8^2 FINE ARTS IN PARIS. 



non, the erection of the galleries of the Vatican, the Sextinian 

 Frescos, and, to come to our own times, the production of Don 

 Giovanni, Lear, Wallenstein, and P'austus. These the genius of 

 a Phidias, Raphael, Michael Angelo, Mozart, Shakspeare, Schiller, 

 and Goethe, can alone bring forth. To engender great artists, the 

 public, if I may be allowed the expression, must he an embodied 

 artist — or at least a devoted lover of the Arts. The splendors of 

 Rome, under the great Leo, would with us have disappeared 

 before the uncongenial discussions of the budget, and never have 

 had a local habitation and a name. 



We go further, and assert genius and talents are weakened and 

 impaired by the present state of politics, which in the youth of the 

 world gave them an impulse. We behold in France poets, philo- 

 sophers and jurists, nay, architects, statuaries and painters, who, 

 striving with the utmost ardour after universality, produce mere 

 individualities — works ever embodying illusions, notions, or prin- 

 ciples relative to the Carlists, the repubhcans, and the admirers of 

 Napoleon. Still, the fine arts have not retrograded in France — 

 ■with some few exceptions they have greatly improved. The harsh 

 lapidary style of the imperial reign is gradually disappearing, 

 making room for more graceful and unrestrained forms. Sculp- 

 ture can boast of a few masters, painting of many more, music has 

 been cultivated with some success, and so has poetry, especially 

 narrative and dramatic j though the latter is light and superficial, 

 and wholly destitute of that noble and elevated character which 

 distinguishes the English, and even the German dramatic school. 

 But of all the fine arts architecture has most declined, for although 

 great and imposing monuments have been erected, they are sickly 

 and degenerate creations, susceptible of no praise but that of 

 execution and imitation. Of nearly four hundred architects who 

 are to be found in Paris, not one can compare in beauty of 

 conception, novelty of combination, and successful execution, with 

 the German Schinkel, Kleuze, and Weinbrenner, each of whom is 

 the founder of a splendid school. In this respect, however, we 

 cannot claim for our own country the praise of superiority over the 

 French. — Sad are the monuments of our deficiency in apprehension 

 of beauty, and grandeur of conception. 



If the French were just and sincere they would readily admit 

 that, as Meyerbeer their favorite composer is a foreigner, so 

 amongst their painters the German Gros, Struben, andSchefFer are 

 their best, and Gau their most meritorious architect. The latter, 

 it is true, boasts not of having received his professional education 

 in a regular academy ; yet genius, and devotion to his art, have 

 raised him to the highest station j and, notwithstanding the 

 