, 1874-03-29
AR T..

mo AND Poetry: WITH REMARKS lLLusTAAs1sE
OF VARIOUS POINTS N THE HISTORY or nasLd ss1atsd
ART BY GorTuoLD EPHnA1M LEss1No, 11annps.eu
by ElLEN FRorHrNauAM, vol, 16 mo-, 11o pp* !
Boston: Roberts Bros. ..
A noteworthy sign of the growing refinement
Of our reading public is afforded IN the gradual
multiplication Of treatises upon ATT among Us.
TIM last wear has been especially promo OF
works Of this scrt, and We have welcomed 1fom
the press goodly number OF volumes, DON ne"
and revived. of high standard in Art~W11fne.
Although We have no extenslVe co1lectons u
Art-yorks in our country, and are favored With
few opportunities foz cultivsting true &asse
by contact with good pictures and maroles' We
are in fair way to gain an understanding u
,he theory and science Of the Fine Arts we are
demonstrating that nation may arr1ve at a
respectable attainment IN esthehc cultufo
through an acquaintance with choice specimens
Of BeIes-Lettres and an enlightened observation
Of the wonders and beauties OF Nature. a!l Oh
which are prodiga1ly scattered about US anu
within easy access OF the intellect and senses.
The galleries OF painting and sculpture IN tho
Old World are brought near by the facilities OF
travel that no mean proportion OF our cl'i1ens
arc able to visit them at least onco IN iue-tlae'
and, with suitable preparation beforehand OBTAIN
in a brief and rapid study, practical LESSONS III
Art tiat have lasting influence IN eleVatlng anu
purifying the taste. Thus through these VARIOUS
MEANS albeit we have as yet scarcely oeeun TO
deyeIcp National School Of Art worthy OF eno
name. and are almott destitute OF representatives.
of the schools Of other nations and ages, no nave
reached that point where We realize the 1inpo1'-
ance of such knowledge of the Fine Arts as may
be derived from esthetic history and cfat'cisn''
and where it has become profitable to circulate
liberally the books which open up to us th''
lturature and philosophy OF Art.
It il now twenty years since translation "
Iessiues "Laocoon" was publ'sheo IN En-.
gland by E. c. Baasley, one OF tho tutors OF
| L Ieamington College. few copies were ln"
norted for the use Of American readers ous .no
! ecaury supply was very soon exhausted AP,
| nreciating that reproduction OF the BOOK woulo
| bo opportune at ths present time. aliss Gl1eu
rockingham has prepared ne" transla'ion'
which is brought ont By firm that Ii over a1ef.
to provide for the highest intellectual nceos u
| the people. Miss rockingham has oetofe
shown her capacity as translator, IN ne1 ele-
rant yereion OF Goethe's " Hermann ana Doto-
thea Hor easy and accurate m Ienug ons t eaanv
nrasent work, equally with the previous E essay,
2aae11.aa +he encorui,uls Of tho critic. The g1it
~ tyyo such gems Of German literature, trans-
ferred TO their own yernacular, should VIII nof
tha gratitude of her countrymen.
