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 ,