The Portland daily press., 1880-12-31
Boston Transcript
rilton's Pictures.


The sacerdotal Egypt of the Pharaohs and
the sacerdotal Indian world meet in the "Cai-
ro." The Saracenic life meets the Christian
in the Granada" where the vast Alhambra
looks down upon the cathedral in the valley
beneath. In the Temple of Minerva" we
read an in menaorianl over the dead mythology
of Greece. In the "Acropolis," with its
crumbling Parthenon, we share again the
life of Solon, of Eschylus of Socrates and Pla-
to; while the Rome buried in the mystic
afterglow, is resonant through and through
with subtitle suggestion of Etrurian days, the
republic, the Imperial Mistress of Nations,
Grecian conquests and infiltration of civliza-
ticns, and that hierarchy symbolized in the
great dome of st. Peters, to whom, even in
its decrepitude, half the world pays spiritual
homage. This is the largest use of landscape,
and Mr.. Tilton has learned to interpret such
reaches of palpitating and pregnant earth and
sky in the humility and dignity and intelli-
gence of the noblest art.
His manner is too ripe and subtle to suggest,
or even submit to, analysis, and is too noble
and poetic for the littleness of self-assertion;
so that we are conscious Of vitalized growth,
rather than constructions The art is too true
and profound for artifce. Indeed we lose
thought of the artist, here, in the commanding
impressiveness Of the art. Feebler men paint
themselves, with all their feebleness, into
their pictures. They hinder and bewilder
us with their morbid individuaisms and con-
ceits, as we search for their communications;
while the master artist loses himself in the
light and sweetness of his creations. Such
H. NJ.
once, nor do all eyes penetrate its mystery
Few men see and understand Nature, while
many wonder but never emerge from vagary
and illusion with light. They who '1ook for
asign," and wait for some master stroke of
technical achievement, will pass these pic
lures by finding nothing in them. But they
are full of disclosures for the poetic, the
thoughtful, indeed for all who have felt the
secret of beauty and harmony in Nature
Without giving the slightest evidence of af-
filation or discipleship with any school, indeed,
without challenging inquiry as to his leaning
on the general rhetoric of his art, he approach
es Nature ,reverently, with perceptions tuned
and trained to their best functions, with
ready knowledge of all phenomena of air
and earth, light and sha w, of forms and
masses qualified and kindlei with color, with
dn lHluiblFO anu uutTTIIR S6uSe OF perspective,
with profound sentiment of that genuine
chtaroScuro which enwraps the landscape
like an atmosphere with a certain clear and
thoughtful technique and within and suf-
fusirg all with penetrating sense OF spirit
ual beauty and significance, vouschafed only
TO thoroughly poetic temperaments.
These pictures, therefore, come to US with
timely suggestion in our day of los hetic iras-
cibility and deterioration. Here is the broad
est truth-telling, with fidelity in the least
things. Here Is the cOmplpta fiuich with
terly ease OF handling, and almost limitess
suggestion. We can learn here, how great
and strong and persuasive an artist may be,
without petulance or exaggeration, or the
wearisome staccato OF unsubdued impulse
We may see for ourselves the virile energy of
refinement, while we read and follow the ST.
lent forces of creative genius. For a genius
under the tremendous uplift of hasheesh or mar
cotics may reach astonishing elations, and
electrify and terrify us by turns, but we find
our geuius more companionable, more helpful
and incomparably more agreeable when clothed
in his right mind.
Let us have violins and cellos in our orches-
ira as well as trombones and tympani. The
cantabile and adagio have a meaning and sig-
nigcance, as well as the scherzo and tumultu-
GUS allegretto. We do not find Emerson feeble
because Carlyle is clamorous. Mr.. Tilton
mixes his colors with his own individuality.
and that is the mastery of refinement and the
energy of reserved forces. And herein, partly,
lies the staying power of these pictures
They approach with fresh and unexpected
destinations until after repeated studies they
take place in the memory with the IL Penser-
oso, and Arthur Idyls, and all other beautiful
presences of tone and color that visit us unask-
ed. Most noticeable is the rythmic breadth
and roominess of these compositions for there
is such bouyancy and remoteness and airiness
OF sky, such natural and tranquil foreground
approaches, such q probable and congruous
graduation OF incident and Masses such a sweep
and oraiSenabldnce of surface and space and
as the indispensable keynote of aerial per-
spective, such bold and splendid feeling OF
horizon, of distance interminable and illimit-
able. Criticism may in its inception pursue
analytical processes in search of data and
truths, but in its living sense it is sympathetic
in spirit, and advances in constructed meth
cd and temper. The desk of the critic, there
fore, is not dssecting chamber, and the pub
lie have no possible relation with merely mo-
bific disclosures and researches. We do not
propose to unravel the texture Of Mr. Tilton's
canvases and unwind his threaded secrets of
woven light and color, even were they certain
ly within reach 1t is better and more useful
to suggest the marvellous quality of color
which suffuses these pictures glowing, imper-
ative and all ablaze as in certain of the Ven-
etian subjects, ithen again felt as an aroma,
or complexion as in the "Acropolis," then as
disclosing atmospheric conditions as in the
"Cairo" and the Granada" and the "Rome"
Again. the truth Of shadows based upon deep
er octaves and unisons of tint, and not upon
discolorations and falsihcations Of tone, as