The Portland daily press., 1879-03-22
SATURDAY MORNING. MARCH 2s.
wish to hastily consult its pages. With this
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the literary men Of the day from whom bog-
raphy Of Turner might be expected, could be
better fitted for the task than Mr.. Hamerton.
The rich individuality of the author continual
ly, and without ths slightest ostentatiop, dis
played in his writings, gives 10 this instance
an element of personal attrsctiveness which is
notably lacking in the subject. Neither does
Mr.. Hamerton decorate the unlovely, strong,
hard figure of Turner with suy en-
bsllishments of euphuisms or throw upon
It anv reflected warm light from his own
artists nature. His portrait of Turner
impresses the reader as utterly just, tenn
pered but not at all changed by merciful
sympathy. It is an imaginative and true
likeness: indeed these qualities are related not
opposed to each other. ITO know all, is to
pardon all )" to enter by Imagination into the
nature andacton of another is to charitablJ &C.
count for much that seems incomplete, chaotic,
blame worthy. Mr. Hamerton has given a
comprehensive account of the favorable exter-
nal influences, fortunate physical traits, and
deplorable faults of Turner; and TIE result is
likeness as evidently truthful as it is brilliantly
executed. Together with decision of touch
that recalls his quality of etcher, Mr.. Hsmer.
ton combines in bis work inimitable grace and
spirit which are purely literary. The COM
mepts upon the early life and surroundings
OF Turner are interesting, as illustrative of the
truth that limited means and conditions are by
no means those that the foolish Muse" which
formsso delicate a vgnette among the striking
sketches which this biography contaius-would
have chosen for the child. All the studies of
the young Turner and his experience 10 archi-
lecture ard portrait-painting, were evidently of
great value to him 10 his later career. The
singular dual nature, half Of inspiration so
ETHEREAL 10 its quality as at times to lack prac-
ticability-and half hard. gross, and s3rdid, is
admirably deserted by Mr.. Hamertop. Beau
tiful as was T1raer's early landscape style, his
pictures bore slight actual likeness to the
plac s for which they were named. Certainly
painter must select aud adapt his actual ma.
terial, but Turner frequently substituted inef-
fective architecture for fine and characteristic
buildings-ior instance 10 his painting of Kill
chum Castle, of which We find two sketches,
one from the picture by Turner, the other from
the castle itself, and far superior in picturesque
points. Whatever may be the verdict which
criticism will finally pronounce upon Turner
and it Is probable that it will be neither the ex-
travasaDt eulogy of Ruskin who declared him
to be the ''Rreatest painter of all time nor go
violent as the protest of Mr.. Inuess against
the clap-trap Of the Slave Ship-wbateyer,
again, may be the verdict of the future it will
not fail to be conceded that Turner had the
artist vision and temperament in high degree
Mr.. Hamerton compares him in painting, to
Byron and Shelley 10 poetry. As writer
Turner was comically unsuccessful His prose
eludes criticism by b,ffl'ug comprehension, for
scarcely sentence quotei By Mr.. Hamerton
from Turner'S letters OF notes is even coherent.
Many of his pictures bear notices from an
original poem called the Fallacies of Hope,
which was its own best illustration. as no evil
dence appears to prove that it existed save In
fragments. The grammar and prosody are
abnormal, the sentiments vary from the trite
to the preposterous; but the lines served to
hang the picture upon, and Turner survived
the clever parodies with which Punch pslted
him. Mr.. Hamerton passes lightly over the
line that one feels must somewhere xist to set
apart the earlier and more lucid manner of the
Golden Bough and Temple of Apollo, from
Rsin. Steam and Speed. He makes 40 men,
tion of The curious and interesting theory of the
warping of vision which a recent writer consid.
ers to have caused the incoherenee Of Tnrne,'s
later work; though be quotes Mr, Viardo, . i'm.
preston that Turner's brain was diseased The
biography abouDds in foe passages and iust
criucism. While moved sutfl GENTLY BY gen.
erous appreciation, to accord much praise tn
the geHios OF Turner, Mr.. Hamerton by no
meaus seconds the extravaganza language of
mr.. hnssln; and proves that the eloquent. pa
tne'c ana brilliant eulogy was but partially
fouIded on fact; aud that, in brief, Mr.. Rusk,n
was "shingling out into the fog" 1t is quite
easy to understand how master Of words like
Mr. Raskin should embroider the plain ,rntb
with his superb tiDsel,-but such ceperons
wholesome, conscientious and appreciat:ye
writing as this of Mr.. Hamerton i, able to clear
away many mist from the cloudy high passes
Of art criticism.
Modern Frenchmen. By Philip Gilbert Ha-
merton, Boston: Roberts Bros Portland Lor.
ing, Short & Harmony. If clear touch, sympa-
thetic understanding, and breadth of treatment
combioed with delicacy, make the portrait
painter in words, Mr.. Hamerton's literary like.
nesses deserve all praise. No writer more dis.
tiuctlv enlists the readers interest for his sub.
ject aud himself, than does Mr.. Hsmerton. To
read a memoir from his pen is like hearing the
history OF one friend from the lips Of another.
The four Ffenchmen who are the subject of the
sketches contained IN the p'eseIt volume are :
Vlcter Jaquemont, Traveller and Naturalist.
Henri Perreyve, E;clesiast C and o rator: Fran.
co.'s Rade, Sculptor; Jean Jacques Ampsre HIS
torisu, Arcb@oogist, Traveller, and Henri Reg
nault, Painter and Patriot. In the preface, Mr..
Hamerton wittily apologies to his English
readers for presenting to tn m these brilliant.
these worthy men, born of an ali SOIL the
natural enemies of the Englishman. The five
characters which Mr.. HameIton describes are
varied in their types and circumstance S, az d
each is treated with great candor, sympathy
and strength. With Jean JACQUES Ampsre
readers are already familiar, but Mr.. Hamer-
tons portrait of him is livslier and less senti.
mental than that afforded by the longer memoir
of which Ampere is the subject. Ia the case
OF the exalted and heavenly ninded, not world
ly-wse, Perreyve, Mr.. Hamerton draws a fine
distinction between sympathy of faith and opin-
ioui and displays great knowledge of human
nature and genuine fraternal feeling for his
kind. The manly and generous soul of Victor
Jsqaemont offers an admirable subject for Dor
trayal Of which Mr.. Hamerton has fifty availed
himself: and the naive character of the tcnlo.
tor, Rude, is drawn with the touch of brother
artist. Perhaps the most charming of these
biographical sketches is the ideal chivalry of
the painter, Henri Regnault, with it's unswery-
Ing passion OF devotion to his art, his love, and
his France. 1t is impossible to read work of
MIR. Hamerton's. written in his fresh, brilliant.
finely touched English, without glow of gen.
uine enthusiasm for author and subject to.
gether.
Stories from an Old Dutch Town by Robert
Lowell, author of The New Priest In Concep-
tioh Bay, Antony Brade. Poems, Sc. (Boston
Roberts Brothers; Portland, Loring, Short and
Harmony. The chief merit of these stories,
apart from the fine and humane quality that is
tue essence Of Mr.. Loweli's talent, is the min.
ute aud evidently faithful description of the
manners and ways Of the descendants, half a
century back ftom the present time, of the
original Dutch settlers of New York State