The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-09-02
TRYON'S PICTURE.
.lThe Return of the Victorious
Fleet"

Henry G. Tryon, artist of the
Salt Lake Theatre, has finished the
drop curtain on which he has been
engaged for some time past. To
those who have been acquainted
with the artists condition, during
Lis work on this picture, the result
will be profound surprise. He
has had scarcely one day on it in
which he had the strength neces-
sary TO the labor, to say nothing of
che unfortunate condition of mind
that naturally results from physical
incapacity and sickness. The
pictu.e is from a painting by w.
Linton, called "a City Of Ancient
Greece, with the Return of a
Victorious Fleet" but the lines of
com position have been materially
altered, and it must be adj
mitted, with happy results. Instead
Of making the city Of primary
interest, Mr.. Tryon has made the
Return of the Victorious Fleet"
the subject of his story, using the
city as a necessary detail to the
perfection of the tale. The hour is
just before sunset, the sky soft,
warm, aud tender-just such a
sky ao any lover Of nature might
have noticed here repeatedly about
a week ago when our warm Indian
summer evenings began; and one
who had watched the progress of the
picture must have felt forcibly on
maUy occasions during the past two
weeks what a powerful effect our
summer evenings have had upon
the artists mind and with what
trust and feeling he has expressed
the sentiment they awakened in him.
The scene opens ina broad ,harber,
showing the. grand architectural
structures of the period and nation
atty in the rear, GRADUATING into the
distance with few hazy mountains,
as an accessory background, the out
lines Of which are made apparent
by a remarkable atmosphere and
soft clouds tinged and iris-hued by
the rays of the fast sInkingsun, the
existence of which, while not Wis
IDLE, is none the less. strongly felt.
On the right, and very, prominent,
are marble supports. and mar bic
steps leading down to the waters
edge; opposite TO the left there is a
distinct intlTna5ioh of the same
architecture, only hidden by, a pro,
fusion Of foliage and the sails and
banners and remnants of the incom-
ing vessels. A viaduct beneath
which stream Of water flows
fringes the centre Of the harbor in
the rear, and here again the foliage,
golden tipped by the sun, grows in
glorious profusiOn and saves the eye
from that sense of WEAKNESS which
architecture, bare and unrelieved,
however magnificent, however fas-
cinating for the time being, invari-
ably produces upon a longer ac-
qualntance. With the genuine land.
scape artists feeling, which does
not exist where it does not reach
after trees aud water generally, fol-
iage freaks out from unexpected yet
| natural points, and while doing ser
vice by relieving the monotony OF
architecture, introduces a feeling
which, even though unobserved,
gives a sense of satisfaction which
is experienced and enjoyed without
passing through the judgment for
approval. -3 81 d. - :.
The story Of the pictureis told in
its title 1.-The Return Of q ViCtori-
Gus Fleet" There need be no title
for the picture explains itself. The
vessels filed with warriors enter at
the left, pass up the harbor,
then turn to the right where
they group together. where
wives, children and. friends rush
out OF the grand marble structures
and are massed between the mar
ole columns, and receive the dear
ones who have come safely and
VIGOROUSLY out of a contest with
a pow erful foe. Everything Is
glowing, warm and cheeffnl.
the expression being free and
happy, while the bright colOrs, the
brilliant banners, steamers and
pennants, the cOlors communicating
and toned down by the. intervening
atmosphere. give to the principal
chapter of the story a gala-day apE
pearance, and inspire sentiment
of pleasure in the bosom of the spec
tatOT. There is enough omitted In
detail to give the Imagination am
pie sway, hence it is that the story
continues to the right outside of
the picture, Leading to the belief that
the scene which Tire eye beholds is
continued indefinitely, and that the.
same happy and joyful sentiment
prevails at other colossal structures
which do not appear in the pic
ture. The story is made the richer
by the happy idea Of coloring which
the artist has employed-that is, the
line of light follows the interest of
the story, which begins at the left,
spreads bout tWo-thiTds over the pic
ture, and eliminates at the extreme
right hand. So the shadows are
deepened at the left (the bright Gel
ors of the sails just entering the
hsrbor relieving it of a dismal arr
the light gradually dawning towards
the middle of the picture where 1t
breaks in a glorious flood just at
that point where the interest of the
story eliminates, and then mod
ulates and tones down to the right,
leaving the imDrassion that AWAY