Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-26
OTHER NEW PUBLICATIONS.

VIEWS AND REVIEWS" ESSAYS in
Appreciation. By ". E. Henley Art
New York. Charles Scribner's Sons.
Pages, III.
An appeal to both the literary and the
artistic sense is this collection Of es-
says by Mr.. Henley. written at different
periods from 1886 to 1900 and now gathered
in the present volume under the title of
Views and Reviews The author says
in his preface: Here and there I have
rewritten; here and there added notes:
here and there I have done what 1 could
to, mend the style. But I have modern
lied nothing, and on the whole v~1l
enough pleased to leave the older ctur
much as l left it years ago
The volume opens with an essay on
Ronlanticism, and this is really the sub
iect matter of the entire book The ini-
ual essay treats of the forerunners. e2-
ponents, style, meaning and effect of ro-
manhclsm, and as donlinati the whole
of Napoleon's influence in the new school.
The Napoleonic influence runs as a key
note throughout the essay, and the au-
thors argument is q most convincing one.
He gives the names, date Of birth and
a few paragraphs on the work and char
acteristics Of the greatest forerunners in
the several departments, as painting, the
drama. literature and music, contendng
that all these elements combined to pre-
pare the way for the birth Of the ro-
mantle school. In literature he gives the
English writers. Scott and Byron. first
place, naming them the Cause" and
traces much of the revolution in all the
other departments back to these two. He
says: Il have said that the effect of ro-
rnanticism was a revolution in the tech
nioue the lateral, and the treatment of
al orfc r do ,i,,ly
too much in adding that. but for Scott
and Byron, the revolution would have
come later than it did, and would as
regards the last two, have taken differ
ent course when it came" AS regards
the clements of romanticism, he gives
the credit to outsiders. and speaks of
them as impcrtations, but the style he
atfrns was strictly native. The spirit
Of the times. the gradual decay of the
classics. and the political conditions, gave
it birth, although not absolute recogni-
ton. The rest of this article is given up
to the great artists whose influence and
genius, either retarded or helped the Gull
mination of the romantic school. Next
he takes up the romantic ideal, the
drama, landscape painting, and finally
Constable and his lasting effect on the
subject in hand.
The second division of the book is enti-
tied. profile 'Romantiques." This is
collection of essays on the artists of the
romantic school. 1t begins with George
Michel, 1765-134S, and embraces Corot
Delacroix. bennington. Diaz, Dupre. Ros-
seau, Millet, MISSIONER, Daubigny, Frere,
Monticello, Vollin, Bastien Lepage, TAX
ing in the Dutch painters, Bosboom, Is
raels Naris Mauve, etc, landscape paint
ers. such as Turner, Constable, etc.. the
four great portrait painters. Reynolds,
Raeburn, Gainsborough, and Romney, and
the amateurs and artists. Under
this head he puts such men as
Rossetti, Mosley. Hunt, Landseer,
ems. as ne calls them-Keene and
Rodin The last essay is entitled. "a
Critic of Art and is a treatise on the
work of r. NJ. A. Stevenson, his Velas-
auez. his Reubens, the influence of his
style; the ..ideal artist, as he is called.
in talk and letters. Mr.. Henley concludes
with touching tribute to Bob" couch
ed in the following language: Each is
a loss to us. But I think. as sit here
grieving for both, that we shall get ten
I,evises, or an hundred even, or ever
we get a Bob. Nothing like him has
ever passed through my hand. He was
what I have said; and there was IN him
something mystical which I, who was
long as close to him as his shirt never
quite fathomed. Whatever it be worth,
he died in the glory Of an unalterable
Relief. SO if his radiant spirit endured
undimn1ed, the gradual and shameful pro
cesses of dissolution, by which so many
of us. poor worms that We are, are passed
into the unbrolen Silence, to himself ne
went trailing clouds Of glory SO would
he die happily, as he had lived well. Ana
with the antient, brave valedlcuon: ave,
frater, atque vale: SO eaNe MN.
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