New-York tribune., 1867-04-23
FINE ARTS.
DORE's ILLUSTRATED RInIE.

DORI's ILLUSTRATED BIBLE.
We have received from Walter Low & Co. eIeyeu
additional numbers UV-XIy) of ",rhe Holy Bible,
with Illustrations by Gustaye Dore." This is tho
English edition, published in London by Cassell,
Peter tS Galpin" Whether the wood-cuts in this
reprint reproductions of the French engravings
or are printed from electrotype plates or are simply
impressions from the original wood blocks. purchased
by the English house and bound up with their
English text. arc unable to learn. We see on 0ns
of the cuts The Giving OF the Law upon Mount
Sinai" part VIII, the signature of the well-known
cngrayer w. j. LntOn-am Englishman whom. for
the present, We are happy TO call an American--bue
for the rest they lall signed with the names of
ferionty to the original cuts with which.
by the kindness of Mr.. Christern, we have
been able to compare them closely OF course, as
there great difference between the price OF the
original French edition and that of this English Amer
ican reprint, there must be some inferiorlty some
where, and anybody who viii examine the original
at Mr.. Clriserns will quickly see where this infe
riOrity consists. The French Bible" is one of the
most sumptuOus of modern printed books Tho
paper is Ofthe very finest the print beautifully large
and clear, the page ample with eyedellghting Width
of margin and each page ornamented with elaborate
borders and ornamental diyiding-line between tho
columns. Indeed, between the two editions there
is in one sense comparison: for all that the In
glish publisher has tried to reproduce is the llusra-
tOns; competition with the splendor OF the book IT
SELF its paper and printing he has by no means at
tempted. His paper is excellent, the type Is largo
and clear, such as we are used to IN Engsh bIHes'
and we are free to say we like the absence OF Mr.
Jacquemarts borders quite as well as their presence
Perhaps on the whole. the majority of Americans
and English would think the reprint quite as service
able the original even II 1t cannot be allowed SO
AS for the illustrations we find them as might have
been expected, very unequal. Dore has been SO ex-
travaganty over-rated that tasks diverse and inl-
possible have been set before him, as If he were
demi-gOd OF, perhaps god indeed, to whom & 1t does
oyster: and people accept with amusing confidence
a Bible" from him, or a "Munchausen." Now let
a man would call upon to illustrate Bible, or
Dante if he were to think little; for certainty TO
illustrate book man must understand at least IN
essential in that book and no one can look at Dores
illustrations to either the Bible" or Dante" and
have Sy '' not been delivered to weakness they
have at least been delivered to one who has
no real sympathy with what is greatest In
them. We say this, not IN any spirit oil re-
proach-for those who deeply care for or even IN
part understand, either the Bible or Dante, must,
from the very nature OF the case be Few ana pore Is
no to blame for trying his hand at these books
at the energetic call of his publisher than any man
who mistakenly tries tasks he is untitled for than
Mr. Ruskin, for instance. for wearying us and him
self over Political Economy" or Mr. Tupparfor try
ing to- continue" "Chrlstabel" Ills a Thousand
piiies man OF genius like Mr.. Ruskin will dismomt
from Pegasus, which he can turn and WIND as can
few other men alive to belabOr the sides OF mere
terrestrial donkey; and 1t is as many ptles that
man of Dore's gift, who rides donkeys divlnely,
shonld insist ON trying to mount FsgaSus,
who filings him every time he feels his Frenchmens
spur But rs has been observed before, there IS
great deal Of human nature IN men, & ana % one Oh tw ,no
ing to do what they can't do, and leaving 10 90,
what they easily might As for this Bible DoTeD
he shows worse in it than in anything he has, thus
far attempted unless it be in his last conspicuous
failure. Elaine In not one of these fourteen
numbers is he at any time near hitting the mark;
though perhaps for grace sake, we except the death
of "Achan." and the Plague of Darkness IN which
last there is element of quaint horror that shows
certain quickness Of apprehension and ADAPT, p,
the rest What terror there is in this design
lies simply in the incident of the leopard and croco-
diles, frightened at the darkness, ana craving up
the steps of the palace among the more fnghtened
people This incident is true to nature-true, at
least Of the eats if not Of the its use
has used II again in the "Deluge" but it is not
terrible there. For the rest, these illustrations ar
almost farcical in their extrayagance aneir tneatI1
ing after sublimty and elevation. Nor Is tho
mawkish sentmentaity of many OF them less dlsa.
greeable while they all give MS very poor notion OK
6ores uower Of drawing the figure. We suppose what
pleases people in them-and that unconsciously-
is their freedom from the usual conventionatles OF
Scripture illustration, their entire a6andonment OF
the ruts of the old schools This Is not the first time,
of course. that such thing has been attempted
Mals aud Holman Hunt leighton even pt1 seLne,s
Dores brings il before the world III cheap profuse
form. Camels, dromedaries, sheiks, spears, water
lars Egyptian architecture, Assyflan architecture;
abound and make real what else would have remained
cloudy and remote, and in loose, general way tno
hrisk supericia Young FIenchman has taken adNan.
IN ge of te researches archaeological students ana
travellers 70 produce vivid stage effect. We
thus have a revival something Ot tne samo
sort as our Hamles, Shylocks, and Henry Ills. on
the stage taking what VIII snlt the fo0thghts am.
bring down the house, and leaving out what would
be '!cayare to the general Dore would never nave
conceived the . Finding of Moses" as Millais has
done in that design made for, was ~ hoDert AVIS
WilImotts Sacred Poems1 to be found at all events
in-his collected wo0d-cuts; and II he had conceVe9
il so his eminently French sense OF deIlcacy ana
what is due TO decency and the graces woulc bayo m
made il impossible for bis pencil to have followed ms
Thought As il is. the EHglishmans Is worth all tho
Frenchman's Bible " illustrations put tOgether,
A private letter from Paris gives us the hrst news
of our American artists part i'll the great Explton.
We extract the following, about them and others:
..The Department of Fine Arts is exceedingly lheIeSSt
ing Every nation has sent its best There are spasa
o her modern schools of which have thus ar khoNn
hardly ANYTHING outside their respective eountrle @ VA.
su1rised at the comparative excellence OF tic hns
pictures The spanish aud Italian ete very gn s,srsa
are well represented, bnt their best tangs are IN me
nuol l. Ixhibton which on the lSih INST Inc frsnSn
section however so FAR superior that no sonpsDp III
can be made There all the best pictures OF All t'
hest men, Nelssoner. GerOne Cabanei, Roasseau f, ~
nentn Diaz Bouguerean, Merle, and others The M bsr
eaus Bayarians. aud HollandeTs cannot open ycl
are erecnr their building outside the large oe ~.
the park. The American Department shows teag
eSpccted The French find IN American pictures grens M
trthfness 10 nature but they say that lnSy wn hsv,
lie more strength aud color litue more pale.e 20 ~
express IT, Church, 1nrand, Kenset ana dl,Iou ~ ~ ~
20 be liked. Lerstadt they know ~ t.e Isr ~"
pictures was Aothng new Jobhson an" "V'" ~
fixed best Us figure panters.'
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