The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-26
Art In America.

effective IN proportion as 1t seizes upon the
great truths of nature and reproduces them In
q popular FORM capable of delighting and
instructing us. True art Is free from sordid
motives and draws Its inspiration from love
of all that is good in nature. The worst
incentive to art is the desire Of gain, because
1t corrupts the stream Of beautiful thoughts at
the source and begets selfish and vulgar feel
ings, which are fatal to the elevation Of
thought and nobility Of sentiment which
should characterize the true artist To be .
great artist man must love his art beyond
all else and work for the truth, indie
pendent Of hope Of applause or reward. Tho
conditions Of life in America render this
whole-hearted devotion to art very difficult,
up every other emotion; hence we have few
good artists, because men Of talent will not
enter profession that has SO few golden re-
wards to offer them. Before we can reach the
highest art we must adopt higher ideal life,
In which truth and tenderness will count for
much more than at present. Art is the result
Of beauty of thought and exquisite feeling in
one man, but has tendency to produce mo-
bility of soul In others by cultivating whatever
there is Of pure and sympathetic in our nature.
1t introduces US to the wonders of creation aud
makes US perceive more clearly the wisdom
ing manners and creating love for whatever
is beautiful and tender in nature is one Of the
strongest forces in combating evil. Whatever
encourages beauty or elevation of thought
must add to the sum Of mans happiness and
increase the power Of virtue, making man moro
capable of sympathising with sorrow and Attic
ton.
The importance Of art as popular educator
10 twofold In relation to its practical use In
the affairs Of life and the moral influence It
exerts over the character Of q people. Art IL
not confined merely to the production of beauti-
fnl fancies on canvas or in stone for the plea
sure of the cultivated and refined, but enters
deeply into the composition of the most ordi-
nary articles of general use. There are few
of the mechanical pursuits which are not in
debted in something to the fine arts and de-
pendent on them for development. This alli-
ance between the useful pursuits of life and
art has always been very intimate in nations
which have taken high place in civilization,
and is necessary to-day to those who do not
wish to be beaten in the race of life. So con-
vinced of this truth are the leading minds Of
Europe that everywhere we see springing up
primary art schools; for it is now held that
the alphabet Of science is as useful to
the youth Of nation as the know
ledge OF letters. The want Of art schools
in America is the principal cause Of the want
of art taste among the masses of the people,
and the imperfec ct education of the American
artists is also due to the absence Of proper
training ground, where the principles Of their
profession may be acquired. The time and
labor lost roping for knowledge must occupy
the best years Of an American students life,
unless he be fortunate enough to possess the
means of going to Europe. In the indifference
bodies Oh arged with the instruction of youth
to this subject of art education we have the
of art feeling in the nation and
complete exp lanation Of the cause why art Is
almost unknown among people that
boasts of their advanced civilization. Owing
to the want Of schools where students
might study anatomy and learn to
draw the human figure, combined with
the absence OF art galleries, whence they
might derive light and inspiration in the treat
ment Of historical subjects, the mass Of
American artists have been forced into land
scape painting. Here the natural keenness
Of the American mind exhibits its analytic
power in reproducing the forms and colors
of woods, lakes and mountains. With the
great book of nature open before them, tho
landscape artists have learned many Of her
secrets, and seized upon and transferred
great truths to canvas; but this is not
enough. The triumphs of few men over
every difficulty do not justify the neglect Of an
important branch Of education, but rather
make us feel how much art power Is going to
waste for want of direction and instruction.
Two causes lead to the general neglect of his
torical and figure painting-want of training in
schools and of int elligent patronage; until
both are supplied it will be vain
to hope for the growth of an American school
of art. Few men are nowadays likely to imi-
tate Barry and die of sta rvation rather than
abandon the pursuit of high art. Private
patronage is insufficient for the encouragement
Of historical painting, and in European coun-
tries it has been the custom Of the governments
to patronize the most distinguished artists To
this custom we owe some Of the noblest and
almost all the grandest efforts of the old mas
tiers, as well as some of the triumphs of modern
art. Had not the British government patron
lied Maclise and Holman Hunt we should
never have had such monuments Of genius as
the ''Waterloo" of the one or the Moses Of
the other. The most spirited of Horace Yer.
nets battle pieces are painted on the walls Of