Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-07

Mr.. Church has never been a fashionable
artist. He is not society man. He has
never sought advancement by means of the
"mOdern appliances" TO success He has not
had score of pens periodically recording his
whereabouts, the progress of his work, or the
enormous sums paid by arstocratic patrons of
art for the products of his genius. When in Eu-
rope he did not take especial pains to rush into
public notice with announcements that he had
dined with a royal scapegrace, or that he had
been decorated with the cross of the Legion OF
Honor. His works have not been syStematical
ly hawked about from city to city and put
upon exhibition at twenty-five cents a sight, as
if they were no better than the Cardiff Giant
and similar empty store shows.
Too manly and too sincere in the devotion TO
his labor to stoOp TO the ordinary trickery by
winch ordinary men seek TO attain an elevation,
he has respected the nobility of his art and the
honor of his profession His fame does not rest
upon the size of his paintings; his genius has
never been estimated ny the number of square
yards OF canvas he uses nor by the extent of
his studios He has conspicuUusly striyen in
each successive effort to approach nearer the
perfection of his ideal, and in his earnestness
and honesty Of purpose, and loyalty to all the
grander aims of his art, furnishes an example
which the younger generation OF artists would
do well to initiate.
There are but few of the real patrons of the
tine arts in this city who have not seen Mr.
Church's grand Twilight in the Wilderness"
and his brilliant Heart in the Andes"
or who will forget the hearty enthusiasm which
greeted, in our dark day Of civil war, his patri-
ofic brochure, "Our Flag in the Skies" If there
are any who have seen these works of his,
who read these lines, we are sure that after see.
ing his last work, Jerusalem" now at Goupl's
gallery, they will agree with us when we pro-
nOunce it his best painting.
A word as to why subject so suggestive to
the poet, and presenting such an ineXhaustble
theme to the historian, yet, with its bleak and
desolate surroundings, so unattractiye to the ar
tistic sense, was selected. One day there came
TO this city Hon. i. NJ. Allyn, a wealthy gentle
man Of Hartford, who visited Mr. Church in his
studio, and interviewed the artist thus:
Erred, | am going to have the finest private
art gallery in New England, if money and the
artists will allow me. AT least, shall try for it,
You and | were schoolmates and mean that
you shall give me my best painting"
vi course the artist was complimented, and so
expressed himself.
Certainly, said he, on give you
Precisely what want" interrupted Mr.. Al
Ign, land I've got the subject for YOU
what is it," queried the artist, whose
thoughts wandered 10 some magnificent sunset
scene in South America.
Jerusalem, replied his patron.
Jerusalem" exclaimed Church, in astonsh-
ment
"Yes-Jerusalem. want the holy city paint.
and you can paint it and give a beauty TO that
now dcsolate birthplace Of Christianity, such
as no other artist dare attempt Don't object.
| Say yes, and name your price"
And so, after further conversation, the nrire
| was named, Mr.. Allyn departed and the artist
| began his work. To-day, in frame which,
| magnificent as it is, cannot enhance the excel
lence OF the painting, the result of the interview
| Is presented for criticism. Mr.. Church is ten
thousand dollars richer, pecuniarily, with an adj
ded wealth of fame far more precious to him
| far more precious TO the country which claims
his nativity. All the difficulties of the subject
| It's absolute want of artistic suggestions--its
bleak and desoate surrOundngs-its sterilitv.
| and the loneliness which clings to every feature
OF the city-all are overcome by the skill and
| genius of master hand.
In this picture, the artist standing as in the
| early spring time, upon the Mount Of Olives.
has given view of the city, lying in the dis,
tance, portion Of it bathed in the full splendor
| OF the sunlight, while the rest lies in the
| quiet, soltened shadow. The Mosque of Omar
rising above the surrounding buildings, the
Mosque of Akra to the right the Beautiful
gate, and the various points of historic interest
are gwen with Photographic accuracy; and vet
| through the wOndrOus atmospheric effect which
.le aIlls' mas wrought, this accuracy is so toned
ana soltened that the eye finds in it no harsh
ness, feels no sense Of WEAKNESS, and we for
get the monotony Of the landscape in the
mastery skill with which he has made il bean
tiful. - 'N''
MehaVe never yet seen in any painting the
! llght so sklllully managed, so perfectly mr..
ranged, that the atmospheric effect pervades
equally every portion of the scene, harmonizinu
its inequalities, concealing the stcrility of Tho
subject itself, and making of unaitractiye, in.
congruous details, harmonious whole Of
| grandeur and beauty.