The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-11

VellOus presence TO begin 10 comprehend
how noble may be the humanity that is di-
vino or should he come to see where
MurillO seems to have gathered into one
infant Christ or st. John, all the childhood
of which Ia the kingdom of heaven, or
concentrated in one virgin mother lowell
ness such as earthly woman never had, but
yet may gain hereafter or if this way
farer should come to gaze on Rembraudt's
canvass and strive to master its mysterious
light, until he begins to understand that
the light he is trying to comprehend is
"the light that never was on sea or land"
that those portraits of the dead we're taken
on the other side of the river that has no
bridge, and exhibit less the poor mortality
that used to be, than the grand immortali-
ty that shall be, and teach as no language
ever taught what an infinite blessedness it
is not merely that we may 20 to them, but
that they shall not return to us-thon If
never before, he realizes that humanity may
have a capacity to which neither Greek or
Roman ever attained; that the teachings
of art rise as far above words, as inspira-
ton does above philosophy, and raise no.
where any questions they are incapable to
answer.
Mr.. Phelps found another illustration of
this education of the eye in the increased
HLlTaCIlVe0eSS OIL nHluIdl SttHtTl, W us uo
we approach the decline of life. Nature
has not changed, but we by its ceaseless in
struction have learned to see its attractions.
The converse of this general proposition
also holds true. Familiarity with false
models vitates the eye and thus the
worst fashions of external life come to
Preyail and men spend money to dethrone
national relations. T psotfoen sidered in its
..sl1 ia sraN ..E old g. g,4 o.
ing beauties. This is shown IN our
country. We are young nation and
have had enough to do in establish
ing our position and subduing a CON
tinent, without cultivating the graces
We need not blush at our lack of ma
tional sense of external beauty. for we
have made greater advance in cultivation
than any other people ever did in an equal
time and the triumphs of art will in time
follow the star of empire, on its western
way. But advancement is not to be has
tened by refusing to perceive the necessity
for it. In this connection Mr.. Phelps allu-
ded to the ways in which, in Europe, the
picturesque effect of the LANDSCAPES has
been preserved by preserving the natural
beauties, the old trees, the cupses, the vines
and the ruins and in which the houses,
gateways and bridges have been made
merits Instead of blots in the scenery. He
described the Rhine, as it would appear
Americanized, and showed how much
might be done here, by culivating the pop
ullr eye to consider grace as well as mere
utility. This is also true economy. Good
taste costs less than bad, and an adherence
to it rules will almost always enhance the
usefulness and value of both buildings and
land Among illustrations of this the lee
d,r,1 at M hril oao
England is full of them, that adOrn the
landscape. and that were built by the
SaXons, the Normans and even the Danes,
while in this country the board and shingIe
denominations with which we flighlen
away the genii of the streams, succumb 10
the indignant elements in ten or fifteen
years. BY despoiling the landscape of its
beauties, we diminish the productiveness of
the land and by the coarsc uginess that
is made n condition of the cultivation Of the
soil, in part, our farmers boys are driven
from home, to be converted into fourth
rate lawyers, tenth rate ministers and other
such blind leaders of the blind II for no
other reason, we should make the country
attractive to help to retain its children
where they belong. The limits of our
space compel us to omit even an abstract
of this and other portions of the lecture. 1t
lOuCuCS upon ADVANCED CUuCallOn III art,
on the extent to which such education can
be engrafted on our system of common
school instruction, and on the necessity for
it in every college. 1t is to the credit of
the University OF Vermont that it was the
first among American colleges to give sys-
tematic instruction in the principles of
fine art. No college should omit such in
struction, and in such education gallery
of examples is of great value. A very
modest collccion-a few good paintings,
some fine engrlvings, casts of noted sculp3
lures, and illustrations of architecture
may serve n purpose far beyond its cost
In aid of such an institution these lectures
have been undertaken. That it VIII in
time do something for the credit of our
state and the elevation of public taste, can
hardly be doubted. Its capital is the faith
its little circle of founders had, in the en-
lightened liberality of the friends OF good
culture.
But culture of the eye, and lis delightful
pleasures, are by no means reserved for the
gifted and the highly cultivated. Every
one can learn, if he viii, to appreciate the
graceful and the picturesque, by the use of
his faculties and of the means Of improve
ment now so generally accessible, and so
come to experience the truth, with which
culture in art begins and ends, that ga thing
of beauty is a joy forever