New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-06-09
FEATURES OF THE FAIR.
FINE ART DEPARTMENT.
AMERICAN PICTURES.
iFbnrth Noticc.l

irntaors Copley seems 10 have held somewhat aloof,
and anecdotes about him do not abound Those in Duu-
lap relate principally TO the slowness with which he
painted and to the rather excessive interest he took in
the money-side of his profession. b it cannot be
traced that he communicated his methods to any
other artist, or that he stimulated the taste or
formed the style OF any one who afterward
rose to local repute. In fact Copley's
genius had TOO little spontaneity In 1t
make it interesting to the young and the pennyworth
Of geuius to oil this monstrous deal Of hard work and
patience by which Of his pictures were produced
would rather dampen scholars ardor In the contempla-
ton than blow 1t a fame The young rarely drawn
to examples Of hard work aud patience. nor do they
often recognize them for the powers they really are The
who draw pupils to their light from afar, the men
who found schools, and breed Of followers and
imtators the who accomplish great amount OF
work without much apparent labor; who call what we
call labor play and whose processes are so bte trace
able that their productions 10 grow rather than TO
be coldy made. Copey not such painter, ana IL
cannot surprise that he died and made no sign That
his son became loei-Lord Lyndhurst-is prob
ably TO the English mind far more impor-
sant fact than that he himself painted pictures;
aud the condescenson OF lord who willing to have
artist for father Uhough he always said As little as
possible the embarrassing fact and would never
communicate nGurcrs any fact relating to his mig
guided parent has made the English p1cnle also Wiling
to forgive and to forget the sons pictures.
But artists must always treat Copeys pictures WIZ
tolerance at least II not with positive respect Some OF
them must excite admiration. But oil West, no
has anything more encouraging TO say than that
people ought not 10 be hard upon him, because he really
did not know any better. IT. however, he could neither
paint himself, nor teach others to paint, he did goOf
service by lending helping hand, giving money, the
sEri;a- OF HIS house, and the benefit OF his advice
to more tnsc young wouldbcartist stranded
the shore Of tic great continent OF
London lie Hospitality entertained in this way among
many john Trumbull and Gilbert stuart both OF
them born palutcrs, TO whom the good President could
communicate instruction IN his art but what belonged
TO its technics M doubt his nsrU 'tiOn in this mpor
ttut field was OF great value, for West was careful
painter and honest in giving those who bought his pic
lures the worth Of their money in good workmanship 40
that his pictures. where they have been properly cared
for are IN nrsrate c0ndona- good in all respects as
ever they were What would not the world give II Rey-
nolds had abandoned his experiments with colors We
hccs and yarnshcs and had been content with West to
follow the beaten wayf What satire upon fame II Is
that. will Sir J0shuas best pictures are slowly fadnS
away and must some day become nothing hut memory
Vests paudcs fresh and gay ~ ever, and likely
70 up fresh and BAY at the end OF aO'ef huhueu
! years.
He TAUGHT 'thc boy." "a stuart his favorite pupil
called them. an then that he could communicate but he
could never have TAUGHT John Trumbull 10 paint those
miniatures that he richest arttrcasure Yale College
owna and which il cruel not To nave sent 10 inc
Exhibition where VIC might All nave s''u 'i'h' an"
learned to think chGr,ably Of the man who painted The
/ :, .ning Of the Declaration" and the Battle Of
Bunker IIin" Tumbul hurt hts fame almost rrecoVer-
ably by the painting of these pictures. and there are
counainiyey lew of his counirymtn VINO know that as
miniature "a In oils he has had few rivals anywhere
in world. In drawing In cooring aud IN EXPRESSION
tue miniatures posscsliUn OF fae Coicfe-the
original ri udics for the signing Of the Declaration -
are among the that any country has TO snow, aud
the little collection might well bc refused for the posses
sion all the OF canvas that west painted III MS
long, Isborious life.
Stewart. ~ u wa- sometimes written, Of a
r,cr genius than 1rumbul. and who knew better his
powers and his limitations Tie was the son OF Gi bert
stuart Scotch mlwrght, who was scut for by another
,otclman Dr. Thomas Moiat, TO come "a Rhode Island
and build him a snun MILL Ia Providence then. IN l75i
the painter born. and ms middle name Charles was
Given him by his father out of attachment 10 the stuart
KINGS of England. STUART rarely used this middle name
however. and be- Is known To his counrymcn only
~ Gilbert Stuart Coplcy, West, llunIbull be
longcd to the orderly, prudent, conventional side
" life. We cannot like Trum5ulls character
Copcy does not temper cold respect Tor him with
any Affection bat West certainly recommended virtue
and orderly life by his own example Stuart on the
other hand Was a hsmian, and began carly those
prans and iocs that were To color his lie so strongly
He had IN fun what the mifjudsns world calls
the ARTIST temperament refusing a,ways 10 remember
tha; all the grctest artists hayebcen INDUSTRIOUS honest
men, speeding Others and respecting Themselves stuart
was boon companion delightful talker about his art
and about men. fountain Of anecdote and capital
,ory.tcer These were oil very WE'LL but they stood IN
his own way aud In they hnderod hs advancement
aud deprived us Of many fine pictures
When he was II years old he went 10 London, ana
at r. having Knocked about the town for some time he
WIS made known to west who hearing that he was sur
fering for want 81 money sent him some guneas aud
invited him his house In l77S, when stuart 81,
he became Vests pupil and probably the stately home
OF the mcthOdca neat and formal artist never had such
harul scarum inmate this young man proved TO be.
Not that there any harm in Stuart he was good
naurcd frank aud reasonably industrious, but his hsh
animal spirits must have been, know they
sometimes were, too much for his master.
West however, had enough To perceive his pupils
merit and enough too to know how to use his SER
Wees and the whole the cOmpanionship was some
thing To he remembered with pleasure by both by
Vests advice Stuart at last set independent easel
I'M Lonion and had great Dunlap tells that
the picture that brought him into notice was or-
trait of Mr. Grant. scotch gcneman,whO had applied
TO him for a full length. On their first meeting
skating had been proposed and they went out to-
grther TO cut the Scrpentine River. on their
return 10 studio 1t occurred 10 Stuart to paint Mr.
Grant skating. with the accompaniment OF a Winter
background The picture finished, exhibited ut
Somerset ouse and gave such delight that stuart who
was never vain said lie afraid TO 20 to the
Academy 10 meet the looks OF tho crowd, and
answer all the questions were put to him.
one day as he returned from the ex-
hbition he went Rcynoldss house. and while he
looking the pictures in the outer room the Duke Of
Rutland in and passing through the room where
Stuart was 10 the studio OF Sir Joshua and leaving the
door open behind him Stuart heard HIM say wish you
10 20 to the exhibition with me; there In q
portrait there that everybody IA talking about"
"Who painted itr said Sir Joshua. "a young
IN IN by the name OF Stuart" Stuart waited for
but slipped and away home. From that time he had