The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-11-30
The wearn 4 HI. Art GALLERY.

hH. GD11oh' WINE waking down
Main street, the other day, found
bad spare hour on hand, and con-
cluded I could not more profitably en-
ploy it than by visit to the attractive
art gallery of Messrs. Wearn & Hix.
AS 1 entcred the hall. on the first floor,
l Was utterly taken by surprise; for,
much as I bud heard of the beautiful
specimens OF photography there on ex-
hibltlon. was entirely unprepared for
the magnificent display before me.
From the full.sized like ness down to the
miniature reproductioi. Of the human
face .ivine, each par!ect in it's kind.
Where all are SO excellent, it is almost
Impossible to discriminate, bnt we were
especially struck with the beauty and
fidelity to nature Of some of the scenes
about Columbia. Hurleyville, for in
stance. that SUI generis locality, is de-
picted with stereoscopic vividness.
Conspicuous among the attractions of
the gallery are the views taken from our
mountain scenery, taken by Mr. Wearn
during the past summer. It has long
been a reproach to us in the South,
that we leave our own beautiful country
unexplored, and go sightseeing among
places far less richly endowed by nature,
and that our artists leave their own pic
turesque regions. and year after year 20
TO gather material for their pictures
along the welltrodden paths of hack
neyed Northern tourists. Mr.. Wearn,
with an exemplary patriotism, and the
enterprise which marks the fine artist,
has wandered anong the romantic
mountaini passes, through the deep
gorges III the wild ravines. and under
the beetling cliffs Of the Blue Ridge,
and brought back with him visions of
beauty which are, indeed. "a Joy for
ever" On the second floor of the gal
lery, we find the well.appointed atelier
OF that rising to emlnence painter, ".
Z. Hl1. AS we reach the head of the
stairs, We stop. startled by the life-like
reproduction of the kindly face of 'the
old doctor" (Dr. d. III. Trezeyant,) and
we can scarcely believe that the lips are
not going to open, relax into the old be-
nign smile, or about to utter words of
cheer and encouragement. To his chill
dren and friends, this picture is pre-
cious heritage. Next is an exquisite por-
trait Of "a maiden in her flower" and
then, wonderful picture. one which
"requires seeing to be believed in," a
picture Of ono Of the gallant knights OF
the present South Carolinn's chivalry-
one who may yet wrap his colors
around his breast on blood-red field of
Spain" The painting is so true to ma
ture ns to amount to curiosity in art.
But the picture considered by Mr.. Hix
himself as his clef d'Oeurre, is q large
portrait Of Gen. Kershaw, standing on
t!o-feld, in full Confederate uni.
form. Here we linger. The concen-
trated thought written in the COM
mnnder's face, the vivid expression of
eye, cheek and lip. the well.poised figure
OF the soldier, are all 80 faithfully por.
trayed. that it scarcely needs the South
crn cross. warriors in the distance, or
the "war clouds rolling down." to carry
us back tc The days when Kershaw's
Division was always among the foremost
III the ranks of our immortal heroes;
and the memories which come yelling
up are too sweet and too painful to be
dwelt upon in the Columbia of to.dny.
Contrasting these pictures of MIR. Hix
with some of his earlier efforts, we arc
greatly impressed by the improvement
he hos made in his beautiful art. We
earnestly hope that the next decade will
SEQ proportionate advancement in his
work, and confidently predict that his
name will soon rank high among the
artists of the age. MID.
COLUMBIA, November 26, 1878.