New-York tribune., 1869-03-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE IDEAL IN ART.

~
low from, rigid scientific analysis. In his view, the
a;m Of artistic production is to represent some quail
CIV Of objects in more impressive manner than is
dome nv the objects themselves The artist forms for
himself an idea of that quality, or character and
transforms the actual object in accordance with that
idea The object thus transformed is found to con-
form to the idea or what is the same thing to the
ideal The ideal is realized accordingly when the
natural relations of the objects of art are so modlhed
rs to place the quality i'll questionin brighter hgt
than was the case in its original aspect
The question at once arises, Whether among the
ideas which artists mpart their subjects there are
any which claim supremacy, and authorize us TO as
sign a certain rank to the different productions OF
art Afrst blush, it would seem that all the works
of art are on level that the idea is of little conse-
quence and that the same subject may be treated IN
one form or another with equal artistic proprety
This opinion would appear to be sustained by his
tory. In tse different schools of art each one sees
the same Object from his point of view and per-
ceves in it distinct character. With every new
work of geat artist, q new masterpiece is pre-
sented in the gallery of ideal forms The same situ-
alton, that of father maltreated by his ungrateful
children, suggested the Gdipus of Sophocles, King
Lear Balzacs Pere GOriOt. Every romance pivots
on the hopes of two young persons who are in love
with each other, and are anxious to be married.
but III uOM many lldNO tLV'V SiiiNiA
Of passion been exhibited from Shakespeare to
Charles Dickens from Sir Walter Scott to George
Sand. Thu great types of character, the lover the
father the husband and wife, can always be repro
duced.
In the arts OF design the right Of selecting this or
that character atw seems to be still better founded.
Avery few subjects have been equal to the wants OF
high art Complete success has been attained by the
greatest diversity of Productions. We arc unwilling
to praise one of them mere than another. We dare
not commend Rembrandt rather Than Yeronese, or
Veronese rather than Rembrandt. Every trait cor
responds to essential portion of human ma
ture or to some essential point of human develop
ment. joy and sadness, sound reason and mystic
revery active energy refined sensibiity lofty as
pratons of the restless intellect and the broad ex-
psnsion of animal delight all the important parts IN
the province of life have their value Centuries and
entire nations have been engaged in bringing them
to light; what history has manifested art takes mp,
and, as the various natural creatures whatever may
be their structure and their instincts find their place
in the world and explanation in science, so the
various works Of the human Imagination, whatever
may be the principle which animates them and the
direction which they manifest, find their justifca-
ton in discriminating sympathy and their place in
art"
Still argues NJ Taine, in the imaginary world as
in the real world there are different degrees because
there are different values. We do not hesitate tC
pronounce judgment at every step. We admit the
validity of certain principles of criticism. Ever!
man recognizes the supreme place of certain com
posers like Mozart and Beethoven, of certain poet
E like Dante and Shakespeare. No one questions tn
III rank Of Goethe among the writers of the century
So with art. BY common consent, Rubens is chic
among the Flemish painters Rembrandt among the
Dutch Albert Durer among the German and Titan
among the Venetian. Three artists of the Italian
renaissance Leonardo da Vinc, Michael Angelo, and
Raphael, by the universal verdict rise above the
rest
These judgments are confirmed by the way in which
they are pronounced The artist, in the first place,
is judged by his contemporaries whose diyersihes Of
taste and personal preudices balanced and neutral
lied by each other. This mutual compensation is the
primary condition Of true judgment Another cen
tuTy continues the work in vein. The voice of
the ages is heard in the trial Each reviews the
doubtful point from his own point of view The work
which has stood so thorough test is doubtless of
superior excellence; else it could never have COM
bined so many different sympathes in its favor Be
sides this union of instructive tastes the modern
processes Of criticism add the authority Of science TO
that Of sentiment The critic is now aware that his
personal impressions Of no value unless sustained
by aesthetic principles. Unless he can set aside his
temperament inclination party, and private inter
ests, his decisions worthless Above all genuine
criticism is founded in sympathy. The first duty of
the critic is to put himself in the place of the men on
whom he sits in Judgment He must enter into their
instincts and habits must re-think their thoughts
must reproduce within himself their inward condi-
tiOn, and follow in imagination the circumstances
which have formed their characters, and guided
their lives. Such places us in an artistic
point of view and enables us 10 comprehend the pro-
ductions of every variety of talent. Our judgments
will then not be arbitrary but according to uniyer
sal standard.
In answering the question, What character quail
ity is most important iii the domain of art we are
carried into the field of science and must make a
slight excursion into natural history. Here we find
the principle Of the subordination Of characters
which gives a standard of valuation for the pro-
ductions of art In plant, and in an animal the
most important characters are the least variable.
In this respect they possess force greater than that
of others, enabling them to bear attack without
change. Thus, in plant, structure is moro impor-
t8nt than shape size for certain conditions cause
the latter TO vary without affecting the former The
pea that cngs TO the EARTH and the acacia that shoots
mp into the air are closely related plants stem of
wheat three feet high and bamboo Of thirty feet are
kindred growths. The same fern so diminutive in
temperate climates becomes large tree in the trop
les. II is the same with animals The structure is
of greater consequence than the SIZE The mammal
for instance whether on the earth in the water or
IN the air. with all the changes involved in the change
Of locality, retains the identity of structure which
determines the nature Of its food. Thus it is with
the whole scale of beings, and with the whole scale
Of characters.
Now applying this principle to man. we find the
most important characters those which are the least
liable to change. Events in working upon man.
modify in various prOportiOns the various Iavers f