The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-25


of them savage, may we not reasonably con-
clude that, if the red members of our com
mon household had been treated by their
conquerors and holders of power over theu
as men and as brethren, and not as creatures
void of reason, and without the pale of inter
national rights, and been taught righteous
ness by perpetual example, they might have
acquired as clear charter for permanent ex-
istence as other children of the All-Father?
From the paper on "Albert Durer," by A.
ii. Guernsey, we quote as follows-
Albert Durer was born at Nurnberg, on
the 20th of May, 1471, and died on the 9th of
April 1928. His father, an honest, God
fearing man, was n skilful goldsmith, and
wished his son to follow the same profession.
But the boys bent was toward Art; and at the
age of fifteen he was placed with Wohlge-
muth, the most noted painter in his native
city. In three years he learned all that his
master could teach him. He had before this
made good progress in his profession. There
is extant q portrait of himself at the age of
thirteen, which gives evidence of decided
talent.
At the age of hree-and-twenty Durer mar
red the pretty Agnes Frey, who turned out a
sad shrew, and led him an uncomfortable life.
Her fortune, most probably enabled him to
purchase the house in which he lived and
wrought 1t still stands. 1t can hardly be
called princely mansion. 1t is entered
through wide door which admits into a
covered court yard, which is really the sup
port for the rooms above, for the habitable
portions of the house are all up stairs. The
walls of the upper part of the house are of
that kind of construction known as ''half-
timber" The second story presents nothing
very remarkable; but climbing up rather
dark stairway which the foot of Durer must
often have trodden almost four centuries ago,
the traveller of to-day reaches the third floor,
the real home of Albert Durer. The front
room of this story is fine apartment. 1t is
lighted by "windows with cusped mullions.
The view from the window of this room is
quaint enough. Dominating over all is the
Castle of Nurnberg, which looks very like
somewhat dilapidated mandatory At the
foot of the castle runs straight street, bor-
dered by odd edifces, which leads towards the
Durer Platz and Rauch's statue. One quaint
building standing just opposite Durers win
dow deserves special note. 1t overtops all
its neighbors, and its high-pitched roof is
crowned by sort of balcony tower. This
building bears the name of "Pilates House,"
for therein resided Martin Koetzel, who had
been twice to the Holy Land, and had
brought back with him exact measurements
of the way to Calvary from the supposed
place of trial He laid down the distances
upon the map of Nurnberg, making his own
house to stand for that of Pilate, the line
stretching forward to the cemetery of St.
John; and upon this road, which is now
named Durer Strasse, Adam Kraft was erect
ing sculptures of the Seven Agonies, which
still remain in good preservation.
Durers active life measured the.great in
tellectual uprising of the sixteenth century
Two years before he set up his studio in
Nurnburg, Columbus had discovered the New
World Luther was singing for his bread in
the streets of Eisenach; Raphael was making
his first drawings; Michael Angelo, three
years the junior of Durer, had not begun that
series of works which were to entitle him to
be considered the mightiest artist whom the
world has yet known. Art in Italy had, in
deed, within few years, made rapid ad-
vances. But Italy was then long way from
Germany; and Durer knew nothing of the
works of the great Italian painters. He had
to be his own master; and even when, in mid
die life, he visited Italy, the works of the great
southern painters influenced him but little.
From first to last he was Albert Durer, the
German. italian painters were wont to give
portraits of their mistresses as representa-
tions of the Virgin. Durer, too, painted
Madonaas; but none of these were portraits of
women of doubtful character.
Albert Durer's artistic life lasted something
more than thirty years We believe that no
man, before or SINCE has left behind him for
SO long period so many memorials of his
labor. Counting up his works now extant,
after lapse of almost four centuries, they
number-paintings, engravings, and draw
ipgs-fully thousand, the authenticity of
which is unquestioned, besides many others
in respect to which art critics are in doubt.
The list of the works, the authenticity of
which may be considered proven, is about as
follows-Paintings, 230; engravings on cop
per, 100; engravings on wood, 250; drawings
and sketches, 420. How many may have
been lost, or have escaped the observation of
| his biographers, no man can say.
Albert Durer's place in art is unquestioned.
In grandeur of thought, solemnity of feeling,
and tenderness of expression he found no
equal, and left no superior. Yet it must be
! admitted that there was running through all
his works vein of grotesqueness, which, in
a measure, mars their artistic value. Some
thing of this may be owing to his mixed
blood. On his fathers side he was Hun
garian. His paternal ancestors were sprung
| from the wild hordes that Attila led into
Europe. Wherever they settled they ''occu-
| pied themselves with cattle and horses" as
Albert says of his immediate paternal ances-
| tors On his mothers side he was German;
and thus he inherited two opposite strains of
character-the wild Oriental and the sober
Teutonic; both, though from a different
point, opposed to the Latin form of culture
which had for generations been the only type
of Christendom.
From Elizabeth r. Peabodys article on
Industrial Schools for Women" we make this
extract
What are the duties and claims of women
who are coming forward to fill their places in
60. IL. I Il hi ,,rIs