Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Stray Thoughts On The Origin And Progress Of The Fine Arts.
STRAY THOUGHTS ON THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE FINE ARTS .
XOA D 07 v , SATUXDAY , NOVEMBER 17 , 1 S 0 O .
Br DlAGOKAS . No . VI . The knowledge of tlie art of sciilpture introduced into England "by tlie Romans , at the time of tlie subjugation of this country by them , must have been very rude and imperfect ; at least the specimens which can he referred
to that early date are so badly executed , as to lead to the supposition , that they were the work of the Eoman soldiers , and not the Eoman artists . During the sway of the Eomans in Britain , hoAvever , some taste for art Avas excited among the vanquished people . Speed says that king Cadwallo being buried in St . Martin's Church ,
near Ludga-te , his image , great and terrible , triumphantly riding on horseback , artificially cast in brass , was placed on the western gate of the city . The death of Cadwallo is usually placed at A . D . 677 , so that the fact of his statue being executed in brass , is evidence of the arts having at least a footing in the country at that earl
y period . After the final evacuation of the country by the Eomans , and throughout the dominion of their successors , the Saxons , we find the fine arts in a feeble state , and displaying their existence in very rude attempts . From the time of the invasion of " the rasping , grasping Normans , " we begin to trace the introduction of a
better style of art , yet further improved and modified during the Crusades , when foreign travel had enlightened the mind in matters of taste , and when a knowledge and appreciation of Grecian Statuary began to show itself in the improvement of English sculpture . Before the termination of the xi century there is no evidence of sepulchral statuary having been executed in England ; this practice may therefore be set down as having been introduced at the time of the Norman invasion . In the
cloisters of "Westminster Abbey are sculptured effigies , carved in low relief , on coffin-shaped slabs supposed to represent two abbots , Yitalis , who died in 10 S 7 , and Crispinus , who died in 1117 . The number of ancient monuments executed during the early period of our history , and still adorning our old cathedrals and abbeys is considerableyet little is known of their authorsand
, , it is probable that very many of our most beautiful , architectural and sculptural works were executed by foreigners . This seems to be proved by the fact that the very improvements introduced by iSTicoIo Pisano are decidedly apparent in English works of that period . It is true that English names are on record as the masters
of the works in our celebrated erections , but there is good reason to believe that many of these were only the ecclesiastics , who laid their pilans , and communicated their wishes to the foreigners . This state of things was the means of fostering and assisting native talent , and we have every reason to suppose that ,
in the very works I have been speaking of , numerous assistants must have been needed , who were selected from among the English , and thus imperceptibly imbibed a taste for the arts , which gradually became an integral portion , as it were of the English character . The greater part of the sculpture of Wells
Cathedral , built by Bishop Joceline , dining the earlier part of the thirteenth century , and some of the fine monuments of our Henrys and Edwards during the fifteenth century , are generally ascribed to native artists . But the sculpture of the reign of Edward the first , and the statues of that monarch and his queen , bear proof
of their being the work of Italian artists . Under Edward III , the art appears to have been much cultivated by Englishmen , and various works exhibit the skill of the native artists of that period . Beauchamp , Earl of Warwick's monument in Warwick Chapel , is the work of an Englishman Wm . Austin . Two well known Italian sculptors were loyed in England during the sixteenth
emp century , viz ., Cavallini and the celebrated Torregiano , whoexecutedthemoniunentinHenrythe Seventh's chapel . John of Padua , a pupil of Michael Angelo , was master of works to Henry " VIII . and from this time to the time of Charles the first , the art of sculpture in this country fell into much lect . During the eventful periodand
neg , amidst the struggles preceding the establishment of the reformed religion , it often happened that party spirit , and mistaken zeal , led to the mutilation and sometimes total destruction of the choicest works of art . Under these circumstances there was little inducement to the sculptor to continue his avocation . Charles I . was
inclined to encourage the arts ; it was by his orders that the cartoons of Raphael vrere made the property of this country . All the sculptors of talent who flourished during the last century were foreigners , tlie principal works were executed by De Vere , Eoubillae , Bertocini , and Sheemaeker . The school of British sculture
