New-York tribune., 1872-10-10
BOSTON.
LITERARY NOTES.

WHAT FAILURE MEANS-GREEk Aht- -&hA IVA
PHAEI, THE LOVELY AND LOVlNo-t ..,. ~, 80
WOMAN WHOM MICHAEL Angelo ~ -,
mo .ppPy oN "THE CITY OF GOD miss
RATE TIEIp, HER SUCCESSES AND HER iNIEN-
TIONS .
tVRoM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THk TklBuNhi
RosroS. Oct. s.-Roberts Brothers are about
,o repuhsh a notable English work, namely, Christian
Art and Symbolism" by the Rev. r. st. John Iyr"h'''
To this volume Prof John Ruskn has furnished most
ouaipt and Characteristic preface The writer OF to
book he says. has long been his friend anu was !"
earlier days his disciple But more recently u's u"S
been reversed. and he has been Mr. TyrWh'ts u,sop"
suee the latter has devoted himself To the STUDY VI
of Christian Art which Ruskin has had niue opIOi''
=, .oriping and carried to the task brightness OF
.p.busasn of which Ruskin conesses himself incaaoe
Knowing this he begged Mr.. Tyrwhu 10 uchNcr 'noSo
Iectnres and after they had been delivered 10 puos"
Them "Aud this he has done TO please me-, adds lne
csptious captivating, cynical, contradictory artcrtc
land now that is done, am in one sense anything pu,
rleased for like his writing better than my own ana
am more Jealous OF it than thought II was in me TO oe
Of any good work-how much less Of my friends icon
sole myself by rejecting at least by repeating TO my
self and endeavorng TO think that he could moi have
found all this out IL had not shown him the way MI
Rusn conesses also that ms friend has the advantage
NJ him m bringing to the study of Christian Art the III
iegrty and CamnesS OF the faith In which was wrought
snd the discipline Of lite passed In giving help ana
comfort to Others in the discharge OF known dutles'
while he has been perhaps wrongly always
hesitatnCly-persuadng himself that it was his duty
to do what pleased him. Mr.. TyrWhitt's attitude
Of assured faith does indeed contrast with Ruskins
,, constant speculation, the outgrowth OF lifelong en-
dcavor to 50 far mbue himself with the faith and spirit
in which every work OF art was wrought as toVieW IL
from the artists point Of view Pagan, Christian ideal
lsi and materatst by turns and hardly sure at last
any thing. From this speculative phase his friend has
been protected by his different mode Of e aud there
fore Ruskin believes that "hs writings contain the
truest expression yet given England OF The feelings
With which Christian gentleman Of sense and learning
shond regard the art produced, IN ancient days. ny tue
dawn Of the faith which stl guides his conduct and reg
ulates his peace"
After Ruskn whatf Not further Endorsement Ger
taiuiy-that were an impertuence-clse l should say
that the book is delightful as it is sure TO he useful
In the Introductory Chapter Mr.. Tyrwbht says some
good things about criticism. lie quotes the saying OF
III PnGbus IN LOlair," that critics are the men VINO
have failed in art and literature. And he evidently
thinks 1t is 80 much the better for the critics Nobody
he says he either poet painter or critic III ne mas
made a great many failures IN the first place And in
whatever art almost every man may be SAID 10 feach
hie point failure since be comes 10 time when he
has done bis best and then fails 20 40 forward He has
rrd ms capacity to the utmost bat at last he can do no
more; lie finds something absolutely beyond him. Many
men highly successful FAR as money goes, are yet
failures because they untrue TO their genius Lie Is
long race and tine stayeIs have the best OF ~ those
fcsL inspirations. doing their best for the bests sake.
Tns pressing on O the prize this steady pursuit
D. ideal is the moral Of art ana brings II into relation
with spiritual life To have tried aud failed Is certainly
much teter preparation for critics WORK than hoI 10
have tried at m There is no doubt that II you are 70
cucisc the technique OF pictures, you ought, at least
have tried to draw because nothing else can give
YOU an idea either the difficulty OF the subject, or OF
is interest or of the immense difference between works
C fine hama. perception. and purpose and sloyeny
coarse, false work. For quick work is often most
delicate; aud Of the most laborous and consnm-
mate voikmen who ever lived, Mr.. Holman Hunt, is
also most RAPID iu ms execution
Nj. TSIwhtt vcIy for the popuarizltion oi
Not that fewer Of the great, immortal works which
can or!y hang rich mems galleries should be exc
c,o bu that in addition 10 these daily life and objects
O, daily Should be- made artistic. Decoration with
ideas cheap decoration without ideas. Why
Should the walls of schOOlrooms 'or instance, be
painted wth historical scenes, with NOBLE figures, IN
whose footsteps it were an inspiration 10 walki We
ought toIpect tie commercial or paying art, because
that means popular ART; and If yOu get beautiful things
into The common market, You get them into common
lie, then people begin To make progress from them
Nou help 10 educate The people in back slums when you
make their common def III such shapes that AZ gives
them ideas oi beauty.
But have fingered 100 long over the excellent sug-
gestions of this Introductory Chapter. Inthe next you
take leap backward 10 the days Of Grecian glory
thc tmc Of Agcladas, Pmdas, Myron. "These men
were handsome 1eshandDloOd fellows IN white or yel
lowIsh tunes. with white purplesped cloaks and 50
were an friends some OF them golden grass
borpers m Their hair They were men, and not names
only; and upon time they might all have been
seen chipping away III moderately y-sized, oblong-
square. bright, lOOlsh building on the top OF hill"
Thai hi was The AcTopulsthe building the Parthenon.
There Ahcus dvelt. Icspendent goddess in ivory and
gold. Hound The freezes are the cOmbats of AmazoDs
and Ic1ocs and the tuumphs Of the olivecrOwned
knights Of Athens An Is white and gold and FAINT
tirtng perhaps the marble, and clear warm shadow
over White and gold The sky deep to-day, rs
IL was yesterday, 1t Will be to-morrow, except
mule rose Of dawn and the flames OF sunset" Here IN
t> rDtcruc, glorious temple, linger Percles aud As
Jasia; SoIh,cles comes here, and sad young man
named Auhophanes; Alcblades in ms beauty, and
Socrates ms wisdom ana his uglness; all these, and
many more intent clothing the city OF their delight
with her garment Of victory. The worship Of beauty
was The inspiration OF Greek ant And by beauty every
Athenian was surrounded. He bToathed the finest at
InosphcIc earth lie saw Athenc and Iheseus the
form, Of HE gods and heroes round him and he
daily Tie nNmg frames Of strength ard beauty from
which the great statues conceived The Greek was
his own model and type: he ideaZed man because he
really knew TIE beauty of man. " He thought the be-
ginning and end Of Art set forth represent his
gods aud himself, which well; and he thought his
gods must be just like himself which not 10 well"
Tie Tbeseus Of PLda Of the nObest expressions
Of Greek u is the glorious figure Of heroic and
iatisGcd man. lie is not what yOu call thoughtful
No speculation di,qmcts those eyes. lie has never an
alyzed himself or any hing else in his life
when Gothi,-Cmistan Art comes it changes all that
The Greek WoIK is perfect, yet most Of would
prefer the nnpercctOD the Goth "1he visible body
uf man. ideal perfection be represented; the
vicwlcss spirit, IN lis mystery, il unable To express
itself and knows not that which il shah be. Phidas
gives You one Michael Angelo strives before you with
the other" In al Christian sculpture therefore, the
{. il tla inf