The New York herald., 1874-09-12
TEE CINCINNATI EXPOSITION.
a Stroll in the Picture
Gallery.
NOTES ON ART AND ARTISTS

CINCINNATI, Sept. 8, 1874.
The character or the present art exhibition Is
largely French, while In all previous ones 1t was
almost exclusively German. There are more
paintings OF the Dusseldorf school in Cincinnati
than there are Ia any city OF the Old or New World
Lessing, Andreas and oswald Achenbacns, Hans
GUIDE and Schirmer are strongly represented in
the few private collections OF this city. These
paintings have all been exhibited IN previous ex-
positions, ana the Art Committee this year, owing
to the pressure upon 1t of very ardent aamrer
OF French art, has made very heavy requisi,ions
upon dealers and owners OF French paintings.
Blerstadts Autumn in the Sierra Nevada"
loaned by the artist, is one OF the works when
attract q great deal OF attention from the public.
This ana Churchs well known Niagara Falls"
are both striking examples Of the bold and auda-
cious character OF American landscape painting.
While the grea. German artists impress upon
their landscapes their own thoughtful and melan-
choy moods and carefully curve the lines Of
mountain and field into the classic forms which
Poussin and Claude made immortal; and the
French artist wins your admiration BY the rugged
reality OF his moor and glen and the socalled dash
ing "bits OF color" our American artists-or, at
least, those mentioned above to overwhelm
the spectator with the sense Of awe and subiimity
which the presence OF such Ttans as the Niagara
Falls the Rocky Mountains and rhe stupendous
canyons OF California excites in the beholder.
And spite OF the huge canvas, the local coior1ng
and the general typographical accuracy OF drawing
the very effect sought after is wanting, for the
very cogent reason that to cOndense the sublime
and conflne ii within the bounds OF easel picture
Is feat not fairly within the boundaries OF art
Mr. vaine, now OF New York, has three or four
nal
the Duchess" Is an excellent example of the
painters talent. The young page, charming boy,
in blue velvet and white silk stockings, holds the
riding hat with its gorgeous plume OF his mistress,
and sword, incased in velvet scabbard as high
as himself of his master; or both nat and sword
may belong to the duke, and in that case the
painting might have been called the page OF the
duke. The picture Is sensuous in color, bold IN
conception and painted with wonderful accuracy
and freedom.
There is another picture here by the same artist,
which is valued ten times the price OF the other,
but is certainly not ten times better. 1t repre-
sents scene from Florentine history-the
naughty Duchess OF st. Guiliano gazing upon
the head of her rival which lies like
pincushlon upon the table before her, and
which has evidently been ordered. so that
the Duchess may move the conscience Of her
guilty husband leaving her own 1or the present
out OF the question. The Duchess is not hand
some, but there is 0 world OF meaning In her eyes
and mouth. The head OF her rival, with It's
childish features and fine silky blond hair and
deadly pallOr, ls not an interesting object now,
whatever she may have been IN lie. In spite Of
the vgor OF the painting, the thought evinced in
its conception and it's admirable color, we are in
clined to think such paintings more appropriate to
the Chamber OF Horrors shown by Nine. Tussaud
than any private or public gallery.
The Thebans-at least 80 says a distinguished
critlc-had a law which punished an artist who
produced an ugly statue or painting. If this law
was in iorce among modern nations some distin-
guished names would be associated with this
penalty.
Take Decamp's ''Suicide," loaned by Mr.. Blodg-
EFT, as another striking instance Of sensational
picture. Upon mattress, in the corner OF a dark
room lies the figure Of the suicide, with just SUM-
cient light in the room TO show the pistol upon the
floor, the outstretched Egure, with It's ominous
patch ol blood upon the side OF the head, and the
lIieless hand hanging from the bed TO the noor.
The palette oil painter hangs upon the wall, and
the wretcheu garret tells a tale OF poverty and
gaunt despair. The color is very successful imi-
taIlon OF the transparent brown so powerfully
used by Rembrandt, and the Dramatic story IS
novel, there is an immense amount OF blue ire and
burned cork IN the fancy that can invent and por-
tray CON dmore such shadows as these.
.The Smoker,n 10y MISSIONER, Is another Of those
epitomies Oh art which tins painstaking artist de-
Hvers every lew years to the admirers of his won
deriul SKIN. The painting in question was loaned
by Mr.. BlOdgett OIL New York, and Is so well
known that neither description nor criticism Is
needed.
Below it Is one by Turner, from the elliott COL
lection, and owned by a Cincinnatian. The iame
FreDchman nor German can understand. "Was
1t on account OF his religion Y'' we once heard
q Frenchman ask. VINO concluded tnat "bieoterie,"
as he called it, was the dearest thing in the Eng
lish breast.
travagant dithyramb sung in their iaudation as
Ruskln composed IN honor OF Turner. Passa-
want in three volumes, iound plenty Of room to
GRIMM sxe' da the nones Henae
Angelo in two; but ave octave volumes was the
smallest cadre IN which Ruskin could compress
the gigantic proportions Of Turner. To this we
have but one remark to aud, that we may doubt
the permanent fame OF any artist who is renowned
petely ignored in Berlin, Paris and Rome
The picture IN question, however is what is
called here glorious bit OF color" 1t is early
sun, clouds. water and light all running into each
other, SO that the picture turned tOpsy-turvy
would look just as well In tnat position as in any
other.
or course IL Is suggestive. sketchy, thick, bold,
warm and, as BROOKS, OF Middiemarch, says, .'has
I IDEAS you know, and all that sort OF ;hing,n and,
besides, mas real touch OF nature in 1t. although
! that touch is OF the vaguest and most gar1sil
character We VIII follow the catalogue and call
1t q ''gem.n
There is one near IT, however, which is not
even ''gem.n This is the Arch OF Constan tine -
| by Heay, of New YORK. The arch well enough,
as 1t rises up In MASSIVE grandeur from earth to
sky but the figures are dreadlully misplaced.
Three men, in black coats, bIack paItafoons, black
hats and boots, are grouped at one side OF the
arch while, coming through 1t from the other side,
Is another representative ol American male civili-
zation, in black goto- meeting Sunday clothes,
| with stoveppc on hs head and young lady
| leaning on his arm.
NOW, here" thought we, 'fs an attempted
MethOdlst meeting at street corner In Rome, and
there comes Mr.. iurveydrop turning up his nose
/ at the iDcOngruOns assOcaton."
! But, upon consulting the catalogue, we found to
our dismay that the three Methodists were ar
I tIsts-the painter among them-and that the
scOrnful Turveydrop was no less parsonage than
Longiellow, the poet.
A troupe OF Roman mendicants would have
! been appropriate and In harmony with the
grand old relc Of antiquity; but what have stove
pipe hats and black surtOnts to 90 with ..Constan.