, 1873-12-28
LtTERATURE.' !


Art-GrhmmaF.
TIE GRAMMAR OF PAINTING AND ENGRAVING,
TrGnslatea from ts T1ench M Of naAxoa Gram
l. aETT. With original 1lustrRtiong. Now York
Il 1urd It Houghton.
Many persons. highly Intelligent and culti-
vatod In moat things, nro sadly deficient In ar-
tistio knowledge and taste. They can talk wiHoly
and woll on literary, historical, political, and
pothapa sciontiilo subjects, but Of painting, aud
tho arts rolatod to 1t, they aro almost totailyig-
norant. Thoy may commend, as oil must, nomo
gom Of tho grand old mastors, but of tho prtr,-
cplcH that enabled tho artist to command tito
admiration Mike Of tho 1enrned and unloarned,
thoy know litt1o. perhaps absolutely nothing. J.
To this largo olnss Of porsons,- happily. In
this country, becoming loss ovory yoar,-tl,e
work before us will DO found an invaluable
source OF knowledge It givoa tflom tho gram
u,ar Of tho subject. BY carefully studying its
,pagoB.-mado, by tho interesting facts they con-
tain, and tho attractive atylo Of tho translator
real ploaauro,-ono may know why picture
ploasou him; and, besides, ho will bo able to
explain to AimBels and to others wl1atover excel-
loncos or lofoota work Of art mny prosent.
This olonent Of tn llboral education q, is be-
coming moro egsontial to every lady and
gentleman, Us n,tr countrymon arc constantly
acquiring the means for highor artistic
cnlturo.. Every ono who can afford to hlorn his
homo, and who haa tho good Bonso to attompt it,
should study this book carefully, In tho pfesonco
bofore ho vonturoH to purchase. by this
means lle may savo tho wallis OF his parlor from
exposing his ignorance and his pocket from tho
expense Of purchasing daubs. sure to find thoir
way to tho attic Or tho auction-room as woalth
iand artistic culture fncroaae. In 1noroly an
economic view, therefore, tho study Of the
Grammar Of Painting" ia cordinlly recon-
1nonlod
But tloro is far bighor object to bo attained;
wo mean, Of courso, tlo culture Of our poopo
In those arts Which ennoble tho national mind,
which adorn and rohno tho. national Ito.
Strip Italy Of licr artistic treasures, and ehe
would be merely an exporter OF silk, .macaroni,
and vino. Gould some giant hand pick Up tic
museum, the 'art-gal1ory, and tho grcnn-roomB
Of Drosdon, and drop them in some other city,
tue formor would. in acore Of years; become d
ha1f-desorted town on tho Elhe, whore not ono
travolsr in q thousand would caro- to stop. It
tions show tho culture Of tho Kinga md
aoyoreigns Of tho past, rathor that Of tho
people over whom. they rcigned., But, in
this country, all aro Hoycrofgns, and
them. II wo would command the respect Of
those who are to come after us. Studying such
works as tho one boforo us instead of tia. low
devices Of the domagoguo on tho part Of our
tho artistic abonainations in Washington, aoaio
of which arc q burning di8graoo to our national
Capitol. Thoro tho mort oxaltcd genius soldom
finds encouragement. while q pretty feminine
faee aos IN IN golden don't or fayea oarl
gotlnrgo appropriations from the National Troas-
ury. II our public mon will not devote small
amount Of their timo to artistic culture, their
masters, tho people, should, 80 that they ean de-
mand higher standard OF taste in thoso to
whom the Affairs Of tho nation nre intruatod.
While 1t is truo that tho nrtcolloctions OF Furopo
nre an exponent Of tho wealth and tho culture
Of tho sovercigns tlat founded them, 1t ia by no
th2o1 sang 9 hay whole ph y Il These galleries %
existence a part Of tho price which thoir rulers
have paid for tho privilege OF sitting upon tho
throne Many peasantin in saxony or in Florence
knows moro about art-is really better
critic On such subjects than soma OF our Wash
ington worthios who fancy themselves great bo-
causo thoy can vote money from tho National
Treasury to some charlatan for making hideous
tho public grounds or buildings. For such ig-
noranco there is nov no excuse and mono should
be accoptod.
We might dwell on tho pleasure and tho hap
rtnoss that oven single good picture will. IT.
ford family on tho influence Of art upon tho
founding froo galiorioa Of art 10 ali our iesains
cities !; but, for our Intelligent ronGnra
no such arguments arc made. We ndd
that the. book before us is issued on
thanks Of the entire public are duo to Mrs.
Doggott-o1le Of Chicago's most cultivated and
accomplished ladios-forher very valuable trans
1ation Of Mr. Dlano's admirable work.
Tho Moon.
THE Moon: HEn MOTIONS, ASPECT, SCENERY AND
PHYSICAL CONDITION. by Il. A. PnocEon. with
Lunar photographz, Plates, charta, &c. New York:
D. Appleton l. Co. ,.
This book, Of 39l pages, is the latost Of serioa
Of works by tho interchangeable writer, Ricllard A.
Proctor, Honorary Secretary OF the British Royal
Ants 7fAnI 4-.t
popular treatise on our nextdoor neighbor
In the heavens. It doscribos the various methods
that have been employed for ascertaining, tho
moons distance. size. nnd woight as compared
with TINT OF the earth; her motion in
the orbit, rs influenced by tho attraction
Of the sun; her changes OF aspect, in
oluding tho phenomena OF rotation and libration;
and tho results Of oil tho nout trustworthy OBJ
servations Of tho lunar aurfaco, with thu con-
clusions arrived ut In regard to her physical con-
ditlon, the probabilities IN favor Of or against
Lor being inhibited, and tho changes to which
her contour is now subjected. The whole is H.
lustra ted with photographs Of the moons sur
faco, taken BY Rutherford, OF Now York, and
enlarged by Brothers, Of Manchester, England;
and Beer i Maoalor'B map Of the moon, besides
many illustrated dlagrama =:
Tho general descriptions Of tho work arc OK
.
tained in this small volume is surprising; inti-
cutting o very extended courno of reading, with
good judgment in mailing selections, ns we'll aa
ability on the part Of tho author to throw ont
now ideas for tho bonoft Of his roaaers. : It is
book that Is deserving OF very wido o!rcula-
ton, as its porusal will add largely to the popu-
lar fund Of knowledge about tile moon, Tho
ono omission which the general roaaer will DO
apt to regret Ia notice of tho influence Tor
rnthor lack OF intlueuco) OF the moon upon our
eArth-WeatAcr. Tho author might 11nya f1;R-
pelled some atrong deluaious on that subject in
fow sentences.
Tho only part Of tho work that is open to OBJ
lection Ia tho second chapter which treats Of
tho moons motion in tho orbit, md the ohangos
in the orbit itself. as due to tho perturblug In
fluence Of tho sun. We think that every one OF
our readers who should tako tho trouble to wade
through tho ninety-three pages doyoted to that
topic would agree TINT tho whole chapter is
dismal failure. Indeed, the chances aro that
this conclusion long before before " reaoluna mr. tho
end Of tho chapter, and would Bkip the rest,