Democratic messenger., 1888-11-03

iuB huout ouI oWu NOpic1t uuu Austui.,
and inman, and Greenough and Kensett.
Let the affiucnt firing out oftheir windows
and into the back yard value!ess daubs on
canvass, and call In these splendid but un.
rewarded men. and tell them to adorn
your walls, not only with that which shall
please the tast, but enlarge the mind, and
improve the morals, and save the souls Of
those who gaze upon them.
NEED OF ART GALLERIES.
Brooklyn, and all other American cities,
need great galleries Of art, not only open
annually for Few days on exhibition, but
which shall stand open oil the year round
and from early morning until 10 o'clock
at night, and free to all who would come
and 60 What preparation for the wear
and tear Of the day five minutes look in
the morning at some picture that will
open door into some larger rcalm than
that in which our population daily drudgc
Or what good thing the half hour Of
artistic opportunity on the way home in
the evening from exhaustion that de-
n,ands rccupcration for mind and soul as
well Ms body, Who will do for Brooklyn
or The city where you live what w. W.
Corcoran lid for Washington, and am
told John Wanamakcr, by the donation of
DE Munkacsy's great picture, "Christ Be-
fore Plate" is going TO do for Philadel-
rhia Men of wealth, II you are too mod
est to build and endow such place
during your lifetime. why not go TO your
iron safe and take out your last will and
testament and make codicil that shall
build for the city Of your residence a
throne for American art: Take some Of
that money that would otherwise spoil
your children, and build an art gallery
that shall associate your name forever,
not only with the great masters OF painting
who are gone, but with the great masters
who are trying to live; and also win the
admiration and love of tens Of thousands
of fpeople who, unable to have fine pictures
Of their own, would be advan,agcd by your
benefaction. Build your own monuments,
and not leave Il TO the whim Of others.
Some Of the best people sleeping In Green
wood have no monuments at all, or some
crumbling stones that in a few years will
let the rain wash out name and cpitaph; /;
while some men, whose death. was abate-
mcnt Of nuisance, have pile Of polished
Aberdeen high enough for king and
euloguim enough to embarrass seraph'
oh man of large wealth Instead nt lcav-
ing To the whim of Otlcrs your monu-
mental commemoration md epital iolosy
TO be- locke! at wien people are Going 10
and fro at the burial oil others, bu,Id right
down in the heart of our great city, or the
city where You live, an immense free
readingroom, or free musical conscrva'
tory, or free art gallery, the inches for
sculpture aud the walls abloom with the
rise and fall OF nations. and lessons OF
courage for the tishearlened, and rest for
the weary, and life for the deal; and $50
years from now you will be welding in
iluenccs in this world for good among
those whose great-grandfather was your
great -grandchild. How much better than
white marble that chills you ii you put
your hand on II when you touch II In the
cemetery would he monument in colors,
In bcaming eyes, in living possession, ia
hn IN
would be glowing and warm, and looked
at by sirolling groups with catalogue in
hand on the January night, when The ne.
cropol;s where the body sleeps Is all
showed under. The tower of David was
hung with 1000 dcnied shields of battle !;
but you, oh man Of wealth, may have u
granicr tower named after you, one that
that shall be hung not with the symbols
Of carnage, but with the victories of that
art which was so long ago recognized in my
text as "plcasan, pictures" oh the power
of pictures ! cannot dcridc, ~ some
have done, Cardinal Mazarin, who, when
told that he mus, die, took his las, walk
through the ART gallery OF his palace,
saying Must | pmi all this Look a,
that Titan, Look nj tha, Corrcigo' !
Look Al thai delusc ol Caraccl Farewell,
pictures " As the ,lny OF the Lord of
Hosts, according to this text, will scruti.
nizc the pictures, implorc all parents TO
see thu, In their households they have
neither in book or newspaper or on can.
vas anything that will deprave. Pictures
are no longer the exclusive possession of
the aflluent. There Is not respectable
home in these cities that has not spcci.
mems OF woodcut or steel engraving, il not
of painting. and your whole family will
feel the moral uplifting or depression.
Have nothing on your wall or in books
that familiarizc the young with scenes Of
cruelty or wassail; have only those
sketches made by artists in elevated
moods, and none Of those scenes that
seems the products of artistic dclirium tire.
mems. Pictures are not only n strong but
universal language The human race is
divided into almost as many languages rs
there are nations. but the pictures may
speak to people OF NIL tongues. volapuk
many have hoped, with little reason,
would become a worldwide language;
bu, the pictorial is always worldwide
language, and printers types have no en-.
phasis compared with il. We say that
children are fond Of pictures; bu, notice
any man when he take up u book, and
you will see that the fir thing locks
ut is the picture lIa only inose in
your house that appeal 10 thu better
nature. One engraving has sometimes
decided an eternal destiny Under the
title oi fine arts there have come here
from France class OF pictures which ca
borale argumen, has tried To prove ire