The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-05-03
BIERsrADT's DoMEs OF THE YOSEMITE.


From the London Post, April 1871
OF landscape painting. As sculptors and hgure
painters they are less eminent; but II 1t was indeed
the circus, the gymnasium and the public bath which
inspired the genius OF Greece, s ar to conjecture
that the gaunt and unbeautiful characteristics q
transatlantic physique may In some measure aco0un9
for the less active development Of transatlantic taena
In these branches Of art. American life and Manners
aristociatic tradition Of older forms OF society ana
essentially inartistic hence the literary tendencies
Of the race run chiefly to Journalism. ana g ooc
can poetry, at its best has never overleaped
that boundary which separates second rate rom
first rate merit. But as landscape painters the
Americans are already eminent. They suffer from
no lack OF material They have magnincenf
pictorial resources-a country which embraces all
known climates from Indus to the Pole !"
more beautiful than +bs Italy savage Than NoI
theme lying ready to his hand the artist who loves
and is proud Of his country land what American
does not love and Is not proud OF his country has
no excuse for not achieving greatness.
M naSer as ge HI he is So So
an Imagination but he has immense indus:
tryndastry not only Of production but o.
tious and accurate observer of nature, and he is
endowed moreover, with that all.important power
Of intellectually interpreting his observations, with
out the exercise of which no painting, however true
clever may claim to rise to the standard OF high
art. BY the intellectual Interpretation OF observed
impressi0n-the painting, in short, OF an 1dea NOW,
Mr. Bierstadt not only looks at nature, but thinks
about her also. He observes Storm or he observes
q mOuntan and he takes infinite number OF literal
and careful notes about that storm or that mountan
but he is at the same time storing his mlnd Win
ideas about the storm and the mountain; and In ms
painting he gives us his ideas as well as ms facts
Nay he shows US his facts by the light Of his IDEAS;
and this, the ultimate achievement OF all great arr
was what Ope meant when on being asked VIII
what medium he mixed his colOrs he replied, SWIM
brains, sirn Mr. Berstadt has produced his present
v,jct wit O q
the canvas Is large and well filed, and the subject
very curious and new, we may safely pronounce inc
"DOmes OF the Yosemite" worthy OF more man olGi-
nary attention, both rom c0nnosseurs anu inc pun
The Yosemite district is in California. The Yose-
mite valley runs, we believe almost at right angles
to the sierra Nevada range is about eight miles long
and varies from mile to q mile and q half IN wdtn.
This valley is closed In either side by the Yosemite
mountains echoes to the voices OF numberlesS water
river MERGED. The main feature OF the
whole u.s. however, the Dome Mountain, and 1t ts
upon the Dome that our attention Is concentrated
from the first glance-the Dome with all It's novci
characteristics the strange curves OF its geological
formations; the great arch sculptured AZ Is
base; the white upright wall Of preclpice WHICH
1t turns upon the valley; the bare ana &yM
that extraordinary summit itself seemed bleached.
ghastly, skulllike, with cavernous hollow high up
In the side OF IT, like the cavity Of an eye; its mys-
terry heightened by the cloudwreath that floats be-
low it, and Its awfulness more enhanced by tho
pallid sunlight than 1t could possibly have been by
auy continuance Of storm or shadow. Nothing can
be finer than the sort OF p0etcal horror with which
the painter has invested this part Of his picture Tho
mountain rears Its head like the head OF some ante
diluvian animal. The sunlight Is dlmmed with its
presence. The atmosphere Is death-like. There u
no living thing anywhere IN sght-no sign OF habte-
ton or culture no trace OF man, no beast no bird,
no insect white haze hangs over the valley, and
silence and solitude pervade every part OF the scene