 IOlOW
he usage consecrated by time and tradition.
he would have to commence his remarks by
making complimentary alluson to the valuable
space OF your journal, and indulge in num-
Der Of apologies for venturing to enoroach upon
it's columns. ! shall do neither; for your recent
exhaustive essays upon the Fine Arts las repre-
sented in the present annual exhibition OF our
Academy have abundantly proved that the
interest you feel in matters pertaining to the
arts is sufficiently strong to warrant the belief
that you will insert this mmunication.
am one of the few who have faith in the
artistic abilities of American painters, and be-
Ieve that a generous RECOGNITION OF their merits
should be fairly accorded them Among the
names of those that are found at the head OF
the list of fine landscape artists is Albert Bier
stadt; and, until the other day, great many
unsophsticatel persons believed that he was
capable Of producing work of some merit
and there were some few to be found who backed
their ideas on the subject by paying thousands
of dollars for his productions. Unfortunate
creatures! how drcadfully narrowed will they
be after perusal of the slashing criticism that
appeared in last Saturdays New York Tribune
on this artists last painting 1t may be pertl-
pent to the subject in hand to state. for the
benefit of the unn9Ated, that there are two
WAYS of being considered successful critic
The first manner is to be delighted with every
thing to distribute praise right and left, to wrihe
and grOvel before works that are from the
easels of celebrated painters. This is one way
of writing about paintings, and it has been made
TO pay but our critical friend Of the Tribune
seems to consider the other method the best, for
reasons best known TO himself Consequently
he wields trenchant blade, and is merciless to
those who have not taken pains to conciliate
him after the fashion he likes best. There are,
then two styles of criticism, and in like man
ner there are two classes of critics. In the first
class we shall place the man who, having studied
the works OF the best masters in all countries,
draws as result of their study this lesson-that
inl all Conscientious efforts to reproduce the
beautiful in nature, certain amount of good is
to be found; in fact, a critic of this class feels
large share of Sympathy with all who endeavor
to represent nature in poetic sense, and never
thinks OF preaching from a fanciful eminence to
the abashed crowd of art-ioilowers as the in
ferior art critic would do.
Our second.class writer Is distinguished from
the first by this great feature-he knows abso.
lutely nothing in reference to nature, and, for
great forte is hippancy, and this is a very strong
point indeed. How easy 1t is Tor such an one
to examine in few minutes the work of an
artist who has, perhaps, given months upon
months to the development of the subject, ana
then, with few lines of witty scrbbIing, con-
sign both artist and picture to the contemptuous
smiles of the public! Our carping friend of the
Tribune belongs to this category; but he over.
hfs l ho Ia; Ii;
Bierstadt from the estimation in which he is
held by amateurs
The Domes of the Yosemite is now on exhi-
bitOn IN New York for the benefit of a South
ern relief fund, and the lady managers OF the
exhibition have a printed description of the
work scattered around the room, in order to ex-
plain the points of interest of the picture to
visitors. few com plmentary illusions are
there to be found in reference to merits of the
artists, and these laudatory remarks seem 20
have had maddening effect upon the temper
OF our critical friend. l extract from his own
article the remarks from the printed descrip-
ton that excites his ire. Here they are:--
Famous as other paintings of Mr. Bierstadt have
the highest admiration ever accorded to mis- genius
The sngeness Of Its idea the submIty of its subject
and deludes with its seemingly endless aerial dis
IL i
1ul, and the untalterng artist"
To those who have looked with unqualified
admiration upon this artists sublime production
of "The Storm in the Rocky Mountains this
does not seem by any means too great need of
praise to accord to one who is certainly con-
sclentous student OF nature, and yet it is over.
poWer'ng in its effect for with concentrated
spite does the writer in the Tribune exclaim;-
Why Mr.; Berstadt should think for IA moment O
@ aeIlns, Nun M such packers as this all over land
plain case Of flying in the face of Providence We
"ish' with all our hearts he would falter."
am sorry that cannot agree with the wish
so heartily expressed, but, on the contrary
fervently pray that an artist of such power anC
ability as Mr.. Bierstadt may long continue t.
give us such delightful renditions of nature,
charms as may be found in this last great worl
OF the Yosemite. Lovers of nature have al
ways been solemnly impressed with the abnn
dance of beauty that the Creator has Iayisbe
on all lands The apparent waste of loveline.
that grows and decays in solitude is a lesso
for us all, impresslng us as it does with tn
illimitable resources of our Heavenly Fathe,
who renders the most inaccessible retreat
monuments of His glory and His goodness
Fancy, for a moment, the woodland gler
where the foot of man has never :,
crushed the modest daisy or tran
pied upon the waving ferns. The howe
bud and grow in beauty. The chequered su
light silvers here and there the murmuril
river, and we cannot look thereon. To tho
who pass their lives in the study and resear
of these beauties, we owe debt of gratitude