New-York tribune., 1879-09-10
TRIBUTE TO THE DEAD ARTIST.

CONTRASTING HIS WORK WITH THAT OF WASHING
Ton ALI sTON--Hls WALL PAINTINGS ~ lie
ASSEMBLY CHAMBER At ALBANY
To the EdftOr OF Ths Tribune.
SIR: The sudden. unooked-for death Of this dis
tinguished artist Will come to many hearts in this
country like the drawing of veil of clouds at noon
day over a sunny sky. Endeared to a wide circle Of
personal friends. cf pupils and Of artst-comrades
by the innate kindiness and generosity of his dis
position the boyish frankness Of his speech aud his
loyalty to high ideal, he was at the
time of his death just becoming more widely
Snown TO his countrymen at large by
his wall-pantings in the Assembly Chamber of the
State Capitol at Albany, n splendid achievement
which will long hold his memory in well-earned
honor Since Washington Allston, no American ar
tist has played part of such influence among his
countrymen as Mr. Hunt; but in his case, as IN that
Of the elder painter there is lamentably little left
whereby to explain that influence to future genera
tions. Nevertheless the name of each will long be
dear 10 those who cherish with sOmo jealousy the
slow beginnings OF our culture for everything that
remains to US from the hand Of either
of these masters shows the artist-deeply In
love with his art; not thinking OF 1t
rs means to an end, but joying in 1t as in life IT.
self; and with the Inconsistencies of nature with
her stars and clouds. holding mp to us in this work
a-day world of care and cumber the bright ideal of
a time when the things OF the intellect and the soul
shall have faIror play. In one Important respect
Nh Hunts name must ever be- written lower than
that OF Allson. Mr.. Hunt essentially the apos-
tie of school, and cried aloud in the desert of our
American art culture the name of master. He
worshipped the name Of the late Thomas Cou-
ture and he taught hundreds of his conn
trymen to worship it, and In modern
times all his faith and all his hopes
were centred in the French school Of R0mauticsts
Allston, on the contrary, deeply as he venerated
and admired the Italian masters OF the Renaissance
with the later Venetians, yet his work never recalls
any one of these TO our mind and in its own beau
tiful but narrow field 1t is entirely original dis
tinctively product Of American soil as Hester
Prynne OF Margaret. Mr.. Hunts absorption III his
French masters misfortune for him and for
all of u.s. 1t restricted his powers to q field mar
rover than of right belonged 10 them, and IT put us
off with copies and reminders when We should have
had fruits from the artists own garden. Some of
his earlier pictures-the " Marguerite and
the Girl at the Fountain r-were promises of day
that never really dawned, for Mr. Hunts ideal yein
if not soon exhausted was at any rate, soon aban-
doned and teaching and portrait-paintng absorbed
far too much of his time. He TO schoolgirls gave
up what was meant for mankind, and delightful as
were no doubt the hours spent III his studio, im-
pense the intellectual exhilaratiOn that resulted
from seeing him paint and from hearing him
.sTalk - vet this gain to individuals was loss to
the general public who, year after year, saw less
aud less OF Mr. Hunts work, and heard more and
more Of his social successes. During these later
yeais Mr.. Hunt had many pupils In Boston,
almost all OF them women. and belonging
to the higher class for not only the artists social
position but his manners. his art his tact made the
best grayitatc to him. And doubtless his teaching
did much 10 make the standard Of Art higher In
Beacon-st and on the Back Bay. and made the Art
Museum possible which we find so hard to compass,
and was the seed Of the Art School But he had to
be content with this broadcast frat of al his talk
and teachings since il is difficult to name any pupil
Of his who will add any special lustre TO
his name. More fortunate than Alston, Mr..
Hunt at last achieved the success dear 10 the
artist OF "A commission from the state for monu-
mental work. And, since much has been said Of
Poston adulation 1t was 10 doubt an added pleas
nre that the commission came, not from Massachu
etts not even from his native State, but from the
state Of Nsw-Yorl where he was but little known
or affiliated The call to paint the lunettes IN the
.sser,bl, Chamber at Albany was. In the entire
l.,,c iroin the transaction of all soli-seeklne on
the artists part and in The honest desire on the
uort of the official who controlled The business to
e, tb, ,bt man TO do the work. one u those incl
dent. that help 10 redeem our public He from
that v,bolesale condemnation 50 often bestowed
unon IT, Here at least. was entire freedom from
All reurooch; ; uay. this is bat tame way oi put
t,ug II here WAS an artist who had nDDl' wrought
all uis dav.. TO make Ant honored in his native
eorutry. and had 10 that end duly honOrcd her hn-
solf And 10 him commission appointed To look L"
tbe decoration of noble room III noble buiiGIhe'