New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-06-07
CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.
THE FINE-ART APARTMENT.
AMERICAN PICTURES.
THIRD Noiice.l
IRON STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuSH.I

PHILADELPHIA, June OIL we nave given
the first place in attempted sketch Of the outlines OF
painting IN America to Copley rather than to Benjamin
west IL is Copley really belongs to America
than the President the Royal Academy and the Court
oainter to GEORGE III. West went TO England when he
was twenty-one, and he painted all his I'M
portant pictures In England. Dunlap says
he was obliged to search diligently for any specl-
men Of Vests portrait painting executed before he
left America, when he found it it was rarely worth
the search His first sutectpeces Of the sort that were
make hs fame painted in Italy and all the rest
in England. Copey the other hand did not leave his
native land until he hry-sX years old, and, as we
have said, s style fully formed before he went
abroad that his studies In Italy, diligently pursued
wrought little change in It. He painted as well
before he left home he did. On another score
perhaps West be allowed 10 have the advantage In
patriotism over ms Boston contemporary Although ne
arsocra by pature and enjoyed and priced the
distinctions he we'd in England from the
King, the Court and the noble aud fashionable
world still, he always kind and hospitabe to his
countrymcn aud did what he could. an IL much to
make them feel that they had friend in England His
home there seems to have been pleasant, cheerful
abode, where everybody from America was made well
in the painters it might not be wrong to
say, impassve olcnt fashion; and more than one
writer has recorded his impressions OF the stately house
which hc lived when lie rich aud prosperou5-of
it's tranquil almost solemn atmosphere. The long gal
lcry leading from the dwclling-house TO the lofty
suite Of painting rooms, and filled with sketches
and designs for large pictures; the spacious
room through which passed 10 the more
retired studio the works of the great mans pencil on
every sde the painter himself seated at his easel and
working on his picture OF Lear and Cordelia-such is
Dunlaps remembrance and readers OF Leigh Hunts de-
hghu autobiography will recall s account Of hi4 visits
10 West with his mother. Who a native OF Phiadel-
phia, "a Quaker also. aud who always welcome
visitor.
Vests worldly position both fayorlte at Court and
in high society and later President after Reynolds OF
the Royal Academy, gave him great Influence, and
threw around his paintings that golden light
OF success, which streams far down the
Of time and prevents Ms all from seeing true
Eut ne painter he far inferior to Copley ana not
only by artists themselves hut by the world az large
Copey has long been securely seated In the place OF
honor ~ the first American who deserved tine name o.
artist while West, being absuriy over praised and
treated ~ one OF the gcniuses Of the world has long
since been declared contemplate and ire tcd with far
obi GUY than he deserves We know that great
deal has said about the low state Of art In England
when West appeared there, and Wit has de-
cagcd that West very good painter for
George III; hut this is certainly overstlting the
defect OF the time. Tue simple truth Is, that
Art was the very hi h Of her glory In England ut that
time for how could SIC have thought hcrcsta" low one
when HIogarth and Reynolds aud Gansborongh I" men
ton only the tormost names, were all alive ana WORKING
TODD her honor Even Copcy- cotemporane0us ehtehc'
there had been no otheand there dozen others
III Ia be- named IN the second rauk-would bar Vests
claim 10 be JUDGED the good artist In wholly evil
time Tho strange thing about his fame il that II should
have shot up ~ suddenly and led itself 50 steadily ON
royal and uo'e patronage, while Reynolds and Cams
borough. two among the greatest names IN Ar
we're also thriving End budin mp their own towers 81
fame We susrcct the fact to b. that West pleaseiR
world altogether alien from tho world for which ey
nois and Gainsboroug painted. and for which johnson
and Goldsmith wrote As In our day-but comparisons
are odoua. Il there any real equality between the
things conpafcLyct, In our day, the dun Court OF
England has sat-t its painters and sculpos-its Miss
Thompsons it, Sir Thngamy Grants, lie Wards. male
aud female IT, Bells ands Marochcttis, while the wide
awake England of intellect aud feeling aud Judgment
croWds around the cdnyulcs Of Mi.lis AMI Hook, and
Moore and Hunt. and Burnc-Jones ami Leighton
50 In George ILL., time West the Idol of the PnllI--
lines but the living folk of England delighted In the
men who fed them with authentic hrc-sons OF the
morning"
Just now we are all reading about 1I1ydon, how he
painted biz pcrurcs-high art he called lhcmhi'orcs
and imagnatious "Dcuratl-" and the " Judgment OF
Solomon" and Cog anl Mlgog Ia all dlsensrS. We
read how he insisted painting them, and hoT the
world insisted not buyng them; how West III
treated him, and how he was III treated by every
body Iutriusically there 10 reason why Htydon
should he snubbcd and West honorcd why West should
me- toasted and made rich aud lowered with Rev noldss
mantle while HAYDN starved, and was neglected, and
finally driven desperation Vests pictures were a.
bad ~ InydOu's and every body knows now ana adns
tht uayon a.. an artist deserved all the neglect he sur
fard lie was an estimabc man. and very clever and
entertaining and instructive writer Bat he painted
pictures that had not hours chance OF life when thcr
makers FIERY spirit Of contention and truht"ing was
oucnccd The difference ay solely In the West was
from the first To succeed by pleasing. by accept
ing condcscenson from others AMI by treating everybody
with cnndeccn.iou that woul stand IT, He battered the
King and the Royal Family, he battered the mobiles he
fattercd the ladies'. lie was handsome wellfayOred,
courtly urbanc impa,sve imperturbablc Quaker ANA
hr was always all that, 50 FIR IA We can make out rom
the time he was baby. We do not mean Ia say he was
not much besides everybody who studies the two eN
crcnt specimens OF his work taat the Queen aud the
uov,I Academy have sent 10 the Exhibition,
everyboly who goes 10 the Philadelphia Acad-
envy and secs hs Christ Kceccd,' ana his
Death on the Pale Horse" or who here III
Ncw-York turns into syphers Curiosity shop IN
broadway and looks at the excellent specimen by him
tere The Resurrection Of Christ" where lac Il seen at
MI, best will admit that his success could not nave come
solely from his pictures II in great part from his
manners his bcncvolcnce no matter II much OF was
outslc) and above all. from his unfaing tact Some
tl,ing too was owing 10 his being phcnomenon-an
artist born not made and made (of oil places IN tho
world In America In the land Of the red ndihns' Per
hapa foolish fe Of him did something with us ie-
and vain Imagination o excite curiosity and Keep alVe
about his miraculous hero IL created cloud "i legend
about Vests naIne-a cloud only partly dispersed In our
day.
INT If would he wronging West to give the impression
that his rcpute was all undeseycd His repnte ~
pointer was indeed built very sandy foundations hut
as man he gave proof OF no little perception aud sa-
,,cy and he Is certainly Of the most remarkable
EXAMPLES kno 10 us Of native aptitude for art born