New-York tribune., 1876-06-03
EXHIBITION FEATURES.
THE FINE ART DEPARTMENT.
AMERICAN PICTURES.
LSccoad N0tiee.J
frno,r !. srArr connEsroNpGNr oF THa TEIBvSE.l

Ionr bolore his great repute mot with rVdi "ho
could justly challenge it. Yet to judge rRh'i5 ""'
pralse Cooley deserved his ootempoal1es ana "at
yn,se we must consent 70 yield him. Is necessary to
tuov t,s state of the Art Painting in America before
he came upon the stage and what WIS the nature OF the
art-atmosphere which he lived and iaoored.
We know SO ltte of COpieys predecessors that would
have been real service all those of country
men who are interested in the etudy OF our Intellectual
aeve,opmeut-and who OF us is i-n the Dir ctOn OF
the Exhibition bad coec' "a considerable number oi
specimens OF these obscure workmen not few OF them
with the germs talent destined TO he developed
5uch collection this has not only never been brought
.oeethcr It has been attempted Yet would be
easily possible TO fill large room with these earliest
pieces and It would he worth taking great deal "i
trouble sake of bringing together such body OF
evidence this would prove to be.
1t may be thought that the value OF snch coecuch
would be chiefly historic. but Inclined to believe
that its value to artists and to students OF art would be
considerable II is very interesting besides, TO trace the
teudenci of the human mind in the direction OF arteX
preston under That do not admit OF mucn
or perhaps any, external influence being supposed TO
exist. great many Of tho pictures-amost al OF them
portraits-that painted in this country In Coeys
time and 10 the Just preceding were purely aborlg
ina producs it is likely that many of these colonial
painters had soen picture. certainly none OF
them could have good picture, or many OF
any kind. Yet certainly room fun or Their ~0rks
would reveal Florentine, Venetian Lombard. German
English Flemish ten lencieS, and stlrtie us with ana
iogues end sympathies possible for to have sos
pected beforehand in who knew not so much, per
haps Gs that these were, bad any nkiiug
of what had been wrought in them.
Even however, If this pres,ame revelation was too
much for the inertia Of American Commission, there
might at have been more adequate represt nta-
fon OF the work of Coplcys supposed master John SnlY
bert ard Of his cotenpo ary, and in some sort rival
Blackburn One OF SIaybcrs best pictures Is In the pos
session Of Yale College Il is large canvas nine feet ny
six aad represents the famous Bishop Berkeley sitnG
at the table with his family. He has one ha Oh vol
ue Of Plato and debating the Minute Philosopher 70
his amanunss, Sir Jauos Dalton IN all there are seven
figures In ths Dteresng picture exclusive OF the infant
which Mrs Berkeley holds in her arms. There are also
in New-York ID the possession Of one family portrait by
Snybert and believe by Blackburn. So that ma
teral was wanting to- do these artists some sort OF
Justice at the Centennial. Not content WITH snph-
bing both snybert and Copoy in The catalosas
by spelling their wrongly, the Directors
have consp;cuonsy affixed TO Of Coploy's best
known pctGfes-the portrait Of John Alams-one
of the shabby bits OF paper, corners apparently torn
from an old newspaper which all the American pic
lures are numbered the OF Smybert whoever viii
be nj the pans TO compare SmybaIts only picture IN the
colecon-the portrait of Bishop Berkcle'Witb either
the John Adams the Madam B0yison Will see ior nn-
self how great the difference between The Two mon
Smybert was 81 poor a painter, so merely meoianc
that probably nothing than historic interest
would have attached to any cOnuleier show OF his pie
tures II he were Copeys teacher he buildcd better
than he knew, and If there had been Ncw-Engiani
Vasar we should been 10 read the old legend
in new tongue that the master. on seeing bis pnps
picture, and much it surpassed his own works. TOOK
10 his bed sick with envy and died shortly after nom
cheer vexaton" No legend Of the sort is recorded how
ever and there is nothing in Smybert's Work t. account
for Copeys wholly different style and nmeasurable Su'
periosity in design AM in execution.
OF Bscabuin more may be said, and IL is pity that Ct
hslN. hgr lnFNrl
for this OCCASION Rare his works are generally BE-
Heyed to be- st enough Of them 70 have maac
it comparatively easy task to collect haiiozen ln-
portant pictures at least by his hand and tGus enable us
to for ourselves the comparison between him ant
Copley Oar own belief IS that the comparison would moi
have been altogether in Copeys favor 80 much 50 as
to have exugslrd utterly the less known artist. Cop
ley was Of course TIE taking painter; he had more
superficial merit, knew better than the other What -
meant By picture, and mad exceptional teehnc
skill representing tho outsides of things tIat
ne would Of course secure the votes OF by far the
greater Of spectators Yet ii We are not greatly
out In this natter Blackburn had FIR better onaiation
on which 10 butt than COpey and there was IA hu
more than the rudlments there much OF the FIJI
promise % painter.
Still tins s OF q truth heating the wind, for there Is
here nothing to which 20 send tho reader to prove dis
prove our theory And Corley's one picture of Madam
Boyston-perLaps the most famous or best known Of al
his works in this eounty-would, if there were tiiJ
Ttt
Lock in face and yOu1 forget them all
We knew it has sand. both b. them Of OLD times as
well 10 by men Of cur own day. that the picture %
Madam Boylson Is nothing but tho portrait vi saLi
gown. This b OF the pictures tnat earEei Copiey
tho aouib that he was nothing but an inspired sth
mercer" and indeed The Reynolds me,-with thon
notions Of drapery that should be dlapery and nothing
more come hing without mortal warp and wocf-a
stuff that never sea or shcTe-oould have niue
patience with Copley's Flemish lovo-hoTeYer no came
by it-for getting the real surfaces Of silks and sains'
and drawing nice distinctions between linens and lawns
No painter anywhere any time II Il not too bold 20
say ever surpassed Copcy in the skll with which be
painted Of san the shine OF sk, The gloss oil
silk stocking the rejecting surface Of mahogany table,
OF the reality of the and seals the silver iustana
and the quins which loved to paint admirng ten-
selves in the dark pools OF those delightful old tabletop
another poIt trait tbat OF Paul Revere picture WHICH
certainly should have bfen IN this Exhibition, COpey has
repres ned Revere looking ont Of lhe canvas stead
fly at the spectator, holding in his hand silver
yessela teapot II we remember rghtly-0n which be
has perhaps been engraving cipher he is in his shirt
sleeves and hos on a dark blue waistCOat Eyccp that
a in some ewbat hard manner, aS Il usual with C0Wey'
this picture for duectnoss, simplicity, and illusion
twthin the bounds OF ar would not oc stucu Oy hnu
fnr ;tstlf in tho same room with "a Holbciu Yet here
again as IN the OF the portrait Of Madam Boysion'
II is not the painting OF things that makes the orre
is lot alone the care with which the folds and gathers
of the shrtsleeyes reflections in The silver. and Tie
energetic repose Of hands painted that takes up
all our attention. Here, with tins good old lady
and with her smiling husband, come back again ana
again 70 the face, ana find thcrc so mGeh
character sonse. dignity go0dhamor and yeoman mau-
lne that we are forced to admit Copcys right TO the
style of portrait painter, as admit Holbeins right,
who also delighted in the skill with which he painted
fur, and yelyeis Jewels and hair, and who in one at
least Of his more ceebratod picturesbas painted pile OF