The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-18
British ART and Its CsstInenfai Reinforce
ments.

British Art and Its CsstInenfai Reinforce
ments.
The remarkably interesting description
which one of our London correspondents
has given Of his first visit TO the one
hundred and third Exhibition of the
Royal Academy attests the promising
growth of British art beneath the sun
shine Of royal, noble and popular favor
Art had long been considered almost an
exotic in England until Hogarth, breaking the
trammels that bound his aspiring countrymen
to the rank of mere copysts Of the Flemish
and Italian artists, gave decided spring and
an original cast to native English genius in
painting. During all the long period of tute-
lage under Italian and Flemish masters, says
Lamson, ''no single native artist of eminent
merit and independent spirit arose in England;
and 1t was truly q native and spontaneous
termination and growth when the first masters
of the English school appeared" The recog-
nizcd founders Of that school were Reynolds
in portraiture and Gainsborough in landscape.
The works of their contemporaries, Wilson,
Opie, Northcote, Barry and Fuseli exhibited
more originality in themes and styles than
power in execution. Their SUCCESSORS, Sir
Thomas Lawrence and Sir Henry Raeburn in
portraiture, Hayden, Etty and Sir David
Wilkie in history, fiction and low life,
displayed eminent talent. But the
truest native English genius has been
developed In landscape, and Turner
deservedly heads the list, adorned by such
names as Constable (who when asked by Sir
George Beaumont ''what style he proposed to
adopt" replied, ''none but God Almighty's
style"), Morland Eastlake and Landseer. The
English school in water colors may boast of
Turner himself Of Prout and Fielding. VIII.
Hunt and the rest Of the pre-Raphaelite
brotherhood, Notwithstanding certain errors
and extravagances, have done signal service
by insisting upon direct study of nature.
Lord Kmnes' elements Of Criticism. Burke's
Essay on the Sublime and Beautiful, !"
Alison's ESSAY on Taste" Hogarth's 'Analy-
sis of Beauty" Fuseli's Lectures on Paint
ing" Reynolds miscellaneous writings, Hay
excellent treatises, Eastlake's ''History of
Oil Painting" and Ruskin's eloquent, If contra
dictory volumes, may be cited among the
numerous works which show that the pen as
well as the pencil has had its honorable share
in the rise and progress Of art in England.
Within the past twenty years the multiplica-
ton OF art exhibitions and Of schools of design
has wonderfully stimulated the interest of the
British people in art Its present fourishing
condition is evinced at the Royal Academy
Exhibition by the pictures Of Millais, Leighton,
Ward, Mrs. Ward, Armitage, Grove. Wyn-
field, Cauty, Marks, Hook, Calderon, Mason,
Stone, Potts, Horsley, Anthony, Long,
George Leslie and other distinguished British
painters.
What, moreover, is especially suggestive at
this exhibition is the unusual proportion of
pictures by continental artists. Not only are
several of the British painters whose works
are exhibited favorite pupils of Delaroche and
other great French masters, but Gerome and
Tadema are among the continental celebrities
who are personally represented on the walls of
the Academy. Since the war the London
studio of Grove has been shared by GGrome,
famous fellow pupil Of Delaroche. Gcrome
is but one of scores Of artists driven from Paris
by the Franco-P I ussian war and kept away by
the barbarous civil conflict which has followed
it. These foreign artists have been Hospitality
welcomed in London. Already their distinct
recognition of the scientific basis on which,
according to Delsarte, all true art rests, is be-
ginning to exert q happy influence. One Of
their works exhibited at the Royal Academy
is, says our correspondent, lesson to English
painters for the completeness of its finish and
its consummate dextexity in representation of
texture and surface. This is, indeed, he adds,
carried SO far that 1t Is doubtful whether it be
not carried to the point at which it impairs the
effect of everything that cannot be so accu-
rately painted, faces first and foremost. II,
however, this danger be avoided-as well as
the still greater danger that some London
artists may be tempted to copy the meretri-
ciousness into which, during the latter days Of
the second empire, so many Paris artists had
fallen-the world may yet rejoice that British
art has been so literally reinforced from the
Continent. Good will thus come out of the
evil wrought by the war, nor will Engands
gain be, eventually, anything more than q
temporary loss to France.
Curious Case in q United States Court.
The Grand Jury in the United States
District Court, sitting at Rochester, have pre-
-