New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-18
A HOLIDAY VOLUME.
LONGFELLOW ILLUSTRATED.


THE CoURTSBIP OF MILES STANDlsH BY Henry
W. Longfcllow. Illustrated. Pr. a. Boston !:
Houshton, Mifin & Co., 1888.
In the course of the thirty years which have
passed since the first publication Of The Court
ship Of Miles Standish' the pictorial possibilities
Of the poem have been explored until there can be
little left to discover or 20 invent within Two
months after the first appearance of Miles
Standish' in 1858, Longfellow noted in his diary
the receipt Of "a beautiful illustration" by Mr..
Ehninger showing the bridal procession going
through the Plymouth woods subject which
within year or two has been repeated in oil on
large scale for Of our Academy exhibitions.
and popularzed in huge etching Mr. Ehnin-
ger WAS followed in point Of time by Mr. Bough-
ton and without specifying more members Of the
army of painters and drau ghtsmen. Mr. Boughton
has been followed by Mr. @. Y. Turner, who APP
pears to have begun as it were a cycle Of illus
trative paintings adapted to translation into
black and white. So far as the basis of illus
tration in this poem is concerned, there is really
little chance for variation. There are certain
familiar types Of personages Of landscape and
of shore which must be reckoned upon as constant
factors John Alden will always be beardless,
slender, almost effeminate and the doughty Cap
aain is as certain to be hirsutc of countenance,
broad-shouldered and short of stature. The re-
sources of costume offer the artist little relief for
in this case the costuming admits of no essential
variation from certain familiar forms. And yet
we think that most of us would confess to
persistent interest in Puritan historical genre, If
we may so classify the work founded upon Long
fellow and Hawthorne, or directly inspired by the
story Of the Plymouth colony.
Among the illustrators Of the well-made volume
before us, Mr.. F. T. Merrill comes easily first in
the consequence and interest of his work. MIR.
Merrill has made six large drawings, apparently
in gouache, which have been reproduced by
photogravure process printed with tinted INKS,
and published as full page plates. The quality
of Mr. Merrills work entities him to an honorable
place among our illustrative draughtsmen OF the
figure even though we may find nothing in his
work which can be called a mastery exhibition
of the power of line, of truth of action, OF alert
movement, or of the presentation OF thoroughly
individual character. But mastery figure draw
ing is likely to be rare enough in this country 1or
some time to come, and meanwhile good work is
not to be undervalued. Mr.. Merrill's Priscilla"
is a study from pretty model deserving of popu-
lar acceptance and his illustration of the depart
ure Of Miles Standish's expedition is presented
in an effective fashion. There are many minor
illustrations, engravings, and prints reproducing
drawings by Messrs. Boughton, Reinhart. Shap-
leigh and others which in most cases VIII GER
tainly not be mistaken for novel essays in illus
frative art. 1t is interesting to note drawing
by Mr.. Justin Winsor on page az. Turning
from the abundant illustrations, half titles and
tail pieces to the purely mechanical features of
the book, there is little which fails to enlist
commentator. The Photographic process, pre-
sumably photogravure, employed to reproduce Mr.
Mcrrilrs drawings has done its work WELL too
well indeed, as regards the familiar preservation
of panty effects in the original Equally ia
miliar is the seemingly inevitable loss in the
rendering of half tns, the accentuatons of whites
and blacks and certain lapscs in texture and defn
ton. But the results, as we have said, are gen.
orally satisfactory, and the plates are improved
as regards convenient presentation by their mount
ing on linen hinges. The paper used is of the
heaviest and choicest, and there has been no
stinting of margins. The cover, which bears
suggestion of clasp and hinges, is uncommonly
sober for holiday times, but think day has
come when sobriety will be appreciated.