Emerson's Magazine and Putnam's Monthly
Emerson’s Magazine and Putnam’s Monthly
Has series on religiosity of art; notices death of Crawford, likes Allston, condemns materialism of preRaph style, praises Aspinwall’s Murillo’s conception thinks it’s an orig.
Oct 1857—artist who drew illus for them was Jacob A Dallas, lived in NY 10 yrs, cousin of Geo M Dallas, died at 32. Discusses “marriage” of Putnam and Emerson. Putnam's Monthly began Jan 1853, under Geo P, sold it to Dix & Edwards in 1855.
Jan 1858 has profile of Rosa Bonheur, Harriet Hosmer, Feb 1858, p. 170 A Modern Brush writes on Pre Raphaelitism, world is topsy-turvy, as for 19th c being last result of progression, an exploded humbug, world been retrograding, Raphael a pigmy. Ruskin thinks Holman Hunt and stupendous Light of the World marvelous, common stable lantern and its barnyard associations removed by Ruskin’s symbolism.
19th c great lscape ptrs, Church the equal of any. PR don’t see with our eyes, though, want mineralogists, every visible leaf, etc, but artist must view parts in rln to ea other not just in themselves, a dag view of any one part loses the harmony of the whole. Exhib of British gall nowin NY are terrible failures as lscapes, pained by hard dividing lines, man in grass strangely mingles so can’t disting proportions, tho a few coxcombs here may admire it, that snobdom not yet in the ascendant while we have Churches in our midst. People admired and followed Ruskin until saw actual specimens.
p. 82 Modern Criticism, by Deane,
critical code puts beauties and faults of producer before the production, personalities stand forth, social positions defined, antecdents and consequents dilated; man or woman,grandfather, church, who did he vote for, will he tickle us, a favorite with our clique? Stronghold of cliquedom, one man pulling strings whose opinion is accounted public. Chooses fairest and gentlest for his slaughter
March 1858 p. 313 Fine Arts in NY, Brit Gall more to think abt than the Belmont coll, can see prodigies in art of Ruskin’s PR, satirical on Arthur Hughes, Frank Stone, Holman Hunt, whose mech skill is deserving of notice, but no higher merit; late war caused too much symp betw Constntinople and London and so bad taste, decline of civ, send missionaries fr Timbuctoo to regenerate fallen Aestheticism, but like Frederick Leighton’s Romeo and Juliet, intellect but compos doesn’t bring families together, and likes various others, inclu one by Emily Farmer
French Gallery, perhaps superior in mechanics; Scheffer’s Christ falls so much belowour ideal we fail to get up enthusiasm, his life is of a man of the world, not surprised he fails in expr of Divine
Belmont coll for benefit of poor: wanted specimens of many diff masters, not love for art, Bonheur splendid, Delaroche full of poetic feeling, C Louis Muller Negro nurse and child, artists gather, but no ideas or ideal, child gracefully drawn, color gd tho not so natural. Vernet doesn’t have spirit we expect to find in him, likes other genre scenes, a gd Achenbach but he is not a fave of ours, Koeckoeck too a head of school, great merit, but not the poetic sentiment of Church and Kensett.
April 1858 p. 445 Cap at Wash, likes frescoes by Bromidi, v effective at distance, delicacy of tint; Crawford and Rogers gd
June 1858 notices private opening, Lady Artists contrib, Lily Spencer takes rank, Elliot, Stearns, Church, Hicks, Durand, Richards, Kensett and others. Has letter fr a young artist in London, DEC, who praises Bryan’s gall in NYC! And loves old masters.
July 1858, p. 104 Nat Acad of D
This year’s with few exceptions presents large varied coll of mediocrity. To abuse it absurd, since many of the “masters” having compared their works with nature have no doubt repented.
Our artists,too generally, are “Chinese” in their proclivities, for they seem to imagine as do some few of our poets, that mechanical exec and nicety of expr even at the expense of ideas, is the true aim or end of art.
Fr this censure, we certainly must except Mrs. Lilly M Spencer. Holds a prominent position, tho yet by no means fully appreciated. To a decided Hogarthian turn of mind she unites the sentiment of Landseer. The Favorite and Forsaken, owned by Williams & Stevens illus, Forsaken is full of power—touchingly real.