p , properly so called , maj r be considered as commencing with Banks , who was born in 17 SS , and died in 1 S 05 : he was the first of our native sculptors , who endeavoured to bring fancy to aidhiminhisworks . His masterpiece was his Mourning Achilles , concerningwhich there is an anecdote so characteristic of the manthat I cannot refrain from
, giving it . When the statue was finished , praise from every quarter was showered upon the artist ; some Joved it because it was natural , others because it was classic , but the majority because the sentiment of grief , so well
depicted in the face , seemed diffused over the whole body of the figure , every limb appearing imbued with sorrow . He was justly proud of his work , and proceeded to remove it to the exhibition rooms in Somerset House , but in its transit it was overturned and shattered into a thousand fragments . Banks who accompanied his statuewitnessed its destructionand as he fondlhoped
, , y to establish his fame hy this statue , he saw all his expectations of future celebrity vanish ; he returned home , and such was his philosphic resignation and command of temper that neither his wife nor daughter observed that anything had happened . He returned to tlie exhibition room and with the assistance of his younger brother ,
pieced it patiently and skilfully together , and at last succeeded in restoring the Mourning Achilles to something like its original beauty : he then told his wife what had happened . I now come to the most eminent sculptor this country has yet produced , the celebrated John Elaxmanborn in 1755 . Elaxman
, became a student in the Eoyal Academy when he was 15 years of age , and was at first a better painter than sculptor ; he , in many instances , it seems , wished to see how his designs looked in colour before he modelled them , and many distinguished artists agree that such was the practice of the old classic artists ; they first learnt to
paint , and then began to model in marble * He gained tlie silver medal of the society in his 15 th year , and in due time was a candidate for the highest honour , the gold medal , but was unsuccessful ; the gold medal being awarded to Engleheart , by the president , Sir Joshua Keynolds . When llaxman was 27 years of agehe
, married one Ann Denman , a woman whom he had long loved , and who was worthy of his love , this step was taken by him from a belief , that in the society of her he loved , he would work with fresh inspiration and mtenser spirit . Sir J . Reynolds said to him one day : — " So Elaxman ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Stray Thoughts On The Origin And Progress Of The Fine Arts.
STRAY THOUGHTS ON THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE FINE ARTS .
XOA D 07 v , SATUXDAY , NOVEMBER 17 , 1 S 0 O .
Br DlAGOKAS . No . VI . The knowledge of tlie art of sciilpture introduced into England "by tlie Romans , at the time of tlie subjugation of this country by them , must have been very rude and imperfect ; at least the specimens which can he referred
to that early date are so badly executed , as to lead to the supposition , that they were the work of the Eoman soldiers , and not the Eoman artists . During the sway of the Eomans in Britain , hoAvever , some taste for art Avas excited among the vanquished people . Speed says that king Cadwallo being buried in St . Martin's Church ,
near Ludga-te , his image , great and terrible , triumphantly riding on horseback , artificially cast in brass , was placed on the western gate of the city . The death of Cadwallo is usually placed at A . D . 677 , so that the fact of his statue being executed in brass , is evidence of the arts having at least a footing in the country at that earl
y period . After the final evacuation of the country by the Eomans , and throughout the dominion of their successors , the Saxons , we find the fine arts in a feeble state , and displaying their existence in very rude attempts . From the time of the invasion of " the rasping , grasping Normans , " we begin to trace the introduction of a
better style of art , yet further improved and modified during the Crusades , when foreign travel had enlightened the mind in matters of taste , and when a knowledge and appreciation of Grecian Statuary began to show itself in the improvement of English sculpture . Before the termination of the xi century there is no evidence of sepulchral statuary having been executed in England ; this practice may therefore be set down as having been introduced at the time of the Norman invasion . In the
cloisters of "Westminster Abbey are sculptured effigies , carved in low relief , on coffin-shaped slabs supposed to represent two abbots , Yitalis , who died in 10 S 7 , and Crispinus , who died in 1117 . The number of ancient monuments executed during the early period of our history , and still adorning our old cathedrals and abbeys is considerableyet little is known of their authorsand
