Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-05-11

For painting private stairways and passages DO,
hind spessers enair =; ....'';I' 9
for panins post once, souh Wing. s,,...... l0pq
EoT modollnE rules io[ I've eastern dYorsays la8n
fqS Ss,gs sna Grams 'o sne N IeD
For Commencing the dooorntiup Of Hobbies and u 3.
balls o. both wlngsot Capitol oItonsion, and ~,
aessn. ,os t W. " G he nov dome iS61
for painting ants.rOom o. the Senate .,..".. 1000
-, -. nm. aisseo
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' - -
Congress did not sec what was 10 be gained |
by this larve expenditnroOf money, aud hence
" refusal 70 act Attempts have since been
made 10 revive This cOinmirsion, or have y
new one eppelu,ad mi without success.
Since that time art has In A measure boon left
10 take care Of Itself.
WESTWARD TUR couRsH or EMPIRE TAKEs
.. t.....r -.. .f ira WAY" .H ..
This picturp 80 conspicuons on the wall Of
the west stairway leading 10 the gnllcty uf
The hall Of Representative, u by Emanuel
Ieutze, whose pictures arc familiar 10 all
tho art gallerics Of the country. Il Is strongly
American in ia character, and very forcibly
exnroises the various features of the country
IN the Far West and the settlers who open Il
up 10 civilization. II attracts the attention Of
visitors more, perhaps, than any other picture
In tho Capitol and tho groups Of persons
acen standing before Il every day whom Cons
Rress Is In session, studying it, parts and dis
CusslnR ia merits, must be accepted as proof
that ID has Qualities Of no ordinary kind. Its
figures arc well drawn bold and strong, and
stand out vigorous and lifclike, Tho figure
of no sturdy old guide, In the loft corner, IA
PAINTED with a freedom and bOldness that few
men beside LcutZe could have drawn and OK
ecuted, .-
The painter took his models from life; aud
those who knew him best can best appreciate
the great care and time he gave To details, In
order 10 have them correct In short some
Of the prominent figures In this picture arc
such as only q mastcr-hand and That guided
by true genius, could paint. The more they
are studied the better they will he appre-
ciated. u"
We have said thus much because this pie
turc has been singled out Us a subject for
great deal Of very adverse, aud, We think,
very unjust criticism. The sweeping naturt'
of the attacks that have been made upon ",
however, have lessened the force OF thcir
mnlgnlty. Some OF these attacks have dis
covered greater skin In the art Of condemn
ing than Of doing Justice. Il Is also IN bo no
tccd that some of those most prominent In
condenninR this picture have exhibited an In
noccnce Of the commOnest rules Of art remark
able for persons who had set up for critics Of
art. .. ...
The painter IL dead now and We can afford
TO pass a more generous and just Judgment on
what he did. Even now writers are beginning
10 sec beauties In LcutSos pictures were before
they could only hnd faults. IL u an instfuc-
tive fact that some Of those who were most
active In condemning Mr., Lcutzc's picture IN
The Canltnl ala not even know 10 what style
Of painting il belonged. One said Ii was
painted In Tdstempcr," q second said IL was
IA miserable fresco /" a third, more knowing
than Inc rest, said Il was not worth the 'odi,-
cas-" Il was painted on. All three were
wrong. II Is painted in chrome silica
on Furope and even now prncticcd to a CON
siderable extent, The old hard wall had TO be
sOftened, iprickod up, and prepared for the
colors which, after being applied, were al
lowed 20 remain and harden for certain
time, and were then, fixed, or covered with
a substance that took the hardness and trans-
paroncy Of glass, and at the same time gave
peculiar brilllancy 10 the colo !.
Mr.. Leutzo had not had any practice In this
stylc Of painting. Il was, In sllvft, new 10
him-an experiment. and 80 far as producing
brilliant effects in color Is concerned Il did not
prove A success In his hands. Whether Il was
Tor want Of proper knowledge Of how the wall
should be prepared, or that the silica did not
pcrfprm ia fiinctIOnA and was not properly
applied, We arc not prepared 10 say; but the
fact, however, Is apparent that The cOlOrs
have sunk in,n and arc dull and llfCloss.
Tho substance that was 10 make them so clear
and Transparent has failed 10 perform what
was expected Of H.
IL must not DO forgotten however that the
picture IA In a bad light, and that the distance
between II and the spectator Is so short ~ ~
lIUnnlT the Wow. III ~ were seen ut ~ Hitfinf
distance the train Of figures which now seem
10 crowd eOnfusedly into the foreground would
then take more clear and distinct lines, and at
the same time give proper development to the
perspective, which Is really good, but Is re-
gnrdcd by many as one Of the chief aofccts Of
the picture. |
We have spoken of the merits Of this pic
turc; Its defects arc 10 be found In Its compo-
sitlOn and color. But some allowance ought
10 be made for the defects of composition
even, when we consider the difficulties the
artist had to contend with In order to give
proper expression 10 so many features on one
canvas. His great aim very properly was To
show as much Of the distinctive features Of
the country as possible and yet preserve The
individuality Of emlQrant life clear and dis
tlnot. To do this was no very easy task The
great question 10 DO decided by the artist was
whether he should make his figures subOrdl-
nate 10 his landscapeor his landscape subOrdi-
nate to his figures. Out Of two or three car
toOns made he hxed on the ono carrying mt
the former idea, and from this the present
picture was painted. The next question wlis
how he should put his figures In the fore
ground, grouped so as 10 properly balance
the effects between landscape and figures,
preserve harmony and make both appear 10
The best advantage Tho figures were good;
the grouping Of them defective, urtistically.
Seen ut such short distance they seem 10
crowd on each other so much as 10 dctract
artist himself discovered this defect when Il
was too late; and vet dc defects Of the pie
turu arc 20 entirely subordlnato 10 It's merits
that those whose who attempt to critlclso Il,
II governed by a spirit Of iustlco can afford 10
polnt them ont In Kindness.
The scene here described l. In the vicinity
of Pixies Peak and the story of The ptrug-
Cling emigranL az he wends Ills way west
ward, his hopes, TOYS and happiness at hay
ing reached dc end Of his tourney and come
In sight OF the valley where he Is 10 spend the
rest Of his life and make homo for his fam
lily, Is cleyerly and fOrcibly told. In
The history Of this picture Il somewhat rt-
ri0us and may be interesting TO some. Mr.
LcutEe was a herman by birth, but came ~
this country with his parents when mere
boy, and settled In Philadelphia. He grew
up became thoroughly identified with our
character and Institutions, and was Us much
an American In thought, feeling and senu-
ment as any man born ON the SOIL lie was
impulsiye, warInhearted vigorous In thought
- I..l. "A