The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-06-10
AMATEUR TO CONNOISSEUR.
PHILADELPHIA, June G, 1876

tHILADELPHIA, June G, 1876.
DEAR HIG:-Please accept my thanks
for the copy of The Cecil Democrat, one of
whose hypercritical contributors has, it
seems, inflicted on me the scourge of his
or her pen. at some imagined reelection
cast upon American pictures at the Cen
tennial, in one Of my letters 10 The Wing.
Although native. and to the manor born
in Cecil, yet was not aware that it pos
sessed so phenomenal an individual as a
" Connosseur in art matters. Consider
ing the rarity of skilled judges of pic
lures, you must pardon my smile of incre-
dulity in rejecting this letter of Soon
noisseur's," since it contains no evidence
of the right to, or justice of, so presumptu-
Gus title. In fact, if the claim be a
serious one, and not jest, do not believe
that there is an intelligent man or woman
in Cecil county, who would seriously pre-
tend to be what the writer of the letter in
question signs himself tor herself, -"Con-
noissenr." For what is a matter of suspi-
cion, so far as the "soubriquet of the
writer is concerned, becomes painfully ap-
parent when the letter is read Its writer
INDUCES in art generaities, tie incariab}e
Disguise Of presumptuous ignorance, when
assuming the role critique. The letter be-
trays this in every line.
1t is the feeble and s!ckly attempt of one
of the innumerable class of auction picture
amateurs, who, with pocket encyclopedia
in hand, gEbly comments on the merits and
defects of pictures, without the slightest
conception of art matters. They are to be
found in every art gallery, and at all art
dealers establishments, where their pedan-
tic affectation of art information, affords
constant amusement for intelligent listen
ers. The art galleries of Memorial Hall
swarm with them daily. If of the female
sex, they are distinguished by a finical
manner, an abundant use of adlectlves
talking hands, and that ''smart " air, SO
character istic of the girl of the period. If
masculine, they are personally intolerable,
with their semi foreign accent and oracular
style of Speech in which they prate of high
art, I'D nauseam Both types discant elo-
quently upon the mechanism OF art, upon
depth. tone, breadth, handling, technique,
without the fantest conception of the
meaning of these words in an art sense.
Any respectable picture dealer knows them
at sight. They are to him what sample
begears are to the retailers-the inevitable
Affections of the trade. They generally
use " slang" habitually. This is particu-
larly noticeable in the letter now before me.
| am referred to as ''ringtng in y with
fat old German gentleman. In speaking of
Hills "Donner Lake" the effect is de-
scribed as ''stunntng." Besides being given
to slang, these pseudo connoisseurs are, as
Il rule, excessively mean people (either men
or women in everything except words.
Of this valueless commodity they are
princely in extravaganza, but as to other
peoples opinions, or notions, the perfect
parSppiti IF i1lihara1itv apG MT
ance. Notice, for instance, this wealth of
language Gown Con-
temptiJle, " 'insignitcant," "absurd, '''mag-
nifcent" "grand,' "imposing," "stun-
ning," "superJ,' cannot be described"
g must be SEEM simply ,o0ndeuul," &c,
&c, &c. And yet, through all this redun-
dancy of words, complete poverty of art
and even of grammatical knowledge is APP
parent, even when great artists names are
mentioned familially.
Note few instances, which an ADLER
writer than myself could readily multiply.
This doughty champion, inspired with
Quxotic zeal in their behalf, assumes to
defend from imaginary aspersions some
nine eminent American artists, named in
group, from which is ignorantly excluded
the names of two, the very head and front
of the American school of landscape paint
ers. | mean Clifford and DeIIaas, whose
productions rank highest in the Centennial
(American) display, although among the
most meritorious by the consent of all COM
petent art critics, is the despised 60 Yankee
Doodle the title of which is evidently its
only ottense with the supercilious. Again,
students of perspective will enjoy peculiarly
the art comments of this erudite rustic
upon Herzog's landscape, which is compar-
ed SO unfavorably with an American pro-
duction. "An angry swollen stream dur
ing rain Storm" &c. Every detail per-
fectly portrayed, even the moisture on the
leaves &c, but unlike the American
picture HILLS open landscape of mountain
and lake scenery. "here is no magnificent
diStance.' Certainly there is not. How
can there be-
Don't smile, credulous reader when YOU
learn the simple and satisfactory reason
fo- the absence of Como sseur's'' sine qua
non. The artist portrays in his picture a
hillside IN the foreground, through which
the obliging hand of nature has opened no
aperture into which Connoisseur" can
peep and view on 'tothcr side the landscape
DER. Had Herzog one half the faith that
Connoisseur" has conceit, he could re-
move this obnoxious mountain from the
scene and give the effect of distance.
w lul liel PIE vi SpH = genius
in the line of criticism certainly need be
given after this one, the hackneyed and
second-ha newspaper description of
"Donner Lake meriting no other men
ton than to say, that it is still recognizable
as reproduced in The Deut0cr1t Just here
| may remark, that such examples of pure
English as some or ttco disadvantages is, y
"a class ~h0 MAKE THEIR lcing," one leg
ged LaZZaroni, or rather with ONE o.
"tce hare kAoton more than one IHilddelphia
artist take up THEIR resideRce.' delight
amazingly all admirers of Lindley Murray.
Now, the curious will ask the object of
9 Connoisseur's admirable failure. IT'S
simply this, that having bad case Of the
cacoethes," my letter to The Wig was
made the opportunity Of his, her, or its
irresistible desire to scribble. That letter
contains nothing that the most ardent ad,
mirer of American art can reasonably take
exception to. If Connoisseur," or any
other of his her, or its kidney see proper
to take such silly otfense at my assertion,
not aoHfuIly garbled, as quoted partially in
Tile Democrat, but stated ut length, then
repeat it for their benefit. ! said, "Take