, 1873-08-31
ART.
A Work by a Chicago Painter.
st. Ninrlk's Cathedral, Vonicc.


produced It, Mr.. Charlos g. Dyer, who shows
bis work for tho first limo In this city. at the
establishment Of Janson, MoC1urg Il Co.
st. Marks seotnB fAyorito study with many
Of our artista, md truly 1t would DO difficult to
nnd finer toBt for oolorn than Is afforded by Tho
Oriental stylo OF decoration which nalcs
this Cathedral wonder In tho Wost.
Though tho variety Of its colors aud
thoir presence ovorYwhoro Is what first Btrikoa
tho observer, got tho architecture has q foaturo
common to oil great monuments, Which makos
the drawing equally dllcult and yet may not
DO observed on first visit. Tho shnpo Of cor
responding arches ID not identical. Tho builder
was not influenced wholly by his measuring In"
strumonts, but allowed his feoling for beauty to
influence the arrangement Of ls limos.
Truly great nrt affords fow instaucos OF mo-
cllnnical repetition, and It has been q tuck re-
served for certain school Of modorn nrt to ro-
duce tho old lnwB Of symmetry to tho roqulre-
mont that, for m ornament on ono side, thoro
must DO tho sano ornament on tho othor.
Old King Louis Of Davaria thought he had
made visit to Athens unnecessary by 1opro-
ducing tho propYlmum at Munich but bis
architect was only capable OF reproducing, after
mechanical fashion, somo Of the main foatures
of tho form, and proved TINT the meaning Of tho
groat monument entiroly escaped all Ills moab
uring.
! The nltioa OF Athens ssw their money spent
and had roason to be incensod /; but 1t WIS
their privilege to sootho thoir foolings Of
resentment by the delight Afforded thom
| by tho artistic proportions Of the old Propy-
lmum, tho only tlt vostihu1o to the nnor eplondor
Of "glorious AthonB." On tho other hand, tho
Davarinns have mover had my account Of tho mill
ions of indemnity received by King Louis from
Trance; but what havo they to sootho In any
way their just feeling Of wrong7 a puny litt1o
| building which means nothing to them and which
| is continued insult to tho memory Of Porictog.
Thoso who arc guided by this ilea Of uoohan-
ical correspondence, and, applying 1t horo,
| think TINT one Bide-aialo mnHe exactly corro-
spond to tho other, will bo diBplcased If thoir
aolf- -eateom does not allow thcm to 10 mortified
on discovering, TINT there is nothing to co!ro-
spond to tho Armenian chapel in tho right aialo
Of st. Marlls, and thoy will bo grtoyed to notice
that tho pi1eB hnvo givon away In somo plaooa
more than in others, thus making tho pavonont
slightly uncven, Us indeed is apparont in this
picture. ..
THO light Of tho picture is concentrated on
this beautiful Armenian chnpol, "a roof Of alabas-
tor supported by yar-colored columns Of coaty
Eaatern marblea With gilded capitals Tho rich
mosaic floor honoalh receives ita share Of Light
This surface was originally polished mud highly
| reflective; but 1t Ia now worn into lalf-dmnosH.
and benry Witness to tho religious dovotionB OF
| eight centuries Of worBhipers.
| Had st, Marks bocn built IN our time, and
! were wo now IN tho year Of Our Lord 2G00, Wo
| can suppose that this pavement would be worry
| aerioualy marred from tho samo cause; though.
If wo rccollect the iate Of tho Old South, Wo
toned Post oIllco, tuatonl-uouae, or County:
Hospital would bo Ill that wo could find OF old
st. Mnrlt'B.
70 roturn to Tho picture: Tho light is 80 brill
iant that tho pavement, worn though 1t Is, pay
tialIy regains its reflective powor, put only to
suggest tho main Lights and shadows OF tho
compoaition,- nothing like firm outline
can DO seon hero in reflection.
The o}f-control exhibited ia tho danpcned
reflection IL ono OF the conspicuous merits Of the
artiBt.-for, by this moderation, ho hos pro-
served for the oye what mono who has visited
st. Marks would consent to take from II, = por-
fectly olear outline Of tho octagonal figures
under tho foot Of tho wosshipors, ,--porhapg to
family auggost to tho doyout mind tito golden
payemontH Of tho Now Jer1lnalem..
The part Of tho pavement given in this picture
l1as points of excellence In design and color that
mako it, in tho opinion Of many, tho tinost IL
tho whole Cathedral. Indood, competent
Judges hayo pronounced it tho richest npoci.
inon OF Byzantine mosac-worlt preserved
TINT this pavement apreaeryod; but, though thla
was true : yeas ago, it III not true now. Thie
portion OF tho left aisle was inspected last year.
) and found to have boon 90 long kept without re-
pairing that it could not be restored by patching
Accordingly thcy aro now repairing, and .this
! pnyoment exists only in paintings frou
!, it Marks by Neal. Dyer, Yewe!l, Coleman
: and fow others. Let this TACT e1cuao 20 or
/ tended mention Of tho pavement in this place
Tho wTter must not forget, in his regrets o.
the loss of this pavement. to notice lniacon
; ception which has found place in some notices.
; Of this picture: II Ina boon objected that tn
J3rS.L f(ytfh hfk ia Hnr+11
o lniataAe. It is tr1o that the key Of light II
! more highly pitched than tho ordinary low tom
Of st, Marks, which suggests distance and mys
.. terry, instead Of splondor and richness Tho OF
. the background horo. Or, still better .Cbccaup
i entirely separated and freed from tho brighton
lug sunlight which peryaded tho church whc1
J this picture was painted), IN the litslo skotcl
!, which hangs beneath tho picture at present.
: Every ono who has been long il Venice In
q geen St. Marks undor tho conditions Of ll6h
! which occur in this plcture;. and oil such, ar
i: suro, will ioin in saying that there is nothin
tllaaaf tic artiat who haa dared to depart tror
- tho beaten track and give us this brilliant phna
1 Of st. Marks.
t Tho first duty OF m artist In painting any pic
turo is to Hoizo every Wow Of his subject wtt.i
u This ho thon nccentuates, ncitler too much no
T. too littlo and to this chosen plase ho subord
nntes and SACRIFICES any discordant dctails.
Ia In a WQr1, true 0ftlht III lOtnlng Ieeb InA
d o living machino. Ills feeling and ~
"a probation always should govern III
;. brush. In tho present caso, II I ii
rectiy, it was not boforo all things, tho gloom
mystic St. Marks that Was to bo given us. y
aro not to people these shadows with the gril
b members Of tho Secret Council. Horo NO mu
think Of tho Carnival, OF tho magnacenco I
Venice, not Of its horrors. It was quite III col
!. sonauco with this view to select tho time Of ycl
WHOM st. AInr1s ia most brilliantly lluminato
This is in May md tho beginning Of Juuo,-f
p in tho fall, the weather is continuously cloud
& rhoHo who 60 to Venice should not loavo nut
10 they have soou this gorgeous spring -aunshil
pouring in through tho roso-window aboyo Il
~ \ main entrance.
= Truly, 1t cannot bo too often ropoated, til
Ia only ia tho brancy Of this spring sunlight C!
il we fully appreciate the most unique phase
to st. Marks. It iu this. light which shows for