The New York herald., 1873-12-26
ART MATTERS.
SsThe Shadow or Dcath,' by Holman
Hunt.

Bond street, London. Our readers will feel inter-
ested m hearing the criticisms bestowed on 1t by
some Of the principal London reviews. The Specta-
tor remarks-
The motive OF the picture is twofofd. First tho
painter Is required to exhibit IN ITS fullest tnten-
sity, and as the primary and leading idea the feel
ings and emotions OF Christ at the moment OF ces-
sation from daily labor. and then. as q sort Of
second plot In the DRAMA he has to introduce and
to keep In due snbordinatlon, the incident or tho
shadow, with It's erect upon the mother or Jesus.
Besides these there Is window to be placed n
shall suggest. but not too strongly, nimbus
round ths Saviour's head. and the star Of
have been added, including comprehensive local
landscape All this must be represented under an
on near objects. which gives strong definition to
the shadows, brings out all the forms In manner
equally sharp, clear and telling, and strakes upon
the uprurned face after the trying manner OF foot
lights on the stage. Everything has to be de-
lineated with stern, realistic truth, nothing
sOftened OF or left indefinite and nothing accent
uated in any manner inconsistent with absolute
fidelity to nature. And among these things, which
have to be included within very limited space.
ing nearly from top to bottom OF the canvas stand
ing In about as upbeaurifui an attitude as 1t Is
possible Tor a model 70 te set in These were the
conditions under which ne had to work, and 1t
surely reurired no slight ingenuity and manage
ment to reconcile such connlctlng elements ana
ft them together as to produce anything ike the
unity 0flmpression which we nave IN thls picture.
The Saturday Reuieso says
The picture admits OF easy description; the char
acters are but two-Chr1st and The Madonna; the
scene Is laid in carpenters shop hung with tools
and strewn with shavings. The accessories have
been studied on the spot. Thus we are told that
cient carpenters implements bought ag Bethle-
hem." In like manner the rounded arch OF tho
snpposed To conn the s Of che TSres Kings
are substantiated by extant examples. Nothing
is the creation Of the imagination historic truth is
reached through selection OF still existing facts,
process which is all the more trustworthy from the
known pefmanence Of Oriental forms. This car
penters the 9ure and head Of CHRIST
were studied from living models In Palestine. Yhe
characters introduced are, as we have said, only
she Ia crouching down; she turns her back on the
spectator; her lace is not seen. One advantage OF
gained for the principal figure Christ, full grown
man, at least six feet tall, stands In the midst Of
small workshop; tne day Is done, and long toil
In relief from long tension and the downgoing sun
which flis the room with light and illumines the
upon the wall The arms are uplfted, the shadow
is the figure Of the cross-"The Shadow Of Death"
The head Of the sayiour ~ and the figure. the
In common with every other part OF the picture.
received ANXIOUS thought. And the result is an
world into controversy. In the first place we may
remark that, though the idea OF the existence OF
any M o. 81 We All Sng
which for centuries obtains acceptance. Mr.. Hunt,
throwing aside the traditional form, goes to ma
turc and makes for himself new type. To this
there can be no objection pro vided only he real
ICES the fundamental idea OF the character, whi III
r 'fs have psen
practice for obvious reasons habitual with both
painters and sculptors; the defects OF one model
are thus rectfed by the others. In the present
instance the torso and limbs have been studied
from man in Syria, better known for his physique
ticulated the form firmly; the anatomy has nerve
and sinew; the modelling Is sharp and even Sc
we're; the style and manipuiation are somewhat
the color is warm to crudtty. The physical iramc
is thar Of man wen proportioned.
lifted by nature Tor skilled manual labor, and SO
far the artist gains what he aims at. Yet, judged
BY the hghsss a more might as a De 6esrsd M
tual head which, with modldcations served him
for model, just as Leonardo u said 60 have used
his consummated wall picture. The Italian artist,
1t Is stated, could not satisfy himself for long
time story which may wei ne 6siievea , wnen we
product. 1t Is obvious that Mr.. Holman Hunt has
adhered more closely to Individual nature; hence
his type has more OF the actual and less OF the
ideal. The head Is crowned with auburn hair.
which tails in disordered curls upon the shoulders;
white as ivory the eyes, liquid and lustrous as
gems are turned upwards. 1t Is often written
aAnd Christ looked up to heavens" the artist has
seized on such moment ana In his upraised face
read not only the WEAKNESS OF the desn through
labor but the anguish OF the spirit and the prayer
The Pau Aau Gazette expresses the following
opinion:- -tA
Unfortunately Mr.. Hunts realism would seem
not to 90 very far. It delights In establishing q
series OF petty lacts, and OF convincing US OF the
ments, however are scarcely enough for art that
Is to be valuable. We find here, for instance un-
run TO carpenters feet, and to swell the veins
unduly, and, also, II we observe attentively, thae
the teeth OF an Eastern saw are turned upwards:
pnt for "a t0h 10 OGnA a
the picture still possess claim to be called reaiis-
tic. II the form OF the carpenter had been nobly
planned, and carried with 1t the sense OF an artis-
tic vision keen to apprehend each VARYING express
sion Of life ana movement aud II the face had
been cast a IN some n large mould OF mature naTra oeauy
fcation for MIR. Hunts desire Of realism.
With this motive in the ngure--half in weari-
rest, there was room for grand design. Mr.. Hunt,
however, has supplied buta meagre type OF man
and n 10 e e "a no ns
picture is not of deep lasting Kind the painter
being, as 1t would seem, anxious to register pre-
that higher truth has been missed In all the de-
tails Of the picture there is amount OF elaborate
gest the need for the same successful idelity In
matters OF greater import Unfortunately, how
ever, Mr.. Hunt has not yet found out the way Of
advanced the achievement OF realism stands in
conflict with desire of loveliness. The feeGing
and accidental attributes Of things about which
his artistic spirit is so pathetically conscientious
stIi hide from him both the truth and the beauty
that lie beyond. There are painters who
search out truth for beauty's sake, and
their work then stands highest In respect OF either
Mr.. Hunt is still overpowered by the endeav0r to
realize what is nearest without thought that the
reward is not worth the labor. IL is not pleasant
to think OF patient courage and artistic toll being
spent upon no better object than the study OF INA
tiona CHARACTERISTICS and climatic ef1eCts.n For
this reason the picture, with all its evidence OF IN
dustry is not an encouraging manifestation OF art.
The uninspired drawing, that seems to travel
wearily and without understanding in faithful de-
sire TO copy what 1t sees, and the color, brilliant
without sustained hal mony, do not leave upon the
mind any sense OF the Joy which o work OF beauty
brings, and the work Is remembered rather with
sympathetic pain for the labor bestowed than with
delight at the result We had almost forgotten the
As Christ stands with arms extended In the even
ing light q shadow falls upon the wall which, in
FORM is like the form OF the cross. II the principles
OF art ever remodelled so that serious imagina-
tion shall give place TO trick OF surprise tns no.
tion might come to be regarded as a fine example