The New York herald., 1871-10-21
RT RE VIE w .

The rapid ADVANCE OF art taste within the past
few years has called into existence q number OF
journals entirely devo.ed TO the interest OF the fine
arrs To England must be given the honor Of
marching OF the head or this development OF popu-
lar TASTE which promises to restore art to ns natu
raj importance In the thoughts OF the people, So
much had society been corrupted by the pursuit OF
mere wealth tilaG for time IL appeared AZ art
wonid never again exert the ennObling and rein
Ing Influences which It spread over the re
pubics OF Greece and Italy. But the sud
den impulse that comes unexpectedly INTO
the public mind sets Ut naught the calculations
even OF the learned, and tnere Is every reason To
nope that the progress at present being made will
be sustained and even gather force with time.
Much OF this rcawakeniny to the useful and
benetcial
ISFLUEscEs or ART
Is due TO the efforts Of Ruskin HamcrtOn, who.
with the love Of enthusiasts aud the knowledge OF
artiss. have translated ana explained the beauties
and lessons which are revealed in the painters ana
scuptors art. These gentlemen, with host OF less
known art writer's have for some years preached
crusade against modern indfrerentism IN art. They
have now the satisfaction OF seeing
TnE TORCH
they kindled taken up by other hands and braveis
borne forward and upward. Nor have the older
crusaders In the cause Of the beautiful grown res
weary. but, On the contrary time seems only TO
have lent them new energies 10 struggle against tha
dull matcrallsm Of the age In this combat OF what
IL pure and cevatng against the dull and sensuous
tendencies OF An age that has erected golden calf
as the highest order OF divinity and aband0ns itself
To degrading and fetish worship Of material sue.
cess the good wishes OF all men who think that God
commanded rs to generous and noble deeds are due
TO those who labor to overthrow
THE FALSE GODS
and restore the worship OF what Is pure and beauti.
ful. Though the spirit Of modern life Is sadly
tainted by scepticism which corruption but too often
justEes, yet are there hid away among the worth
less rubbsh-heap which the world calls the temple
OF fashion many bright ana priceless jewels. And
II only rescue one OF these and make manifest to
the world us brightness and beauty, and 30 en-
courage those who shall come after us In the hope
that some virtue stll exists In man, the labors OF
those who toli to-day shall not have been in vain.
But the results already achieved justify us in be-
! lief that not only shall
HOPE FoR THE FUTURE
| be awakened, but that those who first raised the
standard ~ art and called the people to rally round
| II shall, like new Moses conduct us to the cOnhnes
OF the promised land even II hey enter not into It.
| literature Mr.. and Mrs. Hail. the distinguished
!, editors OF tue London Ar Jo,oaa', deserve most
tlon had rival IN this field OF literature, but the
editors, with true artistic feeling, did not the less
Iustratons should be or the hghc order. So great
was he success which attended their efforts that even
TO tiIs iluur the llne tue WOfkS OF
celebrated artists have equal In any periodical.
The Ar Jou31ai Tor september contains two magnih
zen! soSFavlTpgf'''ne' "O'p'' and o''mA''
SPLENDID EXAMPLES
OF the engraver's art. Excellent Jud2mcnt Is
usually displayed IN the Art Jon'n0t in the sclec.
ton OF subjects for illustration, and we are AZ once
made acquainted with goon engravings anu the best
in Pleasant landscape, walking mcodily along alb
sorbed in thought ana perfect, unconscious Of the
sss cssrh nm With terror m a. the man who
| ha, come back from hell. Tho composition OF the
main .roups IN thus picture i. excellent, but the
/ cf,ec5 is some what marred by subsidiary groups,
| especially by a woman and child In the middle dis
tance, VINO break the unity aud give u struggling
eject . --r'
| belongs 70 new class or modern art, which aims
| al combining the gt7ye ana historical by q familiar
treatment OF classical subjects. COomans, u Bel
| gan artist, acquired wide fame BY his produc.
IiOns IN tins class OF painting which Offers large
scope for Imagination. The present subject repre-
senis Greek mother correcting her young son for
some fauii, and the composition OF
! TILE GEOUf Is GRACEFUL
and telling. Remarkable tenderness has been I'M
I, wn,s tue little fellow Is male 10 look heartily
ashamed of himself. In addition 10 the usual Gu
drawings yns Of W arwors in gold ana silver from ine
International Exhibition, The ncauty OF many Of
these specimens ems Is almost beyond prase Ia ths
and artistic perception is visible Us In the larger
While the Av Jou,na, seems 10 defy competition
| In ITS specially, TWO dangerous rivals for public
patronage have sprung up under the titles 9!
system OF line engraving has been sban-
d. ansd g ke FOR 7, sw so
produced by the new process neither Art nor the
Iorl'oIlo depends SO mucn on these ~ on the excel
renee o s''sI asnroAL vs,r,so
for obtaining pubic iayor There rs not 80 much
quaint and curious Information about the lifrereni
branches Of art IN The new Journals as be found
IN the Art Jt,, mai but on the other hand the ques
ODlnkOna
value OF contemporary art Os attack popular mis.
conceptions under their signature. which Is guar
An able article on .uazncss in Art deserves parti.
cular attention from that class OF our artlsts who
allow their imagInations sometimes 10 make them
nature. Tne writer says:-"The unravement OF
sion OF all appreciation OF other qualities is .
curious physical study. This much. however, II
developed phase Of mlnd-a mind not Yet tutored to
perceive clearly and TO trace the mighty principles
Of order the reign Of law u nature. Tnis persist,
'H'' - 4 yrsu,ors sTTs sf1TTs ,-:vs1-.....
may perhaps be encouraged by the repeated fai
lens Of being, and the knowledge that, not
withstandmg all the victories OF science there
| Is o veil more impenctrablo than the clouds
| which sometimes darkcn The carti--a veil which
| the human mind can never hopc 10 pcnetratc." In
addition TO inc Instructive general articles, this pc.
rodical Is rich in illustrations which produced
by the heioyDe process. Not alone IS the truth Of
Outline Of the photograph preserved, but by a cum
rendered. A group OF sheep BY VerbocKboveu, with
! light falling on them through window, Is y per
feet picture. and well Is the texture Of the wool
produced That We scarcely perceive the absence Of
color
THE FORTF0iIO
IN point Of sound criticism Is undoubtedly the abcst
advocate OF true art IN the English tongue.
Edited by Philip Gilbert Hamcrton, who
stands alone among English art critics as
writer free from the prejudice OF any school "A
lover OF whatever II worthy OF admiration In each.
Unlike the eloquent Rnslin, he has no hobby, but
takes broad, liberal view OF the merits and de-
NOR m uhnaa In
that IN their sect only can real art be found. Con-
Quoted by such man we are not surprised TO find
the views advanced on every subject broad ana
comprehensive, at the same time that they display
unusual power of analysis. criiique on the works
oil Blake by sydney C0lviu, aud u critical review pf
two sells OF etchln9s of paris I'm 1871 by Martial
und lnlauue WrifiCn AY Mr. uAlerfnn fuu nf