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ORIGINAL LITERATURE.

(We are indebted for the following instructive and elegantly-written Essay, to a Gentleman who has but recently come among us, and who unites to a refined taste, a mind evidently not only imbued with a love of the Beautiful in Art, but strengthened and enriched by the graces of Literature. We know of no purpose to which the columns of a weekly journal can be more usefully and pleasingly devoted than to the insertion of such Essays as the one we now present to our readers, which, whilst they disseminate correct principles of Taste in connection with some of the higher and nobler achieve- ments of Genius, not only supply our mind with many a delightful theme for contemplation—increase the num- ber of our ideas—but greatly serve to elevate our moral being. |

OBSERVATIONS ON PAINTING, ADDRESSED TO A FRIEND. NO. I. A.rnoven the qualities of the mind cannot always be transmitted from one generation to another, I think that the son of a man possessing refined and cultivated taste, has peculiar advantages and opportunities for acquiring the same accomplishment. A decided taste forthe Fine Arts has now existed for two generations in your family, and from my knowledge of yourself, I have every reason to hope that it may remain an heirloom with

“THIS IS TRUE LIBERTY, WHEN FREEBORN MEN—HAVING TO ADVISE

CHARLOTTETOWN, P. E. ISLAND, MONDAY, M

THE PUBLIC, MAY SPEAK FREE.” ~Evreiprpes.

Y 29, 1848. [No. 43.

are called the different schools of painting : this method

at ~|1S a good one, and very necessary to be known, but still

it does not appear to me perfectly adopted to the mere amateur, orto the man of property and leisure, who wishes to attain a general knowledge of the art, asa branch of liberal education; he requires some more general and natural arrangement, some other plan than that of having constantly to refresh his memory by a reference to Books: he requires such an arrangement that his pictures may of themselves, wherever he looks at them, bring it with renewed force to his mind.

With aview to such an arrangement I would divide the art generally into four principal classes, which I would name as follows,

1. Tue Ennoeuine. 2. Tue Pieasine.

3. Tae Sarrricar. 4. Tre ImrraTive.

In the first or Ennobling class I would place those great Masters who have most successfully aimed at to kalon, the abstract ideal of perfection and beauty in forms, whether of animated or inanimate nature ; and who have not applied to ornament to enhance the value of their conceptions. Borrowing from the science of Botany, I would subdivide this class into two orders.

I, THE PURE, in which the Artist himself is forgotten and lost in the

indeed we occasionally meet with parts in his works which might almost be mistaken for the earlier studies of Raffaelle.

In the third or Satirical class, ef which Hogarth is the unrivalled head, I place a tribe of artists who have evinced powerful and original, but very low, minds; and who, having no idea of the Beautiful, are at home only in the absurd: pictures of this class may possess true harmony of colouring, and may astonish or even amuse us ; but they never can elevate or improve the tone of the human mind; the instruments and details employed in them to produce effects, are generally bor- rowed from mean or familiar objects, and are in conse- quence totally devoid both of sublimity and novelty.

Inthe fourth. or Imitative class, I would place those artists whose works are mere imitations ef nature. | would subdivide it into two orders.

i. THE JUDICIOUS,

where the artist, though he be incapabie of improving upon that which is placed before him, yet prefers and selects such scenes as are in themselves agreeable ; many artists of the Flemish, anda few of the Dutch Schools, belong to this order; Hobbima, Cuyp, and Jan Both justly rank in it, and the courtly mannerism of Watteau can claim no higher distinction.

il, THE SERVILE. In this lowest grade of art I place those who by means of mere mechanical dexterity, give close and

effect produced by his performance: where all the

you; believe me, whatever may be your station in life, youcan have no possession more gratifying to a cultivat- ed understanding, nor more worthy the attention of a true gentleman. I wish | were capable of saying any thing likely to be of use to you in the formation of this

taste, but I hope you will take the will for the deed,

and accept the following casual remarks as an earnest of my desire to contribute to your amusement.

It can hardly be necessary to remind you that those departments of Painting which alone entitle it to rank

among the Fine Arts, are far removed from the mere

imitation of subjects presented to the eye; if such im-|rather on the model of one mighty mind than on a. itation, or rather mimicry, of real objeets were the per-'

fection desired, Wax Figures would, as works of art,

rank infinitely above the Cartoons of Raffaelle; and in like manner the scenes at a theatre would be superior to the best performances of Claude Lorraine. He who would attain eminence as a painter, must possess the mental power of rejecting every thing that is un-

means are eclipsed by the glorious end; and where!

order, I} would place Raffaelle, Guido, Leonardo da | Vinci, Claude, and Poussin. The second order into which I divide this class is ; “& a ‘ 74a wr ~s lt, THE CHARACTERISTIC OR ORIGINAL,

{ i } |

i

be traced; and where to kalon, the Ideal of Beauty

though unimpaired, is somewhat warped, and moulded,

general abstract: here I would place Michael Angelo,| Dominichino, Annibal Caracci, Coreggio, Salvator!

| Rosa, and a numerous host, differing in degrees of, |merit, according as they more or less approach the! Ideal of Beauty, and avoid the grotesque.

