New World
New World mfilm UNL
Vol 1 no 1 June 1840 Park Benjamin, 3 column, small, 16 pages, all pirated? Second issue has Jack Downing for New World, editorial page is very Whiggish. $3? $4?. Has some poetry for the New World. Herald is destroyed, it is a libeler. July 4 p.1 is Orville Dewey’s lecture to the Apollo Association; editorial advocates for cultural nationalism in lit. July 11 Populace in America allowed too much license. P. 93, duel: Nichols of the Sunday Mercury and West of Atlas, Mitchell of the Olympic theater grossly insulted Nichols by asking him if he wrote a paragraph in his paper. Howard of the Bowery acted for Mitchell. July 18 front page v hostile to Cooper. Viator writing travel letters. August 8: price fixed at $3, 6 cents an issue. Epes Sargent now a co-editor; Evening Signal is somehow allied. P. 157-8 Letter on the Fine Arts...NO 1by Jonathan Pericles. James Aldrich doing poetry, series of engravings, like Honorable Mrs Norton. August 22 Butler identified as engraver. Sept 12 moved from Ann st to Wall st. publish poetry by both editors. Oct 24 praises Brackett’s bust of O Dewey. Deny being partisan but are extremely Whig. Have a London correspondent. Dec 5 Dewey sermon. Have a John Inman profile of Wm Dunlap. P. 429 Chapman’s National picture is puffed. Critical of abolition. Critical of Bryant for leaving Morris out of his anthology. Anne Lynch poem.
1841: volume 2 frontispiece has Utica quote. No January 1st issue, starts with Jan 2, as volume 2, no. 1. Still 3 columns. Jan 30 puffs sculptor Ives, Chas Sumner, has mentioned transcendentalists mostly positively, in Feb have engr of Scott monument in gothic with Benjamin poem. April 24 front page engraving is of Bryant, first in series of literary portraits. May 1 another Dewey sermon. Tons on death of Harrison. May 8 EP Hurlbut on rights of woman before NY mechanics institute, want equality, endorsed on editorial page. Promotes writer and lawyer Whig JN Reynolds. May 22, enlarging to 4 columns, much bigger than the $6 Albion, same as $10 Spirit of the Times, more than NY Mirror $5, we’re still $3. Editorials of the New World and other materials first appear in daily Evening Signal, but are stopping Eve Signal to devote ourselves to New World, gave its subscribers to Tribune, daily of similar character. Extra Charles F Hoffmann quite hostile to Indians? Or to fanaticism? May 29 p 365-6 World of Art critical of the Express’ educated foreigner June 12 p396 critical of Arcturus for attacking Charles Anthon’s book, mocks Cornelius Matthews (and have admired the Knick of course) Jun 26 front page engr of Stephens’ book idol at Copan
July 3 vol 3, enlarged, Park Benjamin sole editor again. July 10 mad at Bro Jon for stealing a story. July 17 have John Bunyan and orig drama by author of Velasco July 24 1841 Weld is sole editor at Bro Jon, Willis just a correspondent, never exercised slightest editorial control or supervision. Publishers of Bro Jon reusing the material for Dollar Mag. Lossing is engraving for them by August. EP Hurlbut back. Mad at Demo Review for criticizing Charles Anthon. Love the Tribune and McElrath too. Aug 14 p109 on Apollo. Aug 28 should worship the old masters. Puffs Greenough’s Washington and in next issue has H Tuckerman sonnet to it, and love Edw Everett Sept 11 puffs SS Osgood, p. 174 World of Art, and Stout’s statue of Elssler out of proportion. Hostile to Tyler, but D their DC correspondent thinks Whigs falling apart, editorial is pro Webster, have a C Edwards Lester story. Oct 1841 defends Sunday paper street cries; not sure Clay can win. Francis J Grund will be Euro correspondent. Oct 30 Willis retired as ed of Bro Jon. Nov 20 front page has Henry Cood Watson poem as well as Walter Whitman. Dec 4 Edw Everett promoting Greenough. Regularly defend the Harpers. P. 396 continuation in World of Art of review of Apollo. Whittier, Hawthorne. Dec 25 Chapman redesigning masthead of Landing of Columbus, engr by Adams. New England/Pilgrims festival.
1842 Jan 1 Benj Onderdonk sermon, fanny Osgood poem. Velasco is Epes Sargent, his Ellen Tree play Genoese will be in New World. Feb 19 James Aldrich formerly editor of NY Lit Gazette now associate ed with Benjamin. Dislike intl copyright. More puffs of Dewey, Bellows, hate Henry Wise, like Webb and Stone and Weir. Like NY and Erie rrd. Notice Gliddon. TL Nichols daily Arena, peculiar ability for a lively and interesting journal, hope he won’t prostitute his talents. Mar 26, Henry C Watson still governs music dept, but has been temporarily absent, now returned, chair of crit on Music and the other Fine Arts. Praises Griswold, Colman’s store and gallery. Promise to review NAD. May 21 p337 NAD review loves Huntington, Durand and Mooney’s Varian. May 28 controversy in Churchman over Charles Anthon who is on side of Rev Hawks; p. 352 NAD praises Huntington at length for having soul (Roman Girl). June 4 long puff of Griswold’s Poets, but also praises O’Sulliivan and Edgar Poe. June 25 Parke Godwin assoc Ed of Eve Post about to edit a morning paper, gman of large experience and elevated moral character; Major Noah our old friend about to become editor of an evening paper daily (I think he wrote an article for them on cemeteries earlier in the month). Love Caroline Kirkland. July 9 Arts of Design no. 1 30-31, signed H. July 16 P Benjamin poem An Old Man’s Recollections; condemns four licentious papers in the city, Noah new daily is the Union, he will aid Tyler but Benjamin is critical of Tyler. Neither Willis nor Morris will be involved with the Union; General still a Democrat and Willis a Whig. Aug 20 Brackett’s bust of Dana for the New World by Buchanan. Tasistro a plagiarist. Excerpting Epes Sargent’s Life of Clay? Oct 29 puffs Clark’s gallery of old masters. Nov 5 James Aldrich off to Europe, will write letters. Nov 12 has been ads for Franklin Evans, World of Art p320 T Matteson’s series on Drunkard’s progress praised 19 praises Chester Harding; Benjamin v involved with Merc Lib (also Hone). Dec 31 becoming more anti-slavery. Apollo shld change name to Am AU
New World, APS, vol 1 no 1 Park Benjamin ed, J Winchester pub, 30 Ann st, hard to see masthead engraving—ocean? Quarto new world is for binding, $4 yr; folio edition is $3. Evergreen monthly magazine has our literary papers, $2 per year.
