The New York herald., 1871-12-01
AIT MATTERS.

Pages s'Fnvrngut In Mobile Bay"
Nothing i5 of more importance to an artist than
the proper selection OF his subject, whether
tion to his own powers and peculiar turn OF mind
to the erect which the subject matter OF his work
may have on the public Sometimes picture, good
IN execution. displaying great technical SKILL and,
SO far as the mere mechanical part OF arc Is
concerned, really respectable production, falls
nat on the public. In whom Its excellences fail to
awaken any sympathy, because the subjecr Is lack
ing In interest. Another and sufficiently Common
danger arises wnen the grandeur or
sUpIIMITY OF HIS SUBJECT
rises so much above the power Of art that the best
efforts must ia snort OF the realization OF our con-
ceptiOn. In failure OF the latter Kind we are always
filed with the regret which springs from the feeling
OF limited powers and the smaliness OF man IN COM
parIson with the great wonders OF creation which
ne seeks In weak and insufficient way to express.
At no tlme perhaps Is art mv.ee AAev " PROVE 'n-
adequate than when attempting to conrsI snose
sublime moments III the lives OF great men when,
rising above the selhshness and grOssness OF our
nature they cast OR the fear OF death and the love
OF self and rise to the height OF
SACRIFICE FOR AN IDEA.
Mr.. Pages picture OF Admiral Farcagut belongs to
this class. The subject calls up such giand and I'm
pressve thoughts that when we find ourselves before
the canvas we feel conscious OF sense OF dlsap-
poin,nent. The dark, quiet-Ooklng man In the
rigging falls to convey to US the story there Is nei
ther OF color or of action; the shadows speak
| OF gloom only where oil ought 20 be decisive and
terrible MIR. Page has made the mistake Of present.
] ing us win tAe Admiral Farragut wnom he met In
has studio, not the Admiral who struck terror 70 the
| hearts OF the enemies OI the Union In Mobile bay.
| IL is true ne has placed him
IN THE sHROUDs
in an impossible position, resembling strongly
OF the angels OF MurIllO's sinatIOn dressed In
y nenher iorce nor grandeur in the pose OF the
figure, and the first thought that must strike any
no one could MAINTAIN himself in the position in
which the artist has represeqted Farragut unless
suspended by the iashinS which we See Found his
would result from supporting the Admiral. But
admitting that H. would be possible to hang man
up in TINS way II by no means just1es an artist IN
adopting an arrangement that is SO open to oojec.
ton. We should nave liked 70 see this subject
ing 10 wager That Farragui never icr a momeni oc-
cuped such helpless position as that In winch the
Farragut is iashed to the shrouds; his left hand
grasps OF The stays OF the cradle; III the right he
holds his telescope: bola ieet are supposed to be
estIng on Tue ratns; at least we judge such was
qne artists Intention but there Is sufficient
INDIGESTION IN THE DRAWING
tue lett loot. The angle at which the shrouds
drawn deprive the figure OF almost all support and
lashlng ana Inc hold OF the lett hand 80 thar, In,
stead oil facing out as arranged by the artist - no
Msda h Snek wSua !" ne a9aas nave
defective support loss Of dignity and force in the
composition which deprves ine painting OF much
| oil It's effect,
THE ACTION or THE FIGURE
s also quiet and passive, ana scarcely conveys any
idea OF the situation, We have no trace or the
| thoughts that must have agitated the glorious old
seaman as he went aloIt, resolved TO conquer or die
i.ere we have neither force nor grandeur, aud
the sgure OF the naval Oflcer who nOat5 through
the an with angelic ,almness fails TO impress Win
any OF the senilments OF admiration or terror which
should naturally attend npon his position. Had
| ycasquez treated THIS subject he would have made
| the man the vehicle for porrayng the aninlating
passions, and We would nave been moved by the
intensity ol resolution expressed by line and color.
Black shadows and brilliant nights would have
trased boldly, ana the soul rather tnan the form OF
the man woulu have pervaaed the shroud and
| seemed 10 animate fleet led to Victory by the all
| swaying genius and force OF
| TIE HEROIC ADMIRAL.
| But OF these Things. when are the very soul or
ART, Mr., Page mas given us nothing. With the
good likeness OF Farragut, IN which we nnd GER
tain expression Of frmness and dignity; but that
ALL II Is at best but peace portrait, which repre-
sents well enough the man US seen In every day life
but ials short OF arealatlon OF the emotions which
mus, nave swept that bold face IN the supreme
moment OF the struggle As the fleet moved past
the rebei batteries The muscles OF that bold face
must have grown rigid from anxiety and the blood
rushed back in quicker currents to the heart, not In
lgnobe fear OF death or IN thought for himself, but
Tor the issue OF his great enterprise. In
THE ExALTATIoN or THE STRUGGLE
the kindly everyday expression o. feat feature must
thus idealized that we would wish TO have seen him
painted. Men do not wear their drawing room looks
wien the thunder OF battle Is sounding in their
ears and II Is evidently incorrect paint them in
patte a. they appear among their friends. In addi.
ton " the want OF force IN the drawing and
position there Is want OF force In the color which
Is unnecessarily dark and gloomy, but yet has no
intensity, but only indstinctness, and one might
say Win some truth that tue artist has placed his
hero
UNDER A CLOUD.
There was no good reason why the sky should be
painted OF the same dark green color as the sea,
patched here and there with iurd Clouds which we
suppose arc meant to express the terror and
slaughter or battle Wne possessing many good
Qualities this picture has the misfortune TO deal
with grand subject which demands force ana sub.
limlty III the treatment that none but great master
could realize. Mr.. Page rose to the conception OF
sublime caliness under danger. but In battle many
thoughts must agltatc the mind OF the chiefs
besides questions OF personal SAFETY, and this Is Just
wnerc thus picture falls 1t stops Snort at Farragut,
the man looking danger calmly In the lace, but II
does not present to rs
THE ADMIRAL,
who could not be Indifferent for one instant 10 the
chances of the day, and who must have watched
from his post in the shrouds with the most intense
anxiety every Dash from the reDei guns and the re-
suit on his neet IL Is To be regretted that we possess
NO worthy painting OF this grand incident i'll our na
tunal HE; for the memory OF that days devotion
deserves to be recorded IN the highest triumph OF
arr. The picture will be presented TO the RUSSIAN
Duke, our visitor tomorrow (Safur day. and per.
haps no more appropriate present could be oicred
10 hiin. But when Mr. Pages picture Is hung on tho
walls or ''the Hermitage" among the great creations
oil the European schools fear that its chief claim
10 respectlui consideration VIII be found In the
! event which II records.