The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-14
~ ne nusso,dorf school Of Painting.

FhOSa the London Saturday ReUIe@
There ia scarcely painter Of note, hardly
rhsso-wbsther Christian and spiritual, or
xa.,,stic and naturalstc-in the history Of
eernan art during the last hsli-csntury,
which has not been more or less intimately
connected with this small town upon the
Rhine. The great Cornelius-termed by some
the Goethe Of the art Of painting--was born at
Dusseldorf; and to Cornelius, a man con-
.piouous from his youth mp for large oompre-
pensive intellect, the Academy Of Dusseldorf
owed its resuscitatiop, and art In general that
s;onal revival OF which Munich, Berlin, and
ether chief cities give signs in our times.
This giant, the Michael Angelo Of Germany,
gathered around him compact band OF
soholars. ardent as himself for the revival of
,,ssoo. painting. The new school received
,,,nolv encouragement from King Ludwig in
o..,'ission "a decorate the then recently
erected Glyptothek in Munich. The cartoons
a., this arduous work were prepared during
,bo uinter months in Dusseldorf, and then,
,rben simmer came masters and pupils went
a. the Bavarian capital to carry out the fres-
zoos In like manner at Coblenz, Bonn, and
the Castle Of HelLorf, monumental art" got a
fair start; thus the Italian method OF iresco-
naintipe learnt by Cornelius, SchadoW, Veit,
sn6 Oyerbsct in Rome, having been trans
0lanted to Dusseldorf, took root throughout
he land Of Germany, where 1t abides and
hourshes even to this day.
Yet il was not without difficulty that the
voupg school of Dusseldorf struggled into life
and paid its way. The fame OF the academy
became SO great that pupils focked in from all
parts; but success brought with 1t perplexity.
Genius became in excess of the demand; the
market was overstocked. The secret had been
discovered whereby high art could be manu-
faotured wholesale, and yet for the commodity
when produced no purchasers were forth
coming. Fortunately King Ludwig was ready
for the rescue. Moreover the emergency
called into existence the famed "Kunstverein
fir die Rheinlande und Westphalen," an Art
Union localized within the academy, with the
express purpose of subsidizing works which
proved in advance of public taste. 1t is inte-
resting to know that this Kuntsverein on its
twenty-frst anniversary was able to announce
that, in addition to nine hundred great and
small pictures distributed by lottery, it had
been the means of securing to churches
aboth Protestant and Romish, to museums
and public buildings, twenty-seven altar
pieces and eleven large oil pictures. Among
the works thus fostered are the famous
trescoes from the history of Charlsmagne
which we recently had the pleasure OF study
ing in Aix.la- Chapelle; also may be mentioned
masterpiece by Overlook now in Cologne
Cathedral likewise Professor keiler's en-
ersving-the largest in line ever executed
OF Rafiaelle's "Disputa." Dusseldorf, indeed
as our readers are probably, aware, has long
been chief centre for the publication of rel-
gious prints. We remember to have seen in
Rome, twenty years ago, in the studio of Over
beck, then in the Cenoi Palace, designs in
charcoal prepared expressly for engraving in
Dusseldorf. And we have now before us seve-
raj hundred cheap popular prints
published by the well-accredited "Ve-
rein zur Verbreitung religioser Bilder, in
Dusseldorf" engraved from pictures by the
best known painters in the Dusseldorf
"Christian SCHOOL, Such are among the
means taken to educate the people OF Germany
mp to the standard of high art. In fact, DIS
seldort does as much for religious art in a
twelvemonth as London in century.
The Dusseldorf Academy has little expressly
distinctive in its curriculum of study. More
worthy of remark is the mutual culture and
the relation of brotherhood maintained be-
tween professors and pupils. While other
academies may be compared to monarohies or
Olgarchies, that OF Dusseldorf is, by its liberty
and equality, like republic. The Director
does not constitute himself Dictator no one
mind, no exclusive art-manner, dominates.
Thus, during half century, Dusseldorf, not
wthstandng the asCendancy of the so.called
spiritual or Christian school. has given equal
rights and privileges to all styles, incfud.
ing, of course the naturalstic. Even at this
moment are found within her borders painters
in manner wide as the poles asunder. Among
the number may be enumerated Professors
Deger, lttenbaeh, and Carl Muller, leaders in
the sO-caled Christian school; Bsndemann.
illustrious by works taken from Jewish his
tory; Tidemand, the faithful delinsator O
peasant life in Norway; Vautier and Salentin
devoted to realism and naturalism; and Pro.
fessOrs Leu, and Andreas and Oswald Achen-
bach, famous throughout Europe as painters
of coast scenes and landscapes. These artists
and many more scarcely less illustrious, are
either by Office early pupilage, residence, o
otherwise, bound to the fortunes of that leas
exclusive of all schools of art-the Academy @
Dusseldorf.
The Dusseldorf school seems to renew il
youth in the life-g giving fellowship sustaine
between masters and pupils. A skilled stu
dent is not cast adrift; on the contrary, he
attached to the Academy by the provision tha
he may occupy one of its ateLiers. Thu
talent, first trained and then domiciled, is NJ
lost to the spet thus gifted youth prolonf
his influence over his fellow students, an
little by little grows as vital member in
long the attitude of discipleship; even wht
arrived at mans estate they continue to r
Ceive the visits of professors and the admon
tion of directors; and it is known that ma
ter sometimes numbers among his schola
married men and fathers of families. TT
whole Academy in fact is a community fC
study and art-work, a guild vigilant for Il
welfare of the painter and his art. VIII
in Germany some important national wo