, 1875-08-22
About Home---Mrs. E. NJ. Scott, the
Artist---Drawing in Three
Lessons.
Time to Send Pictures to the
Exposition.
ART MCSAlcS.


- 1,s.,a,+&e. g. DA&tt6-Pec6a:
3. Historic; ~ Sea.s1e"s
l. Alegortc; ~. 9l9tesque'
e. Animals aud Birds; Il. ss1u Lia
I. Fruits and Flowsrs;
MI. Long, obiecting to the frequent omission
Of 1.2.4 II, Il, and 13, from 40 analysis Of the
theory of painting, gives clear ides Of the dif-
aculty of compressing the range OF painting
within too rigid limit. Hs says: This c'%ssi-
6cat1on, however, is neither complete nor dis
csiminatlye, as slight analysis Will show that
the great productions OF llch2et Angelo are no
nearer allied to those Of Raphael than the Para-
disc Lost of Milton ia to tie writings OF Saak-
soeaze :: and that the grand desigus OF both
Michael Angelo and Raphael, usually classed
as hiatoric, differ as much from pure historic
deliueations as epic and dramatic writings do
from the variations OF Hume a7d Bancroft so,
too. that rustic OF pastoral landscape differs as
much from that called classic OF heroic as the
Ecloeues OF Virgil do from Eneld or tho lliad
and delinsations OF familiar life from many
other kinds Of pictorial representations, as the
ballad does from every other kind Of written
composition. In fine, re shall discover, upon
examination, that the same varieties exist in
painting IS in letters"
good illustration OF the difficulty Of an arbi-.
trary classification of works in color is furnished
BY Dnbufe's expansive canvas, "Tho ProdigI
Son." which WAS visited BY 80 many Chicagoans
while it remained IN the Art-Hall OF the E1posi-
ton building. The CANVAS itself would furnish
but slight c!ew to its baptismA register; the
gorgeous masses of color, the features,
drape1y, and surroundings of tha figures,
the pillared and curtained port!co under
which the grosser rovel Was taxing place.
indeeo, not single quality Of the work, not ono
detail, would remind the observer that he WAS
gazing upon story taken from the Old Testa-
ment. Yet. the artist would ctaim that the pict-
ure was not only allegor1cal but historical;
while correct criticism would deny the first, for
it is the function OF a1iegory to teach morality,
and in this the artist conspicuously failed and
the latter could not be admitted. because the es-
sentials nf the historical painting. time and
place, vera both audaciously violated. s'The
prodisal Son." relieved OF the panels which re-
spcotiyely represented, in monochrome, the
herding OF Bwine and the return home. is not
susceptible of rational classification. The artist,
French in ambition as ho is in brush, did not IN
tend to be rational. He calculated that the va
rie.y and richness OF the composition would blind
criticism as to it's congruity. He thought that he
painted the nude we'll; therefore he introduced
the group of dancingglrls in tue lett foreground.
He fattered himself. and rightly, on his skill in
foreshortening thence came the gambling group
in the extreme right. He knew that he could
add certain classical quality to the composition
by architecture, and be selected tho smooth
marble pillar and tho richly folsated capital to
display at once his cleverness III texture. and to
Eecure strength and grace for the general effecs-
the costumes, which we're wonderfully we'll exc
cuted, we're chosen for tho rich colors they
would carry, and the unequaled opportunity the
fabrics afforded for fine mechanical painting.
In this sordid and material way came the con.
ception !" OF the so-called Prodigal Son."
ter appreciated under some othar and more ap-
pronr1ate name. The picture il, therefore,
neither allesorical nor histor1cal.-.t is simply
French The paue|-monochromes supplied
necessary excuse OF the forced Scr1ptuEl as
soeiaslon' and sn.oed the adro1s and - e'eyer yer
sunday- ay-schooIs. The theory of tha
painting, generally put forth in the nsws-
papers, that the picture Was purely allegor-
ical; that the nude girls were embleu'atic Of the
d2nce; that another group represented poetry,
ard another music, etc.; aud that there wss IN
the omposltion-hidden, as it Tere.-an e14uis-
ite poetic and artistic coherency, cy,-was plausi.
BILE journalistic invention. Some frieudly and
ingenious critic prepared that fine theory for d.
Dubufe after the picture was painted, in the
came manner that be would have elaborated
graceful and becoming speech for the geut!e-
man, H. Dubufe we're Senator instead Of an
ortist.
Another illustration Of the pretended al1egor-
ical painting is Armitage's contribution to the
suf1erings OF Chicago,-a huge canvas whose
OF any possible gratitude he may be inclined as
matter OF duty, to feel toward those who con-
ferred the quadtuple caricatule Of the bul ming
city, the British Lion, the American Eagle. and
the scarlet B itannia, upon community
already engaged in wrest'e with bank.
n ANN N~yiaR fRHi
this memorial picture would undoubtedly insist
that it IL entitled to be characterized as epic,
dramatic, historical, snd allegoricaL The SUBJ
ject, no less than the aim OF the picture. might
have brought it naturally within all these; but
the artist had not the head to plan nor the hand
to fulfill . sublime design. He undoubtedly es-
sayed to do SO. but accomplished only the quick
step which carries from the sublime to the Fidio-
u1ous.
Landtcspe-painting, ,s epic when it treats Na-
ture IN her most impressive moods. whether OF
rest or action; and ldyllic pastoral when it re-
produces her pleasing simplicity.
The landscape painter may be an idealist or
realisS- He may produce natural scene, as the
Greek sculptors did their human types, BY aa
ececticlsm, IL. By selecting the finest ele-
scenes. and embodying them into 3 congruous
whole; OF he may paint given scene precisely
Is he sees 1t, ciiaging closely to detail;
or he may be half-ldealist, half-real-
ist, producing What Burke calls 4' judicious OBJ.
scusisy in somsthing, like the most successful
portrait. paioters, Who, while preserving mod
lcun Of the individuality OF the subject, improve
upon Natures work.
The same distinctions Of idealism and realism
hppy to historical painting. The usual subjects
Of historical nnd dramatic painting are taken
from the Scriptures from extraordina1y episodes
in history. or from powerful dramatic situations.
Ano1ding the artist chance to paint the nobfess
or most excited naesions, and to awaken the
finest class OF emotions IN the spectator.
!, drotesaue painting deals With the fantastic,
The weird. the distorted, the wild, or uEna,uzaL
among the famous pictures Of this class are
Reynolds' c.uldron-Scens from Macbeth and
reniers Witch Coming from He'll.
The term genre Is applied to painting includes
IN extsnsiTa range OF subiect-matter. It CON-
7rehsnds everything that is not historical but it
. sppled especially to painting in which the
5gures ars smaller than life, whether architeo- |
:ural still life, game, domestic scenes, flowers,
'ruits, OF kindred subjects.
Attempts have been made to exclude portrait |
oainting from hne-art proper. Ths best answer !
mo could wish for is giTen BY German critic,