New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-19
NEW PAINTINGS AT THE CAPITOL.
PsweIl's Battle of Lake Erfe," and
M0ran's " Yellowstone valley.o
IRrnm the Chiragn TrihnneI
THB NEW PAINTINGS AT THE CAPITOL.


| THB NEW PAINTINGS AT THE CAPITOL.
While half the town was New Year call
| ing, the axes and screws of carpenters
| were at work on the Senate side of the
| Capitol edifice, fastening into the wall,
| over the great east staircase, Powelps large
| painting of 1.-The Battle of Lake Erie"
| For many years the spot has been occupied
| by painting of Washington mounted.
The cost of Powel's painting was ample
| to have contented a very considerable ar
| list, viz: $25, 600. The order was given chief
| ly by the cooperation of General Sehenck,
| who held to the notion of all protectionists,
| that it is better to encourage bad artist
of ones own State than good one OF some
| other State. Mr.. Jay Cooke perceived the
| folly of this principle in art when he
| charged an Ohio lady with q commission to
| paint Putin Bay, when it Wac forwarded
| to him insured for $4,000. 1t was condoned
| fer at $1,000, and laid away in the loft with
| superannuated fre-screens. Rc9'4iescat IN
| spdcsi'
| MIR Powell devoted all his artistic genius
thereafter to drawing $4,000 in parcels from
| the library fund and neglecting the paint
| ing. Atter he had been subjected to good
| deal of disparagement, he was compelled to
| satisfy the Library Committee with bill
| of sale and he now proposes to complete
| it, pilloried after a fashion, as it hangs
half conscience for dead horse consent to
pay such public expiationI
THE BIO PICTURE.
The painting in itself is not unworthy its
purpose and place. 1t is so large as to show
a boats crew of men, life-siEe, in the fore
ground, and the hulls OF several vessels
near at hand, high and full. 1t also shows
considerable of the action of the main COM
bat between the fleets, and some floating
rigging, and people. The composition 10
scant, as if the artist did not want to do
brush stroke more work than would satisfy
the bond bat this very negligence gives an
openness to the water-vleW, keeps the eye
intent on the central episode, and the
story of the battle is not confused With de-
tails.
The study is Perry's abandonment of one
flagship for another, after the first had be-
come unmanagable. He is seen standing IN
rowboat pulled by half q dozen men,
some of whom are wounded; the boat itself
is splintered, and all are working under
certain apprehension, not to say panic, ex-
cept the Commodore, who is braced up to
the verge of the dramatic, as ii he also felt
the situation, but was the actor of 1t. His
helmsman is disconnected, but everybody,
sailor fashion, obeys orders automatically,
and with o minutiB which gives
some reality to the subject; for in
stance. one wounded fellow is push
ing his oar against some sail and spar
with q sailOrly sensibility, and all the men
in the boat are looking various ways, as
men are apt to do in close action, where
the bursting of shells and various move
ments attract each man according to his
position. Nevertheless, they all appear to
be seeing through their ears, which IL right
enough, for sailor rows with his hands
and ears, and is entitled to his eyes. The
boatswain in this picture appears to be pro-
testing a little bit with Perry, which is not
unnecessarily familiar in the closer shaves
of life. Perry himself, with one hand on
his sheathed cutlass, is pointing toward the
vessel he wishes to board, and resisting the
uncertainties of a lad who Is afraid under
the circums' ance5.
The criticism on this picture will proba-
bly, turn upon the drawing; upon the
specific gravity Of the boat 10 carry its
crew; upon the relative statures of the per-
sons; and possibly upon the superfcialiry
of the idea and the characters involved.
AS TO color, the time 10 yet premature Tor
making Judgment open that. l hold that,
for national pictures, an excellent popular
treatment is better than any deeper ATTEMPT
which will please the few and miss the pub
lie sense. A public order like this should
not be used by any artist to experiment for
doubtful indiyidualism or class-oplnlon-
atedness; as, for example, no man receiving
a public order, the intent of which Is under
stood to be the national pleasure and in
spration, would have any right to use the
late pre- Raphaelite treatment, and, in order
to he precisely conscientious, make nine
tenths of all the visitors at the Capitol grin
and boot.
Considered with respect to Its use and
end, and also to its depletion OF the main
realisms of this battle, Mr.. Powel's new
picture is great Improvement upon his De
Soto.
said TO the Librarian of Congress:
"Whom have we capable of doing any
better with figures on so great an areaF
"What is the use," he replied, "of filling
such areas before there is q national art
This Capitol is not meant to be ornamented
in a single century
THE FIRST LANDSCAPES.
I was also struck with another remark Of !
the Librarian, which he made with refer !
ence to Moran's painting, newly arrived, of |
"rhe Yellowstone Valley"
1T is premature for us to be going into |
the purchase OF American landscapes"
Moran's new landscape was lobbied
through Congress by violating the law
which torbids the use of the editice for the
exhibition of works Of art. Ii Was brought,
all flaming with yellow light and blue cas-
cade, into the old Hall of Representatives
where it struck the average members as a
red flannel shirt would affect an Indian.
ButtOnhOliDg began. The artist fell IN bis
price, by successive gradations, from SO, 900
TO so, 700, and then it was said To be dirt
cheap, which was true, for 1t Ia the most
liluyial Of all subjects. 1t depicts % great
ffsurc, or canon, in the yellow plains, down
which q stream drops into an inconceivably
deep and narrow creek, and the entire fall
IS repeated b. the trick of putting the
spectator in the lire of the descent, rs well
Is the subsequent current flowing toward
he eye. bookshelf projects forward
from the foreground aud the foliage is
lrawn like stage-drapery down the sides,
and this foreground is deeply shaded, while
Ill the central scene is in such dazzling vel
Ow, amber and chalk as to make the COM
position theatrical.
The value of this painting is about $500,
airly calculated. To the government it is
worth less than To- an individual, because
tt artist can duplicate it. and the hundred
,ther sketches he took on the Yellowstone,
md fill the country with chromoS which
will presently cheaper the entire range of
uch subjects. Nations should never buy !
landscapes, unless associated with some de-
)iction OF national event. This is this
irst trsnsgression of the kind
CATLIN.
Just forty years ago 81 artist was landed |
1t the mouth of the yellow stone, whose
.ouscientiOus and preserving endeavors 10
accomplish great national purpose in ar.
net with humiliation and death at the very
period when Mr.. MOrans smart landscape
# the Upper Yellowstone arrived in the
Capitol. This was George Catlin, native
If the Wyoming valley of Pennsylvania.
lie was rewarded in London, in 1871, with
. superb edition of his letters, illustrated
~ 1000 engraving. In these he gives the
,bject of d lite of which his coul trymen
lever appreciated the monument nor the
acritice. He says;