Year: 1864




little picture, by r. c. Farrer attracts greet deal
of attention more perhaps in proportion to its sic
than any other in the 1t hangs upon the screen
directly opposite the door in company with all the odds
and ends Of naeess contributors and its consignment
to this artistic limbo to be cordially consented to
by the verdict Of good portion Of the public; il is
more laughed al sneeed al and quized than could be
survived by any bu picture Of substantial merit on
the othcr hand IT hos sometimes the good fortune to
meet q stout defender. who knows something OF ma
ture and is able ~ take up the cudges maniuy III de-
zensc Of truth and pains-,aking fidelity.


The picture Is slightly enlarged but literal copy Of
n carefully finished study made entirely in the open air.
fom nature The time is about one hour after sunset
along the horizon ranged the solemn rampats OF the
Catskils transigured from the image that they wore
under the days gairish eye and lobed in their evening
garments Of lyaeinthne blue The mist is rising from
the stream that bathes the feet Of the hills and slightly
walls their lower ranges, while its weird whiteness al
lows Us 10 make out though dimly, in the middle dis
tance the houses barns and Outbuldings OF farm and
the cattle settling their rest Behind the hills and
nigh overhead the sky is al agOw with yellow light
unbroken save by few small crimson clouds, and all
this glory of the dying dag is reflected In large pool IN
iho foreground, bordcred with flag and water-weed
whoee knottcd tufts bend over and glass themselves ID
Shis clear mirror.


Sach is the picture which is made the subject OF so
much mirth by the idle and the unthinking To our
mind in spite Of marked defects which we shali
not fail to notice few pictures have been painteo IN
America more true more solemn or earnest In
spite of all the fau findings so freely avshed upon H.
we are bold to assert that is the simple truth of nature
the simple truth of very common aspect OF the heavens
and the earth painted with serious purpose, and with
mt exacreration Indeed, 30 truthful is IT, that II
seems impossible that any have passed sum
NOR in the country aud watched the sunset and the
coming on of night with ordinary curiosity, yet
fail 10 recognize and welcome this faithful rendering OF
That season consecrated to thought and memory True
1auy do recognize IT, and defend 1t, but, there are


many more who seem 10 take for granted that Il must
be exaggerated and only hope that 1t VII make
80 strong an impression their minds that when they
re the effect which it represents in nature as they
doubtless often have and often WILL they may learn for
themselves that their conviction OF the artists error
vas the result of their own ignorance and want of OBJ
servaton not of his.


After ALL we remain puzzled with .the stir that is
made over the supposed exaggeration OF this picture
when We consider how easily people accept the conyen-
tonal exaggeyaOns and msstatements OF other artists
Many Of orr readers viii remember picture by Mr..
Gifcsd-a gentleman whose reputation stands very
high with the general public-called " Baltimore Nj
Clifford scarcely paints picture In which the hight
Is not exaggerated there certain effects which he Is
very fond Of repeating that are pure inventions on his
part at least he represents them. But in this paTte-
Mar picture the blaze OF light that filed the sky and
threw the bastion of the fort the coumbad and the
prcternaturaly tall sentinel into startling relief
supposed 10 he the light of sunset and people accepted
st. at Mr. Giffords hands, with the most undoubting
confidence. We heard an ieers, or rdicue, or
suzzing over that We overheard no schoolgirls won
dering what taot awful yellow thing was meant for
Nor did we pretty girls by the dozen, pull their
lovers and brothers mp at canvas and cruelty pet 1t
with Now did You eversf" and H. Well. nevers "
f they were tired Nor do find that people In gen
era are at all startled by the exaggeraons ofLeuse or
Hicks, OF Huntington. Yet here comes man who
strives with all his might TO be true. and succeeds
IN being 80 to degree quite remarkable, and the whole
world Of connosseurs and critics is shocked dsgusted
or moved to laughter.


The trnth is and we can only state it here compendi
oasly our artists stayed far away from the pur-
suit OF truth as an end Of Art they have universally
accepted the dogma that something called Beauty is
the end and not Truth; they unanimously agreed
that nature is to be idcalzed. generazed. bsttered;
shown not as she m but (hey think she ought to be


that il is almost impossible for person.





howeyer intelligent in other matters, who has
.ceeu,ed their works as transcripts OF ma
ture TO recognize true and faithful picture the work
of love and earnest labor when it Is shown him Put
any one OF these bright girls boys for an hour before
the ocean, with Sensetts Morning on the Massachu
setts Coast BY way Of commentary and If kindly feel
ing TO most amiabe and excellent man did not blind
him or her-the weakness and incompetency OF the
transcript would, cannot doubt be frankly ad
nitted So put the person before the Catskls in
fhs twilight hour and place beside him this picture OF
Farrers and be could fail 10 confess that lis rid
cue was most undeserved His taste, and the taste OF


most of US is only bluuted by too much feeding upon
falsehood we restore it TO ats pristine
health again. whenever we will By taking nature. and
no; the dognas of the schools simple, easily ac
cessible and not to be questioned criterion.


One word more about this picture and we have done.
We far from considering it perfect pictures on
abe contrary it is open to criticism several points
All that claim for it is that it gives us noble aspect
OF nature without exsggeraton; and that it is
su earnest work The faults We find in IL are not those
which excite the derisiye increduy Of rnanyi they
deny its truthfuluess where it is most demonstraoly
true and they pass without remark the shortcom'
ings that plainly to be seem but which they fail to
discover


These shortcomings are. we believe only such as r
continuance Of the faithful study that must lie behind
even small work this thst has in 30 small a
compass many excelences, and greater practice in
fhe merely mechanical part Of his art will in time. sup.
ply There is certain hardness and stiffness which
must be ogrown before the artist express himself
with full freedom; and his present immaturiy must be
left behind him. before he carry away with
him unqueftioning and with wish to question. But
we shall be much disappointed il that day do come