t,eo ~ tho LAGOON was discovered at Rome, in
15j6 among the ruins OF the baths o1 ilsus,
rh;rh 1J II originally decorated. According to
pliny. it was the joint work Of threo seulptofs;
AeRands Poyaorq and of the time n"
when these artists flourished: Winkelmann, tne
"raat Germau Art-writcr, believed 1t to have
feen produced at tho period when dreeA ~
Vas ii it's highest state OF perfection, ~
IN fba time Of Alexander the Great. LeEalne,
~, the contrary, sustains the opinion that It VA
creatrd under the first Roman Emperors, during
ono Of tho brilliant but spafm'shc fe'1'ais VI
Art which characterized theH era:
tha lecend e. tne Laocoon Is OF great an
+;ou;tr twas farorite theme Of the Greel
naefs. and was introduced by Virgil INTO tht
, SFnaad. Along vith the dispute among INT
cr;tcs as to tho epoch in which the legend va
carved in marble, there is question "neIue at
Yirgil had the group before him whea ne "rot'
b;a a. description. or uhethor the scuptors com
mo after. borrowed from the poet tnelr concep
| t;on- Leasing, Of course, argues N taVor o. u
latter opinion. The legend Is to tne enect .na
priest of Apollo in Troy, Whilo oner1ns, T. ~; l.;
cnmnan7 with his two sons, proptlatofY aacr'
ficc to NcDtune, was destroyed By Two enormou
seTnents which Minerva, being incensed agalns
I'm cansed to come out ct the sea for the PM
pose The serpents first attackea & 5ho SuIi h;io 81
was yainly endcayoring to rescue hts chlioren;
@ Tossing takes the remarkable gronp OF ecuil
t,-., Which illustrates this myth. for the po1nt
% | departure il, his essay,-igressinG from ~
and to defire tho limits of painting md poetr:
8 His hook holds somewhat the position to|a1
The LAGOON that 1iuskins essay on Mo1Gl a;1
d Painters" does to tho pictures OF turner. ~
% work Of tho German author Is m1ellot ~. ~ a
u nitnde. in ardo1, and in eloquence, to it's gre m
Fnclsh congenar; but is one with 1t IN motlv o.
II Tesearch, rcnetration. and reverence; Nttno'
E. arnr a SIGHT of the marble celebrated by Il
~ one, or Of tho canvases e1lnoo!ec oy me o.ne
ia onn NAV ha;o their subject, their history, TIC
meaning. and theic merits, fully and c!oariy II
y nressed On he mind, through these two unlq
u and nasterly critlques. =: !,
&c The canons which Leasing. laid down IN y =
IN 'Laocoon," over hnnoreq nc yeIts on g. m,
reiterated in various esthetic writings that IN
'e hive become generally familiar he desot !
se mncb of his remarks to 4 fe1utatlou y!
ch theory which obtained among cor1ain clltlcs O.
n 1;s div. that painting and poetry share INC sa1
-, domain and are bound by the same Limitation
~ Ha establiuhes the rula that succession IN til
!: il the province OF the poet, co-eA.stence '
ch space that Of the artist Poetry propef1y rep ,
ia content itself with portraying bodies at rest.
o+t;tndes suggestive OF action. But q moment
an time ia allowed the artist; therefore he ~
rs eeiza that which ia most pregnant, which .
II recalls that which has paaseo, OF 1ore1e1io u
d. which is in the future.
49,. Nor must the poet trench upon the ground
~ the painter, and attempt to present COMP
ato picture by q consecutive enumeration OF us y
ch ernl horizons This involves vain enort OF
led IMAGINATION. Before the last are mentioned
ire rst are forgotten. Language as the lnstru11 2
49, or noetr7 cannot depict a corporeal Whole .
per description Of successive details; The en-
so conception must be presented to the eye II
per rlanca. OF to the ear in vorc. Hence TIC
ex- ld shonld not strive to create elaborate plctr
In of objects. or portraits Of physical beauty, un
-. thew can be summoned forth by slngle '
to That which is ugly and deformed, that d.sss 1
NY ami reyolts. is not fit for the representation
in AK. After the illusion OF the first survey
picture @ resolves itself into its elements
fhose which arc disagreeable gain the ne, mast
In md destroy the pleasing and ennob!lng el
un Viii which it is the supreme object Of Art to ere ere
ISL In r1oetry. on the other hand, unn7itlng op]
Inv NAV be introduced, as the force OF Their mp
10y s;on is softenod in the narration OF their COM
49,. rent parts .,,,+ Tim too
ugh racm consists in it's availability for the ART
,nts hit poem not in itself picturesque may may n ne
in themes for tho painter, while ono that u
'ase 1irl, degree picturesque may yield him nc moth
ana Peirtins and poetry seek tho same ;nte Gaee1