I would not arbitrarily exclude al! portrait painters’

from the Ennobling class: those who can seize the,

i i

exact representation of their models, which are generally

| ‘unpleasant and disgusting in the Dutch School, and \the picture is not looked upon as a mere work of art; 4 é a }

‘butas the source of those sublime ideas which are raised by it in the cultivated mind; foremost in this

only aceidentally interesting in any case: Teniers and

‘his innumerable imitators, of whom I think Ostade the lowest, belong to this order, wherein Bowls, Cups, and Brooms, the vacant stare of Intoxication, the insane ‘fury of Anger, the leer of low Humour and the broad

grin of animal Gratification, may be seen to the life:

; bis ‘all breadth of effect is here sacrificed to relief, and the in which the hand of the master can more distinctly) ; : ‘ - vulgar of all ranks are pleased with objects appearing,

as they phrase it, “to stand out from the picture.”

Do not suppose that I place: Flour and Fruit Paint- ing thus low in the art; on the contrary, I think that to give to the leaves and petals of Flowers their natu- ral free and unconstrained elegggce, to place them in groups devoid of stiffhess and formality, and to give to

| Fruit its roundness, without losing the charm of breadth

of effect, are real triumphs of art which well deserve to

‘rank in the second or pleasing class.

fit or unsuitable to his proposed effect and end; whether spirit and momentary expression of a countenance, as| Ihave not unfrequently heard amateurs express regret his designs be of the human figure or landscapes, he|well as the mere outline and colour, deserve high |‘22t Titian, Rubensand Rembrandt should not have unit- must be capable of selecting every perfect feature rank in the art; an instance of this occurs in the | ed the 2 craneed ne enn ite. which nature may at distant intervals present, and of celebrated portrait of Gerartius by Vandyck: neither|™0?Y of Colouring; but this ae found- combining and embodying those separate features in! do I reject all who draw scenes and landscapes from | €4 a eenspevers grendeur —— one greatand glorious idea of Beauty, fo halon, which nature ; compare that view of La Riccia, the ancient! Compatible with that grace and sermon which are he must constantly endeavour to transmit to the Canvas. | Aricia, now inthe National Gallery, with any of the} essential oe different style of am; and which especially This subject has been admirably treated by Gessner, | Landscapes of Watteau, and the distinction which j delight ee the works of Titian ; if even Coreggio in sud by Sir Joshua Reynolds in his Discourses, a! would make will, I think, be evident. jattempting to combine them with grandeur has some-

work which should be in the hands ofall amateurs of In the second class, the Pleasing, I would place those| times lapsed into affectation, what shalt we say to artists

Painting and lovers of Literature, and with which I/painters who have delighted the eye and raised |! the Satirical cht ore ne higher excellences, the doubt not that you are already familiar. |agreeable images in the mind by means of the Ideal of, ideal perfection of Bentiy . Ths is pet most absard in considering the subject of Painting, we speedily | Beauty in the efect produced by harmony of colours,|"¥##y? we eannot anay _— Hogarth’s a become sensible of the very limited compass of the|and the judicious management of light and shade. 1j** the eos, his picture of Boal before Felix, for iuman mjnd, which is lost in the region laid open to | consider that Titian, Guercino, Canaletti, Rubens, | Pstance 5 instend “ the ¢ realization of those ideas it: we must of necessity resort to mental arrangement|Swanefeldt, and Everdinghen are of those who range| Which abe naturally — pee : subject, we find only and classification, or all our ideas would be vague and | in this class, of which also our two country;nen Morland|* disgusting Ste — rns a preten- unsatisfactory. jand Gainsborough were distinguished ornaments ; “1°” either to Dignity, Beauty, or —_ raany,

There are various modes of classing or dividing !indeed I am not sure but that the Ideal of Grace and| A painter, unless he be a mere imitator, will always paintings, of which at first sight the most obvious may |Beauty, which the Jatter of these artists has bestewed/‘rensmit to his canvas some reflection of his own intel- appear to be “Figure Pieces” and “Landscape|uponthe peasantry of his country, may claima stil] leet ; and he whose mind is not blest with true dignity, Scenery ;” buta little reflection will convince us of higher rank in the art. I would allow an honourable /c#” never rival the great leaders of the art; neither can great objections to this mode; by adopting it we|place in this class to Quentin Matsys, the painter! @ny person without correct ideas of the Harmony of sacrifice all distinctions of merit, placing Teniers and| Blacksmith of Antwerp; it istrue that he has not always | Colours ever tread = the path of Titian and Rubens ; Ustade by the side of Raffaelle and Michael Angelo;|chosen the most pleasing subjects, but his admirable|though an artist, who might attain eminence in the lower Cuyp and Watteau in apposition with Claude Lorraine| picture of “the Misers,” now in one of the state apart-| grades of the profession, wa readily fail altogether by and Poussin. ments at Windsor Castle, proves him at least to have/attempting that which to him is impracticable. In art,

Another mode of classification is by means of what|been perfectly master of the harmony of colours; and|3sin Nature, there are certain qualities which are in-