Spencer sustains her rep as a satirist in 573, Gossip. The expr, grouping and color makeit worthy the serious study of our NY artists. Those whose delicate nerves are shocked that a woman shld paint such a subj would do well to prove their own manhood. Gossip is more truly orig than any other in the gall, except 105 Fi Fo Fum also by Spencer. Gossip bears impress of no ordinary genius. We wld rather meet the crit of those who may live a hundred years hence, asmaster of this pic, than of any other in the whole coll. Say this even knowing truly beaut 400 L’Aumone, H Merle, who possesses more of what is termed Art than Mrs Spencer, but he lacks that creativeness of genius she constantly exhibits to us in every touch of her pencil.
CL Elliott 535 James T Brady fully vindicateshis posit, 489 fine amiable looking girl.
Healy largely rep by fash looking ports, the style to suit Fifth Ave, a st as conspic for lack of gd taste as city is for lack of gd govt. Man like Healy shld not pander to diseased taste of mere money getters, sooner he abandons ‘gaudy’ style the better for his rep.
Geo C Lambdin 627 Convalescent, deserves much greater attn. than is bestowed.
AB Durand, 492, Lscape, able tho open to crit, aerial persp not his happiest effort.
FOC Darley 362 Deathof Scipio, a great designer, exhib knowl, essence of power
Destr of Carthage by Venio and Christ healing by JW Ehninger deserve more notice
99 Lake Lucerne, Bierstadt, one of best lscapes
Huntington, Leutze and Stearns are poorly represented. 602 HP Gray, Mom andchild, calm lovely pic.
524 TP Rossiter, Lady, full of feeling, one of his best
Purposed to speak partic of JT Peele and 591, The First Sorrow, beaut little gem, no space.
November 1858, p. 494
Explains that present publishers assumed responsibility for Emerson’s Magazine and Putnam’s Monthly at close of last year, but great financial burden. Putnam’s Monthly had failed, and in October united with Emerson’s, and then the latter failed, so Oaksmith & Co came to assistance. Now at end of year’s obligations, have been told by dealers that name is a dead weight on it, and so will be starting a new mag, The Great Republic, first number Jan 1859. Want high-toned, nationality broad enough to cover whole, no party strifes or sectarianism, wide awake enuf to resist fogyism, discreet enough to rein Young America, pure enough for family
US Magazine, dollar monthly, founded Alexander Jones, 1854, a financial writer, printer and publisher JM Emerson. Jones and David Bigelow, elder bro of John, and Franklin Woods, joined, and editor Seba Smith (Jack Downing), with contributions fr his wife Elizabeth Oakes Smith, on theaters. The Orrs, Waud and Wm Roberts engr for him.
In 1856, increased price to $2 year, Mrs Smith wrote more for it. 1857 Oct Emerson & Co took over Putnam’s, changed name to Emersons and Putnams, still edited by the Smiths with their four sons at the start of 1858, bought out Emerson and renamed Oaksmith & Co. Edward Oakes Smith wrote the art criticism (also wrote for Sunday Mercury on drama, died 1865), suspended in 1858 Nov.
Deane is Julia Deane Freeman aka Mary Forrest, aimed Mod Crit at Griswold?. Oakes Smith prob wrote Editor’s Studio column; didn’t care for Griswold
Smith anon or signature E (also as Ernest Helfenstein); she pub with John Keese, knew John Neal and HT Tuckerman, novel was in Benjamin’s New World 1842. Ten articles for Greeley 1850-51 on Woman and her Needs, Fowler and Wells did pamphlet
Seba Smith’s original Jack Downing was a Whig satire of Jacksonians, but pretty gentle, stopped in 1834 (tho ran in C&E in 1835, and in early 1840s revived as society satire with Aunt Keziah), others like Charles Aug Davis took him over for NY DailyAdvertiser but Seba started him up again for Nat Intellig in 1847, stationed with Winfield Scott, anti-war
CG Thompson paints Eliz OS, Brackett does a sculpture, Jared Flagg a portrait or for Trib a beatification or apotheosis 1851, Stearns also doing Mrs Oakes Smith in 1856; JC Derby pub Newsboy, which Eve Mirror loves and excerpts, Eve Post likes it too
Sunday Mercury 1839 running her, Columbian her and husb, 1840 in Comm Adv has sonnets on Cole’s voyage of life. preacher of great truth. Pathfinder runs a poem, also godwin likes her. Spirit of Times thinks she’s disgusting. Day Book 1852 has a poem, tho also crit of her
editors of Emerson’s HCB Cowell and Clara Dixon Davidson in 1853?