1840
June 1840 6 p. 9 review? of Landing of Columbus by Chapman, a poetical subject, genius of Chapman, rich suit gorgeous banner, simple natives fled in dismay, took possession. Our Anglo Am ptr justly conceives noble char not in act but in simple approach to shores of new world. Greenough once conceived a statue of Columbus, so poetical, in a massive chair of state, with costumes of age, held a globe anxiously studying, intensely wrought features indic first thought of sailor of new world. Ptg of Chapman shows him full realiz of that dream. admirable ptg, crowning hour, god like man changing destiny of man, a revolution like tht of xtianity, boundaries of thought and action extended, savages extinguished, xtian generations into victorious existence, gave impulse to wave of destiny rolling over wilds.
Longfellow, Dickens, Disraeli, Balzac, Chas Swain, excerpt fr The Dial, Eliza Cook Viator, Harry Franco
20 want a monument to Washington in Greenwood cemetery
July 4: p1 Rev Orville Dewey’s intro lecture to the Apollo Assoc
11 4th of July shouldn’t be celeb with unbounded license, rebellion, infraction of laws, need to regard happiness of others, too much freedom. Brackett has genius and talent, see his busts. CF Hoffman’s new romance good. Mocks Ogle’s silver spoon speech Denies Willis is editing Brother Jonathan.
18 hostile to Cooper. Support a bankrupt bill. Have big ad for Log Cabin.
Aug 1840 1 long attack on Daniel O’Connell. excerpt J of Commerce corresp. Covers Rutgers Female Institute.
Aug 8, Letters on the Fine arts by Jonathan Pericles, preceded by editorial note that they don’t endorse his opinions, don't think measure and plan of Apollo Assoc so weak and narrow, tho not perfect, are beneficial just keeping alive interest in arts, should encourage it. But hope letter will make people think more abt Fine arts. Writer has learning, judgment and experience, love of his subj., is an artist. Wants a public gallery. NAD not sufficient, based on RA which depended for support on wealthy patronage, which is why they are not advancing, English are wealthy but only encourage lscapes and fancy pictures, the epigrams of art. System here doesn’t provide good school, or art market, as amateurs lack education too. NAD satisfies desire for titles. No great results can be produced by a clique or class, need public support. Sunday Morning News likes them; not a fan of transcendentalism, just neo-Platonism. Merc Lib advertises. Epes Sargent listed as a co-editor.
15 anecdote of Wellington and David. 22 lots on steamship president and its décor (inclu ports of president). Melville story. covers Jewish meetings. Epes Sargent editing it with Park Benjamin now. 29 long diatribe agst vileness of Herald, also hate Cooper. ES Thomas of Cinti Advertiser and Post discovered Powers, Clevenger, Brackett, Beard Frankenstein and others, Brackett here in this city, praises him. Yellow Plush, Geoffrey Crayon, Ellet on Canova
Sept 12 new Wall st offices 26 Tuckerman poem to Mrs Wood. GPR James story.
Oct 1840 3 hope Bunker Hill will decline F Elssler’s contrib to monument, don’t want foreign money. defends Brisbane, NY Review is obnoxious Nov 7 thinks Glentworth investigation was politically motivated 14 Harrison discourse. censure Mrs Wood.28 v crit of Geo P Morris anthology of poetry with engr by LP Clover junior Dec 5 John Inman bio of Wm Dunlap. Chapman’s Nat Pic, opened to public on Monday, describes it. NY Xtian Messenger is Universalist Dec 12 agrees with Eve Post that should destroy butcher monopoly, creates an aristo Dec 26 letters fr an artist in Cuba.
Epes Sargent retires as editor in December. Neither him nor John O Sargent are connected. Notices JN Reynolds, active service in Whig cause, now lawyer in Wall st, writer
1841
New World for 1841 (volume 2) still just has Park Benj on cover, but slogan No pent up Utica contracts our powers, the whole unbounded continent is ours, $3/yr
NYPL misc The New world: No pent-up Utica contracts our powers; the whole unbounded Continent is ours, J Winchester pub, $3/yr, 30 Ann st Jan 1 1841, Park Benjamin, hard to see masthead, harbor scene perhaps. Huge paper, illus, scene of newsboys thumbing their noses supposedly all portraits, all holding copies of the world, in front of JJ Butler wood engravers. Huge paper, seems all fiction. Some original stuff commentary and crit but hard to find.
Jan: 9 like Gov Seward msg. 16 Audubon, Martineau front rank. Congress ought to be more like English and encourage noble sculpture withc ommissions, like Greenough’s colossal statue, could also have Powers and Clevenger, Crawford’s group said to be beautiful, CB Ives who we mentioned before, mastery, Brackett 23 ok with Swedenborg
Mar 20 1841 John Neal used to be connected with critical dept of this journal
May 8 1841, to correspondents, who will send us good detached critical notices of the present exhib of the Nat Acad, must be done in an artist-like style, tho not filled with technical expressions. Pay is subscription
skipped to May 29
NAD 365 crit in the Express by a foreigner, no doubt gratifying to natives. Misunderstands academy, unavoidable to have bad pic because of influ of friends and patrons, doesn’t pretend to have achieved perfection. Relies on vocab of hard, stiff cold and rigid, don’t see how they apply to a portrait; what if the original is pale and deathlike? just a true copy. doesn’t help the artist. Applies terms at random, perhaps fr malice. Inman, Ingham or Cole are praised, foil to general denunciation. He has beau ideal of a style, won’t tolerate anything else. 158 and 159, he calls dreadful, look more like humans than 157, lauded by this Dutch critic. Better than the foreigner a year or two ago. He calls masterpieces the snuffbrown inanities of a German mini ptr, tea tray taste in his country. Praises 160 and condemns 159, has no taste for realities of sober life. Says Mooney is in a bad style, and children by Durand are badly done, prefers fancy sketches. JP Rossiter fine and elegant, not the way people appear in America. Critic likes style of artists who have imitated Europeans, false to nature. Says Whitehorn is bad, alexander is stiff, prefers gaudy thing. H Inman is true to life.
Mowatt a frequent writer
June 30 1841 index includes Bombshell for the Capital, death of Willis Gaylord Clark (gives obit fr his friend at US Gazette), ex Recorder Morris, newspaper readers, lady readers
Jul 24 1841 editor HH Weld of Bro Jonathan, tho NP Willis paraded at head of it, has nothing more to do with it than any other correspondent, lives in Owego, not cognizant of articles in it, his contribs show his contempt for it, weak washy vapid puerile stanzas, his ode on death of Genl Harrison unfortunate, silly criticisms. He is paid for his name, is not and never was an editor of Bro Jon.
