The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-09-02

Guided. leaving alBo to the
imagination just - much
as Is essential to the perfection
of a charming sketch. One objee-
ton that might naturally De lateG-
posed to the detail OF the story Is
the fact that on the front marble
steps there are no figures such as
can be seen in the rear, and Whlcn
as matter Of fact ought really 20
be visible at the point referred TO-
But there are weighty reasons why
these were omitted. In the nrst
place, Mr.. TryOn is essentially q
landscape painter, and cOnfesses his
inability TO paint respectable hg--
ures. This being true, he could aod
nothing to the effect. But even were
he capable of painting figures, for
the truth Of the story they are bet
ter omitted in this picture. To paint
them well, or even indiHeTently,
would be to arrest the eye, and in
the degree in which this result was
produced, just in that degree would
the interest of the story be inter
rupted and the idea Of the artist be
disadvantageeusly affected. 1t is a
principle in all art that too much
detail ruins the finest painting I'M
less it is purely study, and in all
paintings, as in all stories, those de-
tails only are to be tolerated which
are essential to the solution of the
plot. The moment detail inter-
rupts the plot, that moment it is an
injury. Therefore, for the rea
son that he was incompetent for
good tigure-painting, and be-
cause such detail would
arrest tho eye at point where
the interruption would be in
furious, Mr.. TryOn wisely
deemed it best to leave out the
figures, and made the architecture
as simple as possible, relieving it
only by the water at its edge, and
the proWs of two vessels just turn
ing one of the columns.
So much for mechanical thought
and labor. But who can explain in
words the sentiment, the tone, the
poetic idealism the artist intended
and has expressed? 1t is in
these mainly that his genius
is manifest; and every eye that rests
upon the glowing canvass will
behold beauties peculiar to itself; in
every mind it will awaken thoughts
that may occur to none other, and
the impression and sentiment that
it may arouse will be iRdividualized
in each bosom. Imagine,
warm, rich summer day, the haze
of an Indian summers eye lingering
lovingly and tenderly over all, toning
down features that might be harsh
and making indistinct and indefinite
points that seem to fade away into
atmosphere so delicate, so mild, 80
feeling, SO tenderl Here and tn ere
flood of warm light develops a
particular feature in order that the
contrast may heignten the effect, as
for instance in the foliage under the
viaduct, or as a single point in the
architecture as a cloud catches a
single ray of the warm sun as it
appears on the ripples on the waves.
The Beauty Of the water in the har-
Dor must strike every artist and
art lover as a thing of sur
passing loneliness, in that it is
true to nature and nature
IS beauty. The reflection of the
brilliant colors from the proTs of
the bright colored boats, mingling
in the waves, produces cembinR-
ton of brilliant colors, which is
rendered beautiful from the very
indistinguishable profusion of the
hues and the brilliance of the effect,
rendering the transparency Of the
water so realistic that the deception
is perfect. But who can describe a
painting in words. however beauti>
full, however poor2 1t may be pre-
nounced good, bad, or Indifferent,
particular points favored and others
condemned; it may awaken
thoughts that otherwise would
remain dormant, and may call to
| view things Of beauty which would
otherwise have blOssomed and
blushed unseen, but to the artist
alone is itLgiven to produce any
thing approaching an imitation of
the .evaRescent beauty, the supreme
grandeur Of nature Thescritic can
merely direct public attention, and
that is all we date attempt with
regard to Mr.. Tryon'S picture.
The drop curtain just finished,
establishes, or will establish fact
that has always been claimed By the
HERALD, that 8 successful scene
painter is every inch an artist.
Only view "The Return of . Vic
torious Fleet" by Mr.. Tryon, and be
convinced.