The New York herald., 1873-11-08
ART MATTERS.
An Exquisite New Ptcfure-"The ne-
eftal.o by j. Beaufair irving.

"A
eital," by J. Beaufatr irvihS'
the majority OF people who buy pictures under
stand nothing about them. THIS IS SAD LOT ar1
but II is happy for those who want their walls fuii
ana do NOT much care with what. Then there Is
another ana smaller class who have quicker eye
70 q great name than good picture, ana Wouid
rather nav $4,000 for the worst failure Dy Meis-
s0nier than $l, 900 for an unquesuonaDle success
by an obscurer artist. These are the kind OF
people who never get beyond the pdrrenu level,
who are either incapable OF acquiring taste In
matters OF art or who Lack the moral courage to
be guided by their taste independent OF the
glamour OF celebrated name. There is
nothing novel in drawing attention TO this
distinction. IL is one that has been pointed out
thousand times before. Yet TO repeat IL once again
Is apropos just at present. because Mr. ]. Beaufair
Irving has just completed picture which, because
tt Is excellent, will be likely to be neglected by
these two classes OF buyers. Mr.. Irving's hope for
appreciation plainly does not lie with them but
with that circumscribed yet stin very influential
class OF people possessing natural taste, finely ed
ucated, and made exact and instantaneous IN its
decisions by years OF discipline. The picture to
which we have reference is named "The Recital
Sp aa he pVsl q sm bat
most exquistely finished. The subject Is SUM-
ciently indicated by the title, and represents
the various expressions OF appreciation
visible in the countenances and attitudes
Of three gentlemen wno have been listening
20 q recital by fourth What the recital may nave
been is not vital to the subject II may have been
q piece Of original composition, or u may nave
been q selection, but the closed book I'D lhe nanu
Of the nusned reciter procaims tnat the declama-
ti0n has just come to an end The scene taxes place
library end Of spe oo years ara ago. o. T The
citer occupies the extreme left OF the picture,
and stands at one side q 3 table his @ back and
holds the closed book, the other is eloquent with
that gestculatlon one uses in earnest appeal, par
ticuarly appeal that Is sure OF approval His body
fnclines toward the three listeners, and his face
wears the glow and flush OF declaimer deeply in
earnest and highly wrought. The treatment
OF the three listeners Is very ingenious and
telling, and II Mr. Iryings intention was to Illus
trate three distinct types or auditors he has ad-
Mirably succeeded. The figure occupying the
middle OF the picture generazes the jolity of the
free and spontaneous enjoyer with whom epicu
reanism Is an instinct rather than calculation.
He laughs all over, quite as much in his clenched
nst and his disengaged hand as In his convused
features and his outstretched body swept over
affected outcropping OF . healthy animal nature,
which knows neither cynicism nor megrims, aud
manages TO preserve something OF the impusiye-
ness OF the child amid the slopes OF maturity.
Very different ls the dignifed but equally intense
approval OF the companion seated at his right and
alttle behind him. Here we have the appreciation
OF Chesterfield, the sententious approval OF the
man who had never laughed aloud since he be-
having The hands that touch each other on the
e0ge OF the table are full OF repressed chuckles,
manly expression in the courteous face quleted for
compliment. To complete the contrast, nothing
was wanted but the element that Mr.. Irving has
introduced, judlclousy throwing II into the back
ground-that OF the severe ascetic, the constltu-
tonal Puritan, betrayed INTO grin. The satlsfac-
tion which The Puritan feels, against his Will, may
possibly avenge itself at some future time in the
form OF penance, but meanwhile he deeply enjoys
the humor OF the moment, and, in vain, behind a
pucker endeayors 10 remain consistent with his
piety. We have given more space than
usual to description OF this picture, but
the space is not wasted II our words
shall produce the effect OF sending TO Mr..
kving's picture one admirer more than
It would otherwise have had. The whole thing
occupies only few inches OF surface, but those
inches have been employed to q greater perfection
than any other American artist has given proof
that he could put them In the same line OF subject
We doubt not that Meissoniers, less intrinsically
valuable, are hanging on the walls OF more than
one private parlor in this city; but We make this
remark not TO the discredit OF Meissonier nor the
glorincation OF Irving twho would be the last to
desire such thing, but because the tact helps to
shed light upon what we have said on the igno-
rance and prejudices OF picture buyers. We be.
heve that Mr. Irving, in his studio in the Tenth
street building Is completing several pictures in
the same vein. HIS success Is all the more star
ehng, because even his friends ana admirers were
unprepared for it, and because the total destruction
of his property recently placed entirely beyond his
reach those advantages and appliances which
every European artist who has reached eminence
In this leld 50 lsvishly enjoys.