Aug 14 On Men and Pictures, Apropos of a walk in the Louvre, 104, mentions Delacroix. Same issue 109 on the Encouragement of the Fine Arts, Apollo exhib opens Sept 15, hope it will be worthy of the puffs and commendations it will receive, NA this year so poor a display that all will be suspicious of any new coll of ptgs, we won’t lend our columns to humbug the public with notices of an indiff exhib. told not to discourage artists by close crit, but won’t affect real genius. Think both NAD and Apollo on wrong plan, no discrim in choice of pics, galleries look like show rooms, daubs for sale, what pleasure fr long rows of ill looking portraits of insig people by insig artists, staring and fresh, reeking with color, done in a hurry. Friends of the faces fixed into frames may take pleasure, but strangers cannot, yet appear year after year, flat tame poor paltry white blue red yellow clean nasty mixed mangled light dingy smooth smutty hard soft straight crooked stiff easy grouped single standing sitting smiling frowning smirking pretty ugly fascinating disgusting and altogether insufferable. Whose fault this personal vanity? the managers. determined to tell strict truth in future, must change their name or will be laughed at, contemptible landscapes whose skies are bluer than indigo and other hues equally exagg, drwg disgrace school girl, composition a libel, hist pics as like familiar scenes as phantasms of dream like Raphael. Best artists refuse to contrib to these picture shows, eg Cole. Best pics won’t be shown as long as veriest daubs are admitted. Managers are partial in favoring friends and proteges in disposition and arrangmenet, gem in corner, flaring piece of paste in light exposes its false and feeble character, give the most indiff the most striking positions. Committee should review anon.
Aug 21, nothing more human and more godlike than Greenough’s colossal, a domestic Jupiter, sublime repose and simplicity,. energy of expression, classical, poetical abstract of his whole career, first magistrate, extends sword toward the people, points heavenward, abrogation of self (Herald is responding to this), glorious, aimed at posterity—seems to be a kind of press release, or quote
Aug 28 1841 has HT Tuckerman’s poem to Greenough’s Statue of Washington, orig for New World
Sept 4 1841 Congress passed bill to pay for Greenough
Oct 21 1841 review of Fanny Osgood by Lucy, Mrs Osgood is wife of Osgood the artist, a genuine poet, lacks vigor and sacrifices strength in grace of expression, wish her more of an Amazon Oct 30 1841, NP Willis retired from editorship of Bro Jon, doubtless in disgust.
Nov 6 1841: World of Art, Apollo Assoc, neglected sending us admissions, Joshua Shaw clever, Edmonds Ostler is clever, Huntington lscape is wild design, too much cut up, Nasmyth beaut, Whitehorne ok, Sand colored plaster, Morland natural and spirited, Richardson lscape clever beaut American gorgeous.
Nov 20 Whitman and a WW poem. Apollo Association continued, Lucatelli, Huntington charming, clever, run into extremes, Owen RA, Marchant pleasing and naïve, Jesse Talbot little interest, flat as the canvass. Rossiter Portraits of artists in Paris, dashing handsome, merit and faults, preposterous colors, feamle figs happy introductions, offensive straight unbroken lines. Bennett pleasing, Healy heavy and commonplace, Mooney ghastly.
Dec 4 1841 excerpts Edw Everett on Am Sculptors in Italy fr Boston Miscellany. Apollo Assoc review cont: Richardson lscape cut up, pretty, De Witt obese, Verbruggen charming for a floral piece, much art and labor, but not commensurate return. Marchant excellent. CG Thompson, sinking. Alvan Fisher elab and beaut lscape, impt to intro human figs, connect heart to nature which otherwise appears a blank. Merrill excellent. Rossiter’s glove belongs in studio. Bonfield marine merit. Verbryck Student, don’t like it, undignified affectation displeasing. Ben Lomond, not elegant. Comegys Ptr’s dream, full of highly imag talent. artist’s study, spirits of early ptrs, chiaroscuro imperfect, excellent portraits, hi credit on taste of comm for choosing it for engr, certain to raise taste for elevated than thousands of hackneyed meretricious portraits. Except Ingham, whose beaut poet conception and refined sensib stamp him as a great master, like Inman’s bold masterly style. Cole’s monk inferior, no vastness. Dixey coarse, glaring Harlequin. Marchant inharmonious. CG Thompson common place. Rothermel forced, unnatural
Dec 11 1841. Telescope’s Washington correspondence, says Greenough’s attitude will fix his gaze, patient, serene, inflexible, invincible, glorious, despite all crit by those who expected to see something like the bronze figure of Jefferson, ultimately extort undivided admiration. See Everett, defect in those who don’t see its merits
Dec 18 1841 takes RH Wilde’s essay on Powers the Sculptor fr Knickerbocker
1842
Feb 26: Cornelius Mathews at Dickens City Hotel dinner, one of eds of Arcturus, speech given by Trib, wishy washy imitator of Dickens, false reasons for Intl Copyright. Mathews referred to Bulwer’s Zanoni, one of New World’s property, also slams Big Papers the Mammoth Press, New World says he refers to Harper & Bros, which NW defends as honorable, and Appleton & Co, also well known
Mar 5 Elgin’s marbles
May 7 1842: The Fine Arts, NAD open, exhib inferior on whole ot preceding ones, but great beauty and merit, portraits greatly predominate, but artists are poor
May 21: The Fine Arts: Exhib of NAD, select most exellent or pretentious, award praise and expose unsupported, encourage those on threshold. no 1, dislike cupids, not natural, by GO, has a tail, don’t like it. Havell pleasing, clever. Villamil, much pretension, gman in storm with not a hair displaced, bright color. Huntington children a gem, masterly, youth and innocence.
Livingston some gd ptg, not atmosphere, not object. Mooney’s v clever port of Isaac Varian, fine clear natural admirable. Durand study in rome, masterly skill ease bold free intense truth, appreciation of old masters. TW Burnham, boys playing scene of low humor excellent, expression exquis ludicrous, Blackee the loser, forcible derision, triumph of white, painted well, all truth.
Jun 4 1842 RW Griswold Poets and Poetry of Am best of all collections, we like Bryant but this is better, tho he is our friend
July 9 1842 The Arts of Design no 1, by H, illustrate their importance, wealthy know only a few months of foreign travel, imitation foreign thought or fashionable diletanttism, but good pics lasting value irrespective of fashion, our women shld talk less of politics and science and divinity, and more on arts, less on tariff
July 16 1842 like Noah, Tyler needs support, neither Willis nor Morris to be connected with the Union, Willis a friend of Clay, General still adheres to Demo and bosom crony Van Buren. Love Tennyson, hate Cornelius Mathews
July 23 notices Franquinet’s portraits of Clay, Adams, harrison, Longfellow 12 Park place, moderate prices. Agree with J of Commerce that NY American is blackguardish, brutal malignity, unprincipled. New Era successful under Godwin.
Aug 6 1842 favor Cooley over Gliddon, have long review really trashing him
Aug 20 1842, Buchanan writes about Brackett’s bust of Dana for the New World, so much silly trash published on the fine arts, professional terms grown into nonsensical cant, have read Dunlap and think they are judges, look at what is said about Greenough’s Washington, the disproportioned shoulders of Apollo, unnatural position of Medici Venus etc. I judge if stone seems animate, this bust living, surpassingly beaut, exceedingly interesting face, soul plays thru every feature, no vacant stare but inward expression of orig. Living presence of America’s greatest poets. Allston agreed.
