The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1874-10-30
Fishers Head or Christ.


of F,J. FIsHEE, whose genius and skill
in painting hass already won for him
a high reputation, Is taken from the
Richmond Enquirer OF recent date.
Mr.. Fisher was raised at Athens. where
be has number OF relatives and many
friends who will be gratided to learn Of
his great success.
There are fewer positions the critic
should approach with more delicacy
than that of ascribing originality TO ei-
ther art or literature few tasks moro dif.
ficult than the effort TO discriminate be.
tween the ideas OF others combined and
reappareled and an ideal evolved In ,hs
purity ofgenius. The variety Of condi.
.Sr Sas gaa'S 81 yssa ys.fs ssssrsr @ s
drama or In art; the medium through
which single thought 10 made TO ap-
pear nj different periods Of time. too
often cause us 10 confound elaboration
with originality and subordinate talent
10 ingenuity. King Lear viewed by
the light Of Sophocles, must lose I'D
power If not its granduer; the Floren-
tine school Of art holds slighter tenure
upon the sphere OF the beautiful when
we look upon the relics Of the Athe-
nian, and the emusic OF the future" may
be said 10 have its echo In the classics.
We have been led 10 these reflections
by a study Of that remarkable crayon,
Fishers head Of Christ. aow on exhibit
ton at the bookstors of Lafferty a. Co.,
in this city and an effort 10 assign II
proper place in art, Mr., Fisher has CO;
sayed the treatment Of a subject that
has commanded the genius OF some OF
the greatest masters from the renics.
sance down, and In q measure IL array
cd against medieval art aud the strong.
est OF all prejudices conveniionallty.--
Among the names that stand forth IN
history as pfe.emiGent In ar, nearly all,
including Michael Angelo, Raphael,
Leonardo da Vinci, Correggio, Carlo
Dolci, Guido Rcni, Paul Veronesc, Ru.
bens, Rembrandt, owe q portion. IL not
all their glory, TO the treatment OF re.
iigious subjects, and not n few 10 the
representation Of scenes In the life of
our Saviour, which have naturally In.
nunced art In succeeding generations
and held dominion over criticism.--
Through the inspiration of these mas
,ers, drawn from surroundings that had
a tendency to develop religion Ia art TO
its fullest fruiiion. and at times when
the church was the patron Of both seulh-
iure and painting, and the love OF esthet-
les both in church and state almost ap-
proximated fanaticism, the pencil and
the brush Of The modern artist has beer
principally guided. The work before
us, however, suggests no such intlnnce.
aud TO us stands not In the position 10
be compared with those OF the old mas.
ters, or be dissected by the light of f.bcir
success. II Is an ideal in art, resting
upon its individuality, and must rise 10
its proper position aloDc-the bold con-
cepiion Of different period of Christi
anity than that which influenced tho
Medieval schools. The artist has bro.
ken the sbackles that years have been
forging, and the Goldman before us re.
fleets his conception only. Dignity,
grandeur, gentlcness, firmneas. intellec-
tualisn,, are blended in the features Of
a man, aud ilumined with the divinity
Of God. The hour that is to come, The
sacrifice Is foreshadowed, but the sub
lime camness Of him "thst died like n
god" breaks like "a supernal light
through the sadness. The living eyes
take in Calvary, but look beyond 10 tho
fruits Of the Crucitixion. There splen.
dor aud expression are the most won
derful we have ever seen, either in n
human being or work OF art, and
haunts you with yearning, pitcous APP
peal, even when the picture Is out Of
sight. From behind the head a super
natural light breaks, and radiating uatst
il merges into the darkness OF the back
ground, has the effect ofa crown Of glo-
ry that we can hardly realize IN tke
work of art, while the shadows almost
seem TO move upon the face. The feel
ing in gazing upon the picture Ia one Of
profound satisfaction mingled with sad.
ness and awe, and we know that The
artist has embodied our idea Of the God
Man. We do not consider the execu-
ton or the development OF any pariicu-
lar essential of art, but the grandeur
aud beauty OF tho whole az grouping
in one effect OF all the attributes, we In
dividualy associate with the Son oi
Man. Ii is the history OF his life read
for us in q new language, the expression
for us of grand and ever prcscnt
though: we could not express ourselves,
and as such attains TO place IN reli-
gious art distinct aud Independent. il
will remain on exhibition here few
days longer, and viii then bo sent 10
Washington. are ~