The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-08-16
Centennial Letter No, 4.
the ADVANCE.

'1>Ao IVY A', @Ao6' AStAA, AoJo
Inc might as we'll turn over the
res Of a book, and think he had read
- IS to visit the Exposition Art Gal.
'once or twice and consider himself
able Of passing judgment upon it;
many hasten through the great
,nber Of rooms in Memorial Hall and
annex and proceed to write critique
h more positiveness than if they had
- fied long enough to find out what is
ire. In none of the departments are
more forcibly reminded that there
"many men Of many minds" than
Hhe Art department.. And then we
4 all criticise whether We appreciate
/ understand or not. Picking up a
Der recently read "There is the
'iity of the Austrian gallery, the las
'iousness Of the French, the sturdi-
Is of the German, the variety Of the
aericans," etc. The variety is very
:ceptible, but the nudity is not con-
led to the Austrian gallery, neither
:, I imagine why the charge Of las
)iousness is laid to the French, and
|. inclined to think with Mrs. PART
ton that in some cases comparisons
= odorous. There are pictures in
',ry room that will bear any amount
inspection and would attract much
5ention were they not a part Of so
eat "a collection that it is impossible
:any one to observe all. There are a
Titians, two Murillos, one Turner,
d several other pictures by artists of
Gent pane and fame, and these are
-,,ch sought, yet hard to find since
ey belong to the loan collection, which
scattered through all the rooms, and
eir merits do not usually strike be-
lders until the names of the artists
made known.
To those who dare not express the
lmiration they feel for pictures which
ay be condemned as mere daubs by
'ose who profess to be judges Of high
it, it may be pleasant to be assured
at as !, rule, those pictures which
vaken the emotions Of the many,
neither cultivated or otherwise, are
lie works of the true artists. IF you
e landscape that calls to mind every
we'd spot that your infancy knew, pars,
ere and let its sunshine send few
light rays into the life that seems dull
ID prosy, compared with the time when
le world seemed Il fairy land instead
: the workshop you have found it. If
>usee faces with expressions that make
mist come over your eyes, or if you see
Don canvass such roguish looks as
lake YOU think like the child who see
70 the picture of "Girl with an or
nge," said "Mamma, there is girl
.uehirg at me-" don't question the ar
site merits Of those pictures over
,uch. IF you see cattle pictures that
lake you iastinctivelv look for fence
climb; moonlight scene that fills
gu with inAe6nable feelings such as
othing but the moon ever did; or a
lew of misty morning that causes
GU to think Of a. friend who borrowed
our umbrella, just conclude that they
re wortl: looking at no matter who
ainted them.
The Battle of Gettysburg is said to
the largest picture on exhibition. al
aough ''Venice doing homage to Cath
rine of Cornaro,' in the Austrian gal
ery, is full thirty feet in width.
Objections were raised against plac-
~ the Battle Of Gettysburg on exhibit
ion, not on account of any lack in
-ruthfulness of portraiture, but because
might awaken animosities that ought
0 be slumbering and would be likely
hurt the feelings Of visitors from the
outh. The same objection was made
gainst the portrait Of Gen. Meade.
y application Of the rule which would
ave excluded them, we should miss from
he U. S. collection, the Deathbed Of
lincoln, portraits Of Chas. Sumner Gen.
1rant, Farragut and many others. The
Jew Republic is very large picture in
which the Goddess Of Liberty stands
n high platform with Washington
md Lincoln, the former on her right
md little in the background, the lat
er nearer the front holding document
which there can be no installing when
We observe the colored people of all
,hades, men, women and child en-,
rowding around one side Of the plat
;orm. On the steps leading to the
platform stands gentleman, supposed
o be Galusha Il. Grow, welcoming the
foreigners. Sandy is there with High
and cap and plaid, Paddy with bat.
;ered hat, short pipe, shillalah and
bundle and there are Germans and
scandinavians with their rosy help
meets; darkeyed sons and daughters of
o-I Ae:ok:o. -