, , it is probable that very many of our most beautiful , architectural and sculptural works were executed by foreigners . This seems to be proved by the fact that the very improvements introduced by iSTicoIo Pisano are decidedly apparent in English works of that period . It is true that English names are on record as the masters
of the works in our celebrated erections , but there is good reason to believe that many of these were only the ecclesiastics , who laid their pilans , and communicated their wishes to the foreigners . This state of things was the means of fostering and assisting native talent , and we have every reason to suppose that ,
in the very works I have been speaking of , numerous assistants must have been needed , who were selected from among the English , and thus imperceptibly imbibed a taste for the arts , which gradually became an integral portion , as it were of the English character . The greater part of the sculpture of Wells
Cathedral , built by Bishop Joceline , dining the earlier part of the thirteenth century , and some of the fine monuments of our Henrys and Edwards during the fifteenth century , are generally ascribed to native artists . But the sculpture of the reign of Edward the first , and the statues of that monarch and his queen , bear proof
of their being the work of Italian artists . Under Edward III , the art appears to have been much cultivated by Englishmen , and various works exhibit the skill of the native artists of that period . Beauchamp , Earl of Warwick's monument in Warwick Chapel , is the work of an Englishman Wm . Austin . Two well known Italian sculptors were loyed in England during the sixteenth
emp century , viz ., Cavallini and the celebrated Torregiano , whoexecutedthemoniunentinHenrythe Seventh's chapel . John of Padua , a pupil of Michael Angelo , was master of works to Henry " VIII . and from this time to the time of Charles the first , the art of sculpture in this country fell into much lect . During the eventful periodand
neg , amidst the struggles preceding the establishment of the reformed religion , it often happened that party spirit , and mistaken zeal , led to the mutilation and sometimes total destruction of the choicest works of art . Under these circumstances there was little inducement to the sculptor to continue his avocation . Charles I . was
inclined to encourage the arts ; it was by his orders that the cartoons of Raphael vrere made the property of this country . All the sculptors of talent who flourished during the last century were foreigners , tlie principal works were executed by De Vere , Eoubillae , Bertocini , and Sheemaeker . The school of British sculture
p , properly so called , maj r be considered as commencing with Banks , who was born in 17 SS , and died in 1 S 05 : he was the first of our native sculptors , who endeavoured to bring fancy to aidhiminhisworks . His masterpiece was his Mourning Achilles , concerningwhich there is an anecdote so characteristic of the manthat I cannot refrain from
, giving it . When the statue was finished , praise from every quarter was showered upon the artist ; some Joved it because it was natural , others because it was classic , but the majority because the sentiment of grief , so well
depicted in the face , seemed diffused over the whole body of the figure , every limb appearing imbued with sorrow . He was justly proud of his work , and proceeded to remove it to the exhibition rooms in Somerset House , but in its transit it was overturned and shattered into a thousand fragments . Banks who accompanied his statuewitnessed its destructionand as he fondlhoped
, , y to establish his fame hy this statue , he saw all his expectations of future celebrity vanish ; he returned home , and such was his philosphic resignation and command of temper that neither his wife nor daughter observed that anything had happened . He returned to tlie exhibition room and with the assistance of his younger brother ,
pieced it patiently and skilfully together , and at last succeeded in restoring the Mourning Achilles to something like its original beauty : he then told his wife what had happened . I now come to the most eminent sculptor this country has yet produced , the celebrated John Elaxmanborn in 1755 . Elaxman
, became a student in the Eoyal Academy when he was 15 years of age , and was at first a better painter than sculptor ; he , in many instances , it seems , wished to see how his designs looked in colour before he modelled them , and many distinguished artists agree that such was the practice of the old classic artists ; they first learnt to
paint , and then began to model in marble * He gained tlie silver medal of the society in his 15 th year , and in due time was a candidate for the highest honour , the gold medal , but was unsuccessful ; the gold medal being awarded to Engleheart , by the president , Sir Joshua Keynolds . When llaxman was 27 years of agehe
, married one Ann Denman , a woman whom he had long loved , and who was worthy of his love , this step was taken by him from a belief , that in the society of her he loved , he would work with fresh inspiration and mtenser spirit . Sir J . Reynolds said to him one day : — " So Elaxman ,