PHILADELPHIA, April 12.
Dear PUNCHINELLO: A few days since I received a card of invitation for
admission to a private view of a very fine collection of pictures, by
European and American artists. I visited the galleries, accompanied by
an amateur friend who has a fine artistic education, having travelled
some six months on the Continent. Being engaged in the picture-auction
business, I am not altogether a tyro in art, and determined to send you
a few notes taken on the spot, the combined effort of amateur friend and
myself. The walk to the gallery, extending over a half-hour in time, was
taken up by my amateur friend aforesaid, with an endeavor to give me
some general ideas, more than initiative, with reference to art matters.
For instance, he said the public liked glitter and varnish in a picture,
but it does not follow on that account that the picture is good. He then
mentioned the "Mimminée-Pimminée" style, and the "Pre-Raffaelite" style,
and the Rarée shows of art, and I had the whole subject so jumbled up
that my artistic ideas became quite confused. He made a quotation,
giving me to understand that it was not original; it ran as follows:
"Indifferent pictures, like dull people, must be absolutely moral." I am
not sufficiently informed to quite comprehend this selection from
another man, but as we were at the time about entering the galleries, I
remained quietly ignorant.
[Illustration]
The first picture that attracted our admiration was a "Sheep scene," by
Lambdin. Every particular hair on the old ram is well made out. The
frame on the picture is beautifully embossed, with a rich velvet border
of sea-green mandarin pattern.
The next picture worthy of notice is a "Street in Venice," by
Canal-etti--a singular specimen of this artist's first manner. The
figure at the crossing is rendered with great feeling. It is needless to
mention that the street is covered with water, which is beautifully
clear and transparent, showing the depth of mud and slime during the dry
season. The frame is ornamented with flowers in relief, and gilt in the
very best manner.
[Illustration]
"A Musical Party," by Bass-ano, is very highly finished, especially the
party, who have evidently been inhaling stimulants. This picture is
painted on a gold ground, and is considered a rare specimen of Italian
art. It was formerly in the Campo-Santo-di-Pisa collection.
[Illustration]
The frame is the blue-lotus pattern, very curiously gilt and chased.
This style of frame would sell without difficulty.
The picture called the "Star of the East," by WEST, has a scolloped
frame in the Tuscan style, with extra fine enamelling. This is a very
singular picture. It must be admitted that this frame is finished with
great care.
There is a frame made from a curious kind of wood, on a picture by
CONSTABLE, entitled the "Midnight Arrest." The picture is certainly a
matchless gem, very low in tone. The mosaic border to the frame is quite
unique in its design.
Among the works by American artists, we notice some remarkably fine
productions. The picture by a lady amateur, entitled, "The Toilet of a
Girl of the Period," demonstrates the progress our artists are making in
_genre_ painting. The subject is rendered with great purity of feeling,
and the smelling-bottle in the foreground adds greatly to the spirit of
the composition. The frame is highly ornamented with scarce Japan gold,
elaborately chased in a superior manner.
There is a picture by Miss T----n, called the "Blonde's Revenge," that
evinces talent of a superior order. This picture has been noticed by
various New-York and Western journals, but I do not consider with any
degree of justice to its surpassing merits. The color is equal to a
beautifully polished Pompeiian brass door-plate; the drawing is immense,
though truth must compel us to say that the costumes are rather
slighted. The principal figure of the group, which is taken from a
French model, seems to stand right out from the canvas; this I consider
a very high point of excellence. Visitors should be cautioned against
approaching this picture.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
I regret that time will not permit me to give you any further notice of
this collection, but I will endeavor to get my amateur friend to go
often and obtain notes for me. Unless I accompany him, however, I fear
he will not pay sufficient attention to the frames.
Yours, G.
* * * * *
"Cometh Up as a Flower."
Very likely it does; but there is one thing that don't go down as
the Flour--and that's the price of bread.
* * * * *