Oct 1 1842 Art Union and Apollo Association: disappointed in four years not more accomplished, name of assoc objectionable, erroneous, approve of them becoming Art Union. Fanny Elssler of doubtful propriety. Approves choice of Vanderlyn for engr, assoc has purchased some of best ptgs fr NAD, the Counsellor by Weir, Durand lscape. Had a competition for ptgs of an Am subj, large Valley Forge pic by a French artist, commonplaces, fire board manner, effect rather than realism. Genl Wash on horseback, a wounded Indian and a thick lipped negro have too long formed staple of all Am hist pics to be acceptable now unless composed by genius. Street scene by Page freedom grace originality, strawberry girl mets paper vendor, exchanged, girl reads New World, cupola of City Hall and granite column, children of the soil, national character and pride. Mistake that artists must repres great man, blind fiddler more national than Death of Wolfe, preference in such a competiition for homely and characteristic. Management has ability to make correct selection. Battle of New Orleans v original, admirably calculated for Tammany Hall.
Oct 22 The Out door artist, fr the Artist, transl fr French by editor
Nov 5 1842 praises SS Osgood, Park row, ladies portraits
1843
Feb 18: Dottings on Art and Artists by L: Huntington’s large Pilgrim’s Progress, shadow of death, superb, ought not to go to Europe. Durand studio appeals like Wordsworth and Bryant. Edmond’s last admirable laughable, boy stealing milk, Page, Mount, Inman, Jesse Talbot lately finished two beaut lscapes rapid rep, with Fisher Doughty Cole Huntington and Durand only ptrs of note.
Coe lessons in drwg
Feb 25 1843 L says Vanderlyn engr for Apollo, a great acquisition, subscirber can double his capital. Young Am artist Leutze: arts in infancy, spirit of depreciation of old masters too generally promulgated, so poverty of conception, originality, grandeur of design. Nonsense to say it leads to copying, writers study classical authors, better to copy the elevated than the low. Those who study abroad improve, thus Powers Huntington Durand and Leutze, latter bought by kings and academies, spoken before of his ptg in city owned by patron of arts, Prting of Raleigh and his wife, wehave spoken before in our paper, wife the soul of wo, masterly lights, conception, his earlier love for showy sobered to quietness of nature, forcible sentiment
Dottings on Art and Artists No 2 by L: wish Cole would exhib Voyage of Life, at head of art, also Allston and Sully, ;scapes and heads. New mag called Pioneer Jan issue writer is Wright, censures Boston Athaeneum for exchanging a Doughty for a Cole, tho his poorest has more real merit than best of Doughty’s, callshim a foreign artist, all his pics stamped with Am character.
Mar 4 1843 Letters fr Mr Aldrich describes the Louvre (continues in Italy on the 25th, series continues, like Crawford). Apollo Assoc: properly relinquished annual exhib, all proceeds to purchase meritorious pics. Transactions for last year illus by etching of Farmers Nooning, to be engraved, fr Jon Sturges. R writes in about Leutze, from last issue, name spelling to retain German quality, Columbus returning captive on its way offered to be engr by Apollo
Mar 11: Dottings on Art and Artists, Durand just compl one of most beaut lscapes, solitary lake under evening breeze, gorgeous sunet tinting waves, cluster of lofty trees, solitary Indian his doom written on western sky, perfect solitude, on level with Claude, could paint an Epic Poem like Cole
L on Our Magazine Literature: Dem Rev except for ultraism in politics, most valuable journal of day, Brownson, Bancroft, Whittier, Bryant Hawthorne Sedgwick worth reading, criticism good. Glory of Knick is for ever departed, sold to a boston publisher, but the editor Lewis Clark is really responsible (elsewhere critical of him for admiring Robt Tyler’s poetry), Table which is much praised is just culled from other newspapers, no soul, his brother was much better. Ladys Companion a milk and water concern ed by a penny a liner, Sargent’s mag a perfect literary humbug, concludes that mag lit of our day is without redeeming quality, sentimental love sick unmeaning. Editor comments: disagree with it, puffs are disinterested and just—seems to go on to agree with L.
Mar 18: Epes Sargent card in a morning paper correcting corresp L re Sargent’s New Monthly Mag, seem to be on hostile terms (though in 1843 Sargent’s New Monthly Mag is advertising)
NP Willis: exposed private conversations of lords and ladies, very bad, didn’t deserve withering criticism, but erred in doing it again, two maiden ladies in Italy became disgusted with W as every one must, expressed their opinions, so he holds them up to ridicule, copied into Bro Jon
Mar 25: Chas Lanman author of Summer Hours, Mr L in mercantile business in city for past 8 years, amateur lscape painter, associate member of NAD, will write letters fr Catskills etc, joins names of Cole Durand Doughty Huntington
Dottings on Art and Artists 6: Gignoux hundreds of oil ptgs at Granite bldg, truthful, bold dashing style, completed 10 x 7 ft birds eye of Alleghany for NAD, contemplative Indans, masterly, man of genius
April 1 1843 Onderdonk and other Board of Trustees refused to admit a student to Episcopal seminary because he was colored, tho Doane protested. astonishingly symp to black people. Arpil 29 1843, Arts and Artists: Cole, Cummings, Ingham, Gray, Chapman, Weir, Morton Durand all fr New Mirror
May 1843 6: NAD exhib admirable, go in afternoon, sun too strong for pics not elaborated. too many uninteresting portraits, only 1-2 by ea artist needed. Thompson has 9, at least likenesses of favorite authors. Pride in young artist Gray, returned fr Italy with Huntington, portrait 33 extraord beauty, best efforts of modern art. Apollo purchased Durand’s pics, lake at sunset masterly great freedom boldness poetical. Cole some grand pics. Crits that appear in daily newsapers, except for Comm Advert are loose comments unworthy of regard, flippant foolish and impertinent, ignorance, careless of offense, must spend hours, we are just an amateur.
HF writes on the Rejected Picture, surprised Council excluded a ptg on score of indecency, when public has seen some gross and disgusting things there, must have been unfit for a brothel. Pecksniffian morality of professed artists, small cabinet pic by one of best artists, unexceptionable private character, a Cupid and Psyche least offensive manner, female clad fr waist to toes, boy in shadow, a familiar group and not as gross as Apollo or Venus, not at puberty, cheap plaster casts, penny mags. Rare beauty, warmth to poetical fable, approved in Boston. Council would hang muslin about Greenough’s Cherubs, throw shawl over his Washington in Capitol, exclude Powers Eve andCrawford’s Orfeo, can’t complain of Marryatt and Trollope, paltry and ludicrous. Why life schools and antique casts if to narrow conceptions of genius to productions of mantua maker and tailor, turn into gallery of dough faces and magazine fashion plates. Jealousy? why else admit 87, an affair not admitted to lowest den in Five Points, rudeness of figurs, repulsive fr their hideousness, can’t take wife or sister near it, or look a second time himself, insult to public. Only an allegory, then why exclude mythology? NaD should create healthy tone of feeling for art, but trifling and cowardly injurious to interests of art and public taste.
