New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-20
SMETHAM'S LETTERS.
A REMARKABLE EPISTOLARY COLLECTION

35I. Macmillan & Co.
The life of the author of these remarkably
original and beautiful letters was such as 10
raise anew the old and perhaps insoupc quesuo"
What really constitutes success !? James SmethaIn
was an English artist whose work is but little
known. though it was highly appreciated by such
men as Ruskin Probably most readers OF the
memoir which precedcs the letters Will reach the
conclusion that the mans life was a iallure' anu
there arc plausible grounds fog that Judgment or
Snetham was not only deficient in that business
capacity which is so necessary an ala even 10
genius in achieving material success lhere "eIe
qualities in his art which rendered IL lupoesipe
that he should ever become popular painter
lie possessed, his biographer tells U.S. pic'ofiai
power which, had he been content with develop
ing it, might have carried him far IN the pro-
duction of such works the public VIII puS'
But pre- Raphaclism, Ruskinism ana photography
were too much for him. Mr. Dawes says oouc
Of his early work Indicated an individuality OF
character rare to behold. II was the outcome OF
the old broad school, soon to become moribund and
finally extinct. Ills touch was ample and frm, his
color rich. harmonious and glowing, character well
EXPRESSED and the picture always we'll grasped.
Then came the adverse influences those already
referred tO-and " he had not the power TO resist
these They bore him down" But the lact tha'
they could bear him down that he made the
fatal mistake Of his life in sacrificing his peculiar
Gift his individuality, and attempted TO conform
himself to doctrines and methods with when ne
had no sympathy: sufficiently indicates that ne
Lacked strength of character
lanes Smetham was indeed singular in many
rcspccts He educated himself in his art by an
elaborate and carefully planned course of dis
cipline which occupied over twenty years he
was the most indcfatigabe collector of material
Ills note and sketch books were ever in his hands.
He accumulated an enormous mass of details
from nature But he did not utilize this magazine
His biograpber saws that the direction in whlch
his art,course lay was that in which the thing
10 be presented is rather prchgured ana symoohNeu
than fully and clearly expressed fltiui passages
of color reminding one of what is best III arr,
touches of invention that mark the poet as well
az the painter-always preference gwen 10 anu
stress laid upon the end, rather than waning
ON the threshold of the means his appear was
70 tile mind rather than to the eye, to the subtle
rather than to the gross sense lhls ehaoFeS
rs TO understand his admiration for William
Blal,e. and also the closeness of the tie that KNIT
his soul TO that of Dante Gabriel Rosetti. Inere
was in fact a strong element of mysticism IN his
nature but this only makes it the more dlficult
IN comprchcnd how he should have been drawn
IN the WESLEYAN Communion, in which he was
q class-lcader during the greater part oil DIS lie.
No doubt reli zion appeared to him powerfully ana
as a need of his temperament; but Win MS alV
views and tendencies it might have been thought
chat loss practcal and less intensely social church
would have suited him better.
The solitary plan upon which he formed MIN
self in his art relations certainly had nothing III
common with the lines on which his religious
DEVELOPMENT proceeded but it is quite clear ulat
his spirtual needs really satisfied and that
Of
Of interest in the memoir, but it is the letters
unon which Smetham's fame will assuredly rest
The tone of his best friends as to his art work Is
often balf-apologetic but CORES pondent he de-
scrves to he placed with the very BEST Known
to English literature. His last years were clouded
The dread disease melancholia overlook him In
despite of his buoyant faith and sincere submission
tt is evident that neglect wore upon him, and that
his sensitive spirit was at last unable to bear up
against ID. Nevertheless, the testimony or his
whole career is a protest against time-serving,
against all tricks by which crafty medocrity wins
the success denied TO modest genius, and especially
against Mammon-worship. No man ever worked
more disinterestedy, or with higher aims. He
could not lower himself 10 the devices of popu-
hrity hunter What he sought, first and last
was the sincere and full expression of his con-
ceptions Whether the public liked those ex
pressions or not was nothing to him. Yet he
felt the inevitable results of this Independence and
copscientiousness Thanks to the kindness OF
wealthy and sympathetic friends, he never knew
want; but the strain proved too great in the end,
and his mind succumbed to it. 1t is necessary
10 bear this in mind while reading SnethaaS
letters the predominance in which OF Joyous humor
and bright fancy may otherwise obscure the in
frequent but not insignificant touches by which
the writer almost unconsciously intimates the de
yyhi at mo 70 i'm
which he must have been cOntending long before
his friends suspected how serious the situation
was.
Naturally, discussion of art subjects occupies
a large place in the letters but his talk and his
criticism are by no means of the common kind.
He was accustomed to set down his whole thought
in writing to his friends, and those who did not
understand or like his candor eliminated
from the circle of his correspondents. To those
who did comprehend and appreciate him he poured
out his heart elOquently, and it is wonder that
his biographer states all his letters were care
fully preserved Smetham had strong literary
bent. though beyond four magazine articles he
wrote scarcely anything for publication. His
style is full of charm. He possessed a wonder
full gift of description His letters are full of the
most brilliant word pictures. He has also re-
markable humor, fresh, bright. natural and ever
delicate and kindly His flow OF thought is full
and steady. His every page offers some novel
point OF view, some tender or penetrating or droll
observation, some truth deep the centre or some
example Of brilliant persfage lie writes of every
thing; painting, literature the beauties of nature
religion, criticism, taste public and otherwise cdu-
cation, and in short. whatever comes uppermost.
When the subject is light his touch corresponds
when it is grave his treatment is equally accor
dant. Here is a slight illustration of his humor
10 irfbfl 7
Ally's betraying the secret that a pair Of worked
slippers under the bed from Mamma. with
an afIectonate inscription. Presently johnny
turned up with packet containing a pair of