The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-27
ART VS.. LITERATURE.
The Artists Ideas in Regard
to Both.
A Comparison Of Merits and of
Genius.

ls it as grand, ia it ss difficult to
be great artist, az it is to be great
poet? And what is the relative inau.
ence of each? There seems to be only
one answer to the fret question, and
that isl is purely a.mstter OF individ-
ual taste. The genius of Goethe could
not solve it,and that he became poet
instead OF q painter was q matter of
mere chance. The story is too well.
known to need repeating. Professor
Fowler giv,s US good star. in Gecid-
ing the other. ''To be a fine artist,"
says be. requires brain well nigh
perfect; no one git makes an attist in
the true sepse OF the word; there mus.
be an harmonious blending of all the
faculties OF the mind" Take any
artist of reputation and see how h.
has had to work for it, and the vast
store OF knowledge he has employed.
There is one prominent fact in regard
to the universal talents of artists, and
that is: Not only are they often fine
painters, scuIptors and architects at
once, but they are often fine poets
besides. Michael Angelo is a noble
example of this. being the designer
of 81. Peters, sculptor of the majestic
statue of Moses. painter OF the. Last
Judgment and writer of some tns most
exquisite sonnets OF his time. There is
something akin to this in the mind of
the French artist, Dore. Look what
vast scope is inc u1ed in his life's
labors. His power and imagination
seemed to be perfectly inexhaustible.
Entering thoroughly into the minds
of the greatest authors of all ages, see
how be takes bis stand by the side of
Dante in his marvellous illustration of
the "Divine Comedy" how he inter
prets Milton for US in the paradise
Lost" then look in. succession at the
grandeur OF the illustrations to the
IdylIs of the King, the weird IN
earthly scenes in Ooleridge's Gan.
cient Mariner" the solemn, rich
landscapes OF Alfalfa. From the deep
est tragedy he can pass 10 the mosI
broad or subtle humor as mis- Don
Quixote amply shows. His sym
pathy with child-life is nane the lea
marked; and who, of all artists, hal
90 mastered the principles of the gro.
tesque? There is not q sculptor o
France but would be proud to claim
his awe-inspiring group OF "Lov,
and Fate" Has all the range of liter
AZURE q mind to show of more varied
scope and sympathies? William
Blake, who made the famous illus
trations to the Book of Job, was 6
| poet of great ability. Washington
Allstop, the American painter. wa
the author of several poems likely to
live through the coming years
Rosetti, of toe English school, is q!
fine a poet as he is painter. Rare
indeed, is it that the poet can turn
| with like success to walk in the
realms of art. Art has not the same
chance to reach the many that poetry
has. There are thousands of homes liz
which is a well-selected library OIL
books. giving perfect conception oil
the greatest authors Of all ages and oil
all countries, in which may not be q
single work of art OF even average
merit. To get the same knowledge
of works OF art, it would be necessary
to visit the art centres-the many
galleries of England, France. Italy
and Germany. Even under such
circumstances, the knowledge OBJ
tanned would be but fragmentary COM
pared with the lasting impressions
made by the calm and deliberate
reading OF authors year after year.
The foregoing applies far more
strongly to America than to Europe,
| of course. Early impressions infu-
ence US through life. and here the
poet has great advantages over the
artist. Youth ia the age OF poetry,
and the means to crafty it is gen.
orally near at hand. 1t naturally
follows that literature is better under
stood than art. In the seclusion OF
our library. or by the winter Preside,
We csn commune with the spirit OF
mlltUu huu lOOk WIN uihA uPOu euS
awful scenes of pandemonium or the
bliss full visions of Paradise; but
with England's ideal painter, Mar.
tin, We have no such chance. The
very nature of bis work dsbars him
from us. We cannot look upon his
large canvases OF "5atan in Council, "
1.-The Plains OF Heaven" or "The
Bower of Eve" Only few have
that privilege. and consequently by
the few is he known and appreciated.
The same with Germany's greatest
poet and painter, Goethe and Kaul-
bach, names of equal merit. but by
no means equally we'll known. We
are all familiar with the story OF
Faust; how many are familiar with
the cartoons OF Kaulbach. the works
of a mighty mind and skilful hand?
Byron and Scott; who has net heard
OF them? Have not their creations
became almost reality? The infu'
ence they had and still have is not to
be measured. They are known alike
in the palace and the cottage. Yet
not more than one in thousand
knows of the world OF beauty and