May 13 Brit and Am art: don’t recommend a public collection sponsored by govt, won’t elevate char of native artists, discourage originality, contemplating celeb masterpieces insensibly fall into style of servile imitation, instead of pure fount of nature, see it second hand, tread beaten road, those who lived among narrow notions of narrow minded generations, art could not escape into full sunshine of untramelled thought. young should study ancient ptgs, but not copy them. We have West, Allston, Copley, Stuart, no superior, Weir, Durand, Putman portrait, Cole Cummings Ingham Gray Chapman Morton, improves public taste, students will dare to differ fr a contemporary as they wouldn’t with a Titian. Greenough Powers Clevenger Crawford, nature is the correct teacher.
NTM, The Rejected Picture, letter to ed of NW, says it was actually rejected as a copy of an antique group, a common place affair, even newsboys could scarcely give it away. Nor was it jealousy when 8 pics by this artist occupy best places in the rooms. Re prudery, influence of NAD on public means sound morality must fight pretension and licentiousness of false taste, those who pander to animal passions under hallucination indulging innocent taste, and the overfastidious there is a wide ground. Ok to exclude even possibly offensive, applaud if this was the reason. Defend agst Fanny Elssler school of murals, no disgrace of Danaes Ledas, Cyprian Venuses, Potiphar’s wives, Susanna Lot or moveal pics of Adam Even or other hypocritical cover.
May 6 NP Willis retired fr Bro Jon, copyright sold to new parties who have engaged John Neal to supply chair vacated by Willis
May 20 defends Apollo’s committee.
May 25:HF on Nat Acad, replies to NTM: doesn’t mention the allegorical abomination, case of partiality that affects public taste. surprised that the artist who was a pupil of the President, formerly o the council, an academician for 7 years, should have been ignorant of rule about copies, and pic was no copy. Acad exhibits engravings, which must be servile copies if they have any merit, inclu a large one fr VP’s portraits. Are not portraits copies? some might remain if no one willing to stand for originals. Durand’s head of Wash in exhib must be familiar to all, yet Apollo purchased it tho they never purchase copies. Orig comes in grouping, light, color, not things in the pic. Copying someone’s style worse than presenting familiar object in new light. But copying wasn’t real reason for exclusion, disgusting char of famous dancer in half naked costume on wall of exhib rooms. Lists quite a few bad pics by numbers. Acad doesn’t rigidly discrim agst originality, or purity, last year had peculiarly offensive pic, literal copy of Medici Venus, presented so couldn’t look in company with modest woman. Wonder didn’t exclude Leutze’s noble Columbus, full length naked figure. Luscious Musidora and copy of Ariadne by Durand, no one ever whispers against it; half naked full length of Elssler ptd by another of council commended. Lewdness not in rln to amount of flesh exposed
Jun 10 1843: HF on NAD: a private concern, managed by a v few gmen, not accountable to public, despite name. Must send young men to Europe to study, NAD should have done away with this injurious practice. “glorious old masters” and grand style terms in continual use, editors of our newspapers scatter in crits as tho been cradled in Vatican, in respectable monthly brilliant remark on Alston that it reminds us of the old masters; same as saying of Tyler that he reminds us of ancient Emperors, or Mathews that his writings remind us of old authors. Perhaps master was Jarvis and Dunlap, or Waldo and Jewett, or even Hubard and Nellis. elab and pleasing lscape by Durand press unanimously says equals Claude, more like melancholy of Poussin except for yellow tipped waves of Claude. Our lack of progress in art is due to false principles, should destroy every work and every model on the subj, leave only knowl of exact sciences, should attain great excellence. Worshippers of classic severity mistaken, once flaunted gorgeous polychromatic ddecoration.
NAD has specimens of natural and classic schools, Powers and Crawford, incredible resemblance to life, warm and plupy flesh demands touch, while Bride of Abydos by Crawford so dry cold and hard deficint in individuality, shudder. Ideal bust of Launitz’s Rose of Alhambra greatly superior to Crawford. Why not Kneeland exquis Washington here?
Number one can take care of himself, tho badly cared for. 2 Moonlight scene by a young lady, but have peculiar moonlights in Scotland. Clonney’s Story and companion small pics great merit, not vulgar but homely, dangerous to handle, lead mind to something beyond, ludicrous in low life, old negro has naturalness of portrait, no 60. Powell has 7 portraits, peculiar off hand slap dash manenr, avoid appearance of horrid acutality, best is portrait of Hoffman, an idea of indiv but recognizable to those who know him. Whitney the millionaire is the worst. Whitehorne has 6 pics, one a Magdalen, hempen mops for hair, hard looking customers. Durand’s farm yard, highest order of talent just short of genius, elab care, pure mind, industry, want power, Lake Scene doesn’t make us want to paddle as Cuyp does, 5 great merit in lscapes, Naples the best. Certain yellow mistiness, makes critics think of Claude, us of gauze. Birch and Wash his hist ptg too much like snuffboxes. Gray’s tone delightful, pleasant a great favorite, lack truth. 5 pics. Doughty 3 lscapes, a mannerist, one is as good as fifty. TF Hoppin Daniel, hung low, wonderful lions tho Daniel bad, his other animal pieces good but disfigured by hmans
GW Flagg lover dismissed, wonder such a gman should have offered himself. Gignoux 13 pieces, all breathe woods and running waters, fresh charms, not Claude like. Apollo bought. CE Thompson port of Bryant makes him a brigand, has 9 portraits inclu John Keese, CF Hoffman Mrs Seba Smith slovenly coarse and disagreeable. Rousseau’s Gamester, have in another place said all—discreditable, has 6 pics here, Anne Boleyn also bad. Chapman Queen Eliz unforgivable, as is Pocahontas, commend artists who took money but furnished no Rotunda pics more to be commended. Has 9 pics, all funny and queer. Waugh undone. Leutze really fine pic, also his 234. VG Audubon 4 lscapes have seen better, respect him. Sully—compare to Inman, Gray Huntington Mooney Hicks Durand and Page, but it is Sully who will paint Gov Seward for City. Page port of gman, v great merit, as is his self-portrait, port of Lowell taking, jammed betw Cole’s glaring gaudy green lscapes, all Page capital. Why no J Landis, of great Battle of New Orleans? J Shaw poor and feeble. Hubbard has 4 lscapes, fine atmosphere, talent. Alston’s sketch thrown critics into ecstacies. Bonfield, here’s the sea. FW Edmonds only one pic, wish more love of art in Wall st, fewer defaulters, equal to his others in story and reality.
June 17 NAD by HF continued: Error re no. 1, TB Read portrait, actually v sweet. Mount Artist showing his work, EL Carey the most liberal and discrim patron of fine arts in country, while periodicals deluge poor copies of poorest trash, has best performances of our own artists. This is Mount’s peculiar manner, happy touches of character, an Amer ptr more than any others. Not like Wilkie, Wilkie’s personages all actors, not individuals. Nor is he like Hogarth, hasn’t his biting sarcasm or his color and pathos or dramatic power. does impart reality by little peculiarities, without which art is dead and worthless thing, takes student of Nature. Farmer is an indep Am cit, never dreamed of a superior, but lacking that which confers superiority, is as manifestly inferior to the enthus painter as tho the patent of a king had defined the diff between them. Fine Farmers nooning.
Thom Hicks portrait promising, simplicity, sober earnestness, warm flesh, hair glossy, position free, port of R Nichols speaking, Ruth’s Entreaty no trickeries of art tho not the Ruth of our imag, and Naomi a landlady of boarding house. Wilson merit, 6 ports. J Pringle’s steamboats a gem. JLMorton an amateur, blackberry pie against the clouds.
Jun 17 1843, SW’s HF and the NAD: ungenerous and unjust crit, cites Reynolds on the value of studying other artists/old masters. Does HF belong to great onward party of present day, that all before 1843 were barbarous, should we dispose of Shakespeare Milton etc? Does natural school of art mean to him tame dry rperesetation of sign painters, or is the ideal to give life to the picture, and if the latter, must be a departure fr nature, and this is what gives Page’s portraits superiority. Not the everday look of Lowell, but transcendental writer. Page fierce defiance of Roman Senator not seen in actual life. Crawford succeeded in embodying poetical conception of broken heart
Jun 17 1843: World of Science and Art, by HF, blessed thing for Am art that works of genius on canvas and marble can’t be multiplied by machines like letters, incapable of being reproduced, while a book may have violent hands on it, pilfered, defaced, expanded, read by all, can’t steal Landseer as we do Boz. Mistake to send young painter to copy to become a great painter, doesn’t avail. Works of West etc cause regret didn’t stay in US, West disappointed his first efforts, emasculated his talents, his work regarded as lumber now.
Our new school of artists, portraits highest dept of all and surer test of talent than hist ptg which is made up of parts of other pics while portrait attempts at truth, ports the only real hist pics. Inman Huntington Gray Ingham Mooney Page at head of ptrs, Page is first. Morse and Durand don’t do it much. Page never out of pic, only gd pic he’s ever seen are those fr his easel
Jun 30 1843 Park Benj still listed as editor, this volume (Jan to June has an article on Epes Sargent , Cheap lit, Gliddon, Tasistro, letters fr a landscape ptr, Promising Artist, Pictures, bio of David the painter, on U of NY, Michael Angelo, New Mirror, Sargent’s New Monthly, intl copy right, ptr of Strasbourg (fiction), Our new volume, Our mag lit, New World Political History, NP Willis)
July 15 1843, HF on NAD: exhib at an end, only one house in a thous has a pic, and of those, same number worth preserving. Purchase pics to do genteelt hing, parlors with pics disgrace a bar room, rich men employ inferior artist for economy, hang by frame which is better work of art, Reynolds discourse keeps alive false ideas on art, SW praises him, but he is a bag of wind. Everyone cld be a connoisseur if judged by resmeblance, but as ideal works, only appreciate them according to ancient rules; effigies of men shld resemble men, not Gods, or fail to move our sympathies, idea of men as they ought to be so strong a hold that give genteel idea, don’t condescend to copy God’s creatures.
Huntington has 4 portraits, marked by his peculiarities, pleasing but unlike the original, all have same clear white complexion, illuminated by light of a ptd window. His sybil he sold to NY Gall of FA, purple hadns green neck impssible eyes, no texture or form to garments, breasts of cotton bales, caricature, yet pleasing. Large pics met with approval, pretty, but won’t be valued in future. Inman had 3 pics, not disfigured by smutty shadows, free and spirited but too genteel. Bogardus best minis, then Miss Hall, minis adapted to women. AJ Davis villa, Gothic or gimcrack gingerbread style, sorry affectation, ridiculous as crest on carriage of jobber, for a parvenu only who reads Scott and James. Sawyer, sober promising. Powell port better than others. Whitehorne also pleasing in this sculpture room. SW self portrait, chose to exhibit himself in print, too much green tint and rawness of manner.
Jul 15 Apollo Assoc, splendid engraving of Vanderlyn. 29 bio of Allston fr Bosoton Xtian world.
Sept 30: James F Otis, formerly an editor of Bro Jonathan and recently a Wash corresp for Comm Advert is music and drama critic in NY Express
Oct 14 puffs reproductions of Crawford’s sculptures
Dec 31 1843 articles in this volume include: Audubon, City sketch, Bishop Hughes, Duelling, deaths of Trumbull, Clevenger and Allston, Forrest, Gliddon, Humbug in criticism, Merc Lib, New World—ourselves, Daniel O’Connell, Columbian mag, Demo Review, Harper’s Hunts Knickerbocker, Bryant, Halleck, Works of Mathews, Wrongs of Woman, SPQR, Bogle, Fine Arts cultivation of Taste, Lit and Art, Nat ptgs, NAD, Paris Acad of Des, Remarks on Am art, Weir’s new ptg
July 15, copies fr Dem Review, Greenough’s remarks on Am art, critical of art academies (tho not of ny’s?), praises Powers’ Adams, Webster, and Eve
Sept 16, Fine Arts, cultivation of Taste: want of galleries, business habits, but no reason to complain. govt won’t aid, but wealthy shld buy ptgs and Venus not racehorses and billiards, need correct aesthetical crit on works of art, not cant terms
Sept 30 1843: New Mirror impudent to assert that it won’t be edited by a pair of scissors, not from GP Morris, but Willis, meant as a fling at rivals, more orig in New World than New Mirror. Weekly Rover by Mr and Mrs Seba Smith more orig articles, Bro Jon too. In last week’s N Mirror, an old engraving, recycled Willis story, recycled articles fr NY American, a letter, poems, jottings fr Nat Intellig, old Morris poems, Willis disjointed chat, Willis poem.
Oct 7 1843 Our Own Mathews—his friends injudicious, indep editor criticizes him, so he finds a crony to avenge him. Knickerbocker quotes paragraph fr Dublin Univ Mag, so Tribune takes up defense, Mathews is wordy windy and confused, not humorous
Oct 28 1843 urge Crawford be chosen to design a ftn for Washington Square
Nov 11 1843 Harpers, engaged in a controversy with them, the newspaper notices that they parade in their ads are written by a person paid by the Harpers, sent with book to ea newspaper, , paid for to be placed in newspapers.
Dec 16 1843 another attack on the Mirror
1844
Jan 6 prospectus, Park Benjamin will continue as heretofore principal editor, assisted by Henry C Deming and Rev James Mackay, dept of reviews, he is author of articles signed D. Jan 13 Laurie Todd on rights of women
Feb 3 Am AU, new name, nothing classical in objects of the society. Etching of FW Edmonds ptg (owned by Betts fo Newburgh, generous of him to loan it) Sparking, great favorite with public when exhib at NAD, color and compos of best, well told story, no need of guessing, modest girl, daughter of a widow, hearty young farmer, late in fall, making a night of it, he will kiss her, apples sliced to dry, mom will go call on a neighbor, fire happier than Argand lamp. Alfred Jones great promise. Unfinished performance of Edmonds high opinion of him, Italian image vender, finely grouped and individualized, beaut episode, rev soldier explaining to preciouslittle fellow Hero’s life, rekindled fire. Many poetical financiers, few artistical ones.
Feb 10 1844 Our NY Painters, by a lscape ptr, intended article on Cole to be first of a series, but willdo a roundup, letter of intro. Durand’s imaginative morning and evening, in their prime, in decay. resembles cole perhaps too much. Exquis taste in choice of subj, summer day charm, trees characteristic, figures happy, most superb is fanciful pic of lake in wilderness, sun setting , luxuriant trees and grapes, heron th eonly living creature, sun tipt waves. Working on chestnut trees. Huntington a pupil of Morse, Mercy’s Dream and Shadow of Death his triumphs. Edmonds one of our best designer, extensive reading, expansive mind, story at a glance, undercurrent of poetry or philosophy. Best are Newspaper boy (Sunday papers), Beaux Sparking Bashful Beggars Epicure Stealing Milk. Page been greatly overrated, without rival as portrait ptr, every hair on his face but not exalted, not a historical ptr accordingly, inferior in conception esp Ecce Homo which has too physical a countenance. Best are Mrs Ridner (husb of Apollo), Lowell, Leupp, himself. Mount laughter loving genius, entirely orig and Am, lays himself out in expression, doesn’t illustrate. long list of ptgs. Doughty a favorite with public, fanciful lscapes, too many at a cheap price, so seem the same, doesn’t paint fr nature, but skies and water without a rival. Paints without a story or moral in view. Wier at West Point, literary mind, imag, could do humor with Mount and Edmonds, but will live as hist ptr, purely Am, Red Jacket, Indian Captives makes mourn over wronged Aborigines. Inman gets highest prices for portraits, bold and free exec, rapid, refined taste in arrangements, has ptd some poor pictures, unlike Page paints themind not mere shell of humanity. full length of Macready, News boy and mumble the peg ,merits. Ingham glazing, sentiment, delicate, faultless, Dunlap Channing and White Plume, friend to young artists. All hail to poetical Chapman. coloring gaudy, design profound, tasteful, studied old masters. Harvey marvellous beauty.
March 23 1844, Park Benjamin retired, Deming and Mackay taken over, both have been contrib since it was estab.
Apr 6 1844 prospectus for NY Gall of FA, editorial supports
May 4 1844, NAD p561: no space for special notice of all, just most prominent, intellectual superiority, need feeling for natural and poetical or just commodity dexterously manufactured, more than mechanical perfection of color, form or composition. Art is intellectual, great conception, truth of nature, purity of taste.
Gray port of wife, merit but faults, addictedt to imitate Titian. Clonney Nyear’s call, same negro as former works, shld vary his characters. Van Zandt well ptd, approp. CL Elliot Gov Seward, if this is him, won’t vote for him again. Cropsey shower not as gd as excellent View in Orange cty, plain simple portrait; his imitations of Cole 111 bad, sky too purple even in Orange. Boyle Picture Dealer clever. Frothingham only 2 pics, not his best, deficient in force. Durand solitary oak: most famous lscape in exhib, requires tudy, poetical, not ordinary machinery of sentiment for exhib pic, no pretensions, but akin to Gray’s elegy. Emigrant familytruly Am ought to be pop. Likes all his pics. Healy best male port, manly. Sully v pleasing. Winner a pupil of sully, should hide brush.
Talbot view on white mtns, honest, uninteresting. Jocelyn port improved. Inman thinly ptgd, beaut lscape. Mooney has 9 ports, dry style. Gignoux fallen off. Rothermel De Soto a noble subject, love of meretricious display conceals its dignity, gaudy color, needs correct pure style. dangerous attractiveness.
May 4 admire Parke Godwin’s ideas on demo tho not Fourierism
May 11 German crit of Canova. NAD: p597 Livingston, nature and boldness, 6 pics, ptd too fast, Mount port of Dr Seabury, not his forte, girl asleep well designed but not attractive, wish graphic display of char. Ingham, excellent port of Treasurer of NAD in his peculiar style. Chapman Peasant Girl, Hebrew Women, happy skilful neatness delicate, pleasing. (8 or 9 pics) Wotherspoon warm showery, mannered. EE Wier Compositor setting type extravagantly praised, but no inventive faculty, just careful finishing, his other 6 pics all mediocre. Rossiter vestal virgin improved. Page remarkable portrait. Huntington fine. Cole fine. Deas Indians. Waugh Brigands capital. GS Brown Tiber, luminous glow but stifled atmosphere, flimsy drwg, injured by too long stay abroad. Geo Flagg 6 pics, graceful. Edmonds Beggar’d petition, contracted expression, Image peddler his masterpiece of the whole collection, dignified homeliness, don’t debase hardy yeomanry, show industry and plenty plus respectability and good breeding. Imitators of Edmonds and Mount debase this clas by representing negroes, loafers etc that disgust. VG Audubon poetry. Th Matteson promising, careless. Chas Lanman v pleasing. praise watercolors. PP Duggan promising. Crawford hi talents.
discourtesy of managers toward press, have to pay for admission.
May 11 Wash correspondent: thinks Clay will win easily, Texas annexation unpopular and will fail, will show Tyler imprudent wrong and contemptible. Persico landing of Columbus being raised, sd to be worthy genius and fame of celeb sculptor.
May 18 1844: NAD Thom S Cummings member of Council of NAD writes that last week led our readers to suppose NAD requires gmen of press to pay for admission, says sent tickets to ea editor in city for himself and his lady, but our two editors neither received a ticket. Proprietor of New World and Bro Jon compelled to pay for admission, one of the editors had to purchase a season ticket. Shouldn’t have to pay for privilege of giving NAD publicity. Won’t do more reviews until more civil treatment.
May 25 1844: Washington corresp, Persico’s last and best work, prolific genius, Columbus at moment realizes theory of rotundity of earth in glob held forth triumphantly, startled Indian female, unequalled in grace and mjesty, grasped history of man, courage, providence, great aim that changed condition of the world, discrim judgment resolution endurance in head, mind and thought. His statues of Peace and War nearby disting, but not this effect. Indian most pleasing attitude, alarmed, characteristic feature, ignorance as usual offended by drapery fallen at instant of her surprise, prudes think should be concealed, purity consists not in observance of conventional code or edicts of morbid society but in heart and inner temple, unpolished but honest Indian should not be found exceptionable, or examine your own conscience, nature in its primitive beauty not vulgar toilet celeb among fashionable and at war with truly virtuous, sublime without pretension
Jun 1 1844 Wash corresp, Greenough’s matching group for Capitol, hasn’t made much progress, ought to have design substituted for one more pop and reflect more credit on taste and judgment of artist, Greenough chose triumph of civ over barbarism and dangers incident, find more poetical design than wounded Indian held in arms of a white who flourishes a club
Jun 15 1844: Wash corresp: C&E has unjust ill tempereed letter on Persico, supposedly fr a person of taste, inveighs agst foreign talent, writer betrays pretensions/lack of knowledge, chief aim is to bury Persico and praise Greenough, author of ideal impersonation of Geo Washington. Author of this stood up in defence of Greenough amid universal condemnation, the compos, classical atrib, ideal concept, commanded our warm admiration. We loved the work, and in part bcause fr Am artist, wont fall into common and ignorant censure. For Nation’s eye, Greenough should have adapted man to his day, better understood, as all National works of this age now do. Artist is a citizen of the world, only fault heard attrib to Persico is followed nature too closely, objection can’t be urged agst Greenough. Powers, a greater sculptor and nobler poet, should have been chosen for matching sculpture with Persico, his Eve not to be excelled.
Jun 29: Fine Arts, growing love of art, letter in London Art Union from R re NY, praises Art Union, utilitarians being persuaded, project for Gall of FA, new era
NAD: CG Thompson4 ports all v fine, why has he been rejected as a member year after year? Concur fully in this opinion of the Express, in a recent crit on NAD, no cause for exclusion of merit and celebrity except paltry personal pique by his inferiors in talent and character. trust Acad will recognize impolicy of a character for injustice and unfair dealing.
Sept 14 1844 give Onderdonk’s defense, drank brandy for pain.
Oct 12 Has lots of Willis stories and seems on good terms with him (in June cites a good review of his lectures and in April gives good review of his book of poems), Evening Mirror now transfigured into a Daily, tasteful as expected fr Morris and Willis
Oct 12 JT Headley on Am artists in Florence, Brown the ptr best copyist and spirited composer, Powers Greek Slave melancholy, inevitable destiny, calm hopeless sorrow, quiet submission, no murmur or complaint, don’t wish to rescue her hope heaven will. Eve has more character, superior to medici venus with too small inexpressive head. Clevenger’s best an Indian, Brown the sculptor nearby studio also an Indian boy and poet of woods, in deep thought, he and Clevenger inseperable friends (From Graham’s mag).
Anelli advertising End of the World Sept/Oct 1844. Oct 12 puffs Leclerc’s french ptgs and Oct 19 reviews them, unusual merit, donated to city, transl fr Courier des Etats Unis, moment when Hudson abandoned by his men, masterpiece, free litho Oct 26 Hite top of miniature ptg profession.
Dislikes blackface minstrelsy.
Nov 9 1844: Inman’s portrait of Wordsworth, description fr C&E, join in praise, Inman singular merit, delightful companion. JW Webb back fr Europe, none with kinder and warmer hearts. Nov 30 1844 mocks New Mirror’s compilation of old bits.
Dec 7: Miniature ptg, desuetude since Dag, used to be preferred to life size, but sacrifice to cheapness has substituted a fashion, not an art, unsatisfactory as profiles in paper. No dags not inanimate, rigid, devoid of intellect, missing spirit and eloquence. Geo Freeman exquis minis, did Queen, prefer one of his minis than a whole gallery of such pics as exhib by NAD, sweetest expeession, idealizes without losing likeness
Dec 28 1844: Terminates control of editorial by Park Benjamin, Winchester having become sole proprietor of it by buying out JW Judd (who had the agreement with Benjamin). Editor will be Chas Eames. Letter fr Park Benjamin, saying he had agreed to reassume editorial conduct, but have applied for release.
ads for the prospectus in Nov 1844 say that Park Benjamin was first editor, ran it for several years, will resume Jan 1845
Dec 31 1844 Index: American Review, Bald Disjointed Chat, Onderdonk, Cheers for Webster, Criticism Herbert, Contempt for Masssachusetts, Editorial Enterprise, Hite, Mirror Wit, politics and LitInman’s port of Wordworth, Jas Watson Webb, James O Sargent, James Aldrich Esq,
1845
Jan 5 cover doesn’t have Park Benjamin’s name on it, just E Winchester as publisher, new masthead, with effect rather like Leutze’s boat crossing the dDelawae, 24 Ann st; new volume, moved into a new office. To the Critic, lots of illustrations. lots on anti-rent, even a letter fr Cortlandt Van Rensselaer on American Feudalism. Sue’s Wandering Jew.
Jan 11, praises Knickerbocker, always welcome, Demo Rev with Mathews showing himself a man of genius
Feb 22: Tappan has reported bill in Senat to erect a bronze Statue of Gen Washington on plan recommended by Persico
Apr 19: NAD opened, more than 400, people admitted privately say better, hope Council excluded wretched daubs heretofore presented
Apr 26 1845 has engr of Exhib of NAD. NAD: Institution not well managed, among hundreds of ptgs, two dozen painfully discreditable, injures artists to be laughed at. are interest of art served by exhib under auspices of artists, whose esprit du corps may lead them to forget claims of Art, plus Council can destroy good pic by hanging, may not be intentional injustice but happens perhaps because of professional jealousy. Should give control to amateurs.
May 10: Our artists and their works: had our say re errors of judgment and freaks of partiality among managers of Acad, still some genius, Henry Inman alw excellent portraits, idealized sitters with their souls, best lines, easy bold and rapid, his Jacob Barker an example. Lscapes more of a failure, thin, want force of conception. Re Cole the Paint King, at variance with Mirror, to our surprise, Willis unquestionable authority but underrates Cole, full of poetic enthusiasm, gigantic conceptions, profound Imagination, but view of mtn house in Catskills not enough of peculiar merit, somewhat mannered, still better than most. His others unworthy of him. Durand jostling him, elab minuteness in accessories if less imag, excess of green, old man’s reminiscence admired but we prefer sultry day. Port of Bride painful perfection of finish, air of unnatural nicety and primness, milliner and band box, upholsterer, smothers woman’s beauty. Ingham, fashion to sneer at him, by those who imitate him, tea tray style from envy, can find it in 28 by an Academician; Ingham conceals his labor, commend his group of children to Willis who missed it
From Xerox:
New World (Henry C Deming and James MacKay, editors, Winchester publishers, No pent up Utica contracts our powers, for the whole boundless continent is ours May 4 1844 NAD
-includes Durand’s oak, most famous lscape In exhib, at first sight may not strike every one with its peculiar merits; Elliott’s Seward won’t vote for him again, Cropseyimitations of Cole won’t advance him, several faults, may become honest. Boyle Picture dealer, clever, but old man more air of patron than dealer. Frothingham naturalness, but deficient in force. Healy best male portrait. Sully pleasing, Winner his student mechanism too obvious, Talbot honest and improvement, uninteresting. Jocelyn improved. Inman bishop thin, Mooney dry, Gignoux fallen off, Rothermel De Soto love of meretricious display or imag to envelope and conceal dignity of noble subj, too much gaudiness, lacks correct and pure style, dangerous qual of great attractiveness. Gray addicted to imitate Titian