New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.


,n,,r ,pTs A Treatise on the Varieties OF
DRAWING Painting and Engraylng IN p",1ir Gil
with Zach Other and with Nature; by Halt
BERT HAMERTvN LONDON s Seus'
dsy. Boston Roberts Bro'ners- -, A.,
Nh. Erc,,sh edition of this book, OF which tho
,,ossrs Roherts BROTHERS publish a neat ana nanny
,,rin, l. = handsome volume, Quarto printed on
Handmade paper there is, Of course large
rarerr edition.. and containing goodiy NUMBER VI
Illustrations intended TO serve as uselai aus
in understanding the text, and not lhSe'Veo
merely 10 add to the luxurious appearance VI lno
book These illustrations are all omitteo III .n'
hrer,can edition and the preface to that edition
opens with an explanation by the author OF Inc
reasons which led him, while emitting the iliustra-
tons at the same time 10 retain in the text 'ne ~
erences to them. These reasons seem TO us suu'-
Gent but il may be remarked that except III one VI
two cases the illustrations might be dispensed "'
since anyone likely TO take interest enough l" Wv
snb;eet 70 read the book would be pretty sure W
have at hand examples Of the processes io''' ~,
nv the au;hor. In the case OF Pe"-" r
drawings or more certainly IN tlo A
arow;ncs with the silver point. 1t might
easily happen that examples wouh not DE- az nav"
th;s might be true also Of hthograpDlc oI""ihs >
but for all the rest special illustrations arc no'
sential. and the American student VINO taxes Wy
tlis book Will find himself little the worse ior 'n'
tss,ap of the mates, WHO Tic Will law 'N'S
nepsation. that the homemade book is much the
100 comfortable TO handle. Like 1.-THE publca-
,;ons nj this house the present volume is OF nancy
.izo and is printed in clear type on good "ni'e
paper. ,o,. .,o,ch q GOV.
og GOOD deal of ground, is simple, and ms treat
,nent of his subject is lucid and direct lie taxes up
Zach Of the materials in turn by which the draughts-
man expresses himself on any fiat surface wha'e'ci'
from n sheet of paper to Wall; heeAPiaAiiS 'i'0
,ature of this material tells in detail now IL IS CHI
Moved. gives sketch OF Hs history
shows its advantages and It's oisau'an-
tages. and finally, in each case compares te resu'
r,rodnced by its employment with the actual effects
r. v1otnro The materials and methods treated OF
orc pen and Ink" "Auxiliary Washes" Ihe
S;Iyer Point The Lead Pencil" "Sanguine,
Chalk and Black Stone" Charcoal" water
Monochrome" oil Monochrome" Pastel" lem
no,a Fresco and its Substitutes" Paintlngln III
ord yarnish."" Painting in Water-colors'" rant
;n,. on Tapestry.D Wood Engraving" Etching
ond Dry Point" Line Engraving" "Aquatmt
and Mezzotint" "Lithogaphy." The reader
viii see by this enumeration how wide Is the
Geld covered By the author and those who know MS
writing will not need TO be told that ne conveys
IN these chapters great deal OF use1ui
a. clear direct and forclbe style. These technical
divisions,
rire short CHAPTERS In which the author speaks OF
"Tbo Importance of Material Conditions IN the
Cronbic Arts of "The Distinction between L setul
oDd Esthetic Drawing" of Drawing for aesthetic
pleasnrcu of the Educational Influences OF the
Cranbic Art of Fright and Wrong in Drawing"
of Outline" "Of the Classic and the Picturesque
Iines.D of Drawing by Areas" and "Ot Draw
ING by spots' In these preliminary essays
short and to the point, there Is mucn
that is useful and suggestive on general
grounds and they form an almost necessary
introduction TO the practical part OF the BOOK.
In only one instance does Mr. Hamertons babitual
GOODNESS seem to desert him. and that is where In the
cbanter called Right and Wrong in Drawing" he
makes n man of straw called The School of CenSure
in Criticism. and proceeds to pull him to pieces.
There is of course no such school to-day, whatever
there NAV have been at some former time. There is
no set of mon worth considering now writing for
newspapers OF periodicals. or putting forward their
on;nions in books who answer TO the following de-
scription: "a critic who belongs to the School of
Censure begins by assuming most exalted moral
and intellectual position. However young ana
ignorant be may be- he treats artists dc haHt en- 00s
n prisoners at the bar, who TO receive acquttal
or condemnation from the judgmentseat. lie has
the clearest notions Of right and wrong III art
When work has the luck TO please him he pro-
his little knowledge or outside the narrow limits of
his taste he says 1t Is wrong. He does not conde-
scend TO explain the reasons for these decisions
Irresnonsible accountable 10 no one. he sits su-
,rora ike the Mahometan Allah, raising some to
,orr ond he cares not-casting others to pefdltloI
ond he cares not" Now, this seems to us rather
foolish writing If there such writer's, they can
not be in positions of such Importance as to
make 1t worth while to trouble ones head about
them. and we do not know where at the present
time any such writers are TO be found. 1t would
not be easy. we think, for Mr. Hameron to name
rritic of any importance anywhere who. If he
nsked TO give bis for any opinion he might
EXPRESS. would answer in the words Mr.. Hamerton
nuts into his imaginary critics mouth: 81 know
the RIGHT and know the wrong, this is right and
that is wrong and if you ask for reason, it is be-
couse | say SO, that Is reason enough from me
10 you" 1t may seem like triAing, but we cannot
help thinking that the very punctuation OF this
passaoe shows the state Of mind the author was in
when he wrote it. Tho truth is
or appears to us to he, that the general tendency
of what is called artcricisn to-day is toward indis
crirninate lattery rather than toward censuIe BY
far too much of the writing art in cur newspapers
md magazines might be described in Emerson's
words as "a mush of concession" There Is good deal
of reasonable writing, and good deal of suggestive
writing but the ordinary reader likes TO read pleas
ant things about art and artists, and the ordinary
critic gives the reader what he wants Nor can sir.
Hamerton himself hope to escape altogether from
the charge Of being dogmatic in his way OF thinking
md dlctatorial in his mode Of expressing his 0pin
ions: omniscicnce is with him more than tho foible
il was said to be with Dr. Whcwell, 1t is almost
vice. and the ease with which he explains
every difficulty reminds us too often of tho dcx-
terity of NJ Tane. Mr.. Hanerton has easy,
natural style, never mounts high horse, has the
good nature Of man contented with himself and
believing himself TO be a general favOrite, and
IL AoA. Il ,utn ir,to Of