New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-30
CHARLES SUMNER on .4RT.
n. WHIT IN Tie Poeid.se, Press

Discussion of one branch of art led to another.
and Winnie Ryaups statue Of Lincoln having then
bren recently unveiled, tho Senator spoke OF that
lie had great sympathy for Miss Ream, and admired
her patience aud persistence IN the study and pur
suit of art. but be did not think her WORK was
worthy of place in the Capitol We reminded him
that almost all OF Slr. LIncolms friends and asso.
ciaes pleased with the statue. and declared IL
to be a perfect portrait Of the martyied PRESIDENT,
That Is not strange" said the Senator Inc
uneducated eye very frequently mistakes garcia
ture for portrait, lille taey are very dineiehs;
Good portrait painting is an important nrahoa oa
art, and requires not only special training hut an
aptitude for art which must be born in one carl
caLurist may be no artist AT ALL His success depends
not upon reproducing faithfully the forms and
Features of his subject hut In distOrting some OF
them. We distinguish one face from another. not
by the features which are most alike. but ~
those which are most dssinlilar. IL our friends
nose Is little long. or turns ny or down. # the form
of Lis eyes OF month rs little peculiar these Pc
cuhartIes arrest our attention and enable us to
know lin ut first sight. Something's we see two per-
SONS whom we may say bear striking resemblance
TO each other Generally We are led to suppose they
have this resemblance not because thelr features
arc in the main similar. but because some snSle
pecuhar feature OF one looks like the corresponding
feature III the other.
1.-The skill of the carcaturst consists in discover.
ing this popularity aud not IN reproducing correct
picture Of IL, but in eXaggcratng H. IL you exanme
popular caricature in one OF the Illustrated Jews
paper you will fad this to b, true. Very frequently
the features that are not peculiar are drawn WIN
little or no attention TO the forms Of the onglhals'
and might serve about as well ~ pistuie OF one
about the man is m9de many times n.O:e odd thal
In the original. You will very frequently bear
ueople with uncduCated eyes declare hat carica-
lure IN which not single feature is ial,hfaly 10
PRODUCED and III which one or more is.trutes arc
enormously exaggerated, IL perfect lkeG'ss. wen
nothing could be further from it. The same p'dPo
would also be very likely to think that ISaiH
cleditable portal. was complete failure" -,
question from one of as drew out from d,
Summer scme equally interesting remarks about
nurtraits. The real artist when lie pants pr
fralt" said he, "reprDduces tic features ot HIS
subject faithfully; but that is not all that he aOes;
The htmau face Il As changeablb us the ciuu1s
scenery aud the art consists not IN painting Que y.
the moods OF the subject but i'll representing ~ "a
its normal condition. The artist must Therefore
study his l0eot under varying circumstances, con-
prehend the character Of the person he would pan,,
aud put that upon the canvas Ii frequently
that an excellent portrait not ut trst ssu'
strike us as faithful likeness, and person uneui
Gated IN art Is very likely to condemn IL as failuio,
The reasOn tor this is that the critic remembers ho
face when it affected by some special conoitiyr
of tho mind. good portrsit grows IA favor. AZ
looks more and more like tho original IS we DecqiS
better acquainted with It. while the defects OF Dsa
portrait or o caricature grow upon ~ ana nnAnJ
destroy its value altogether. ,,..
"Now Winnie Ream's statue OF Lincoln y oarsa,,
ture. Mr. Lincoln had very marked ieatussss ta
the pecuarities Of his face have been ekssxeae o.
The effect Is that very many people s sS,nL ma
critical look up at the marble lace ana inen 49,
Il Is correct likeness, although u u nothing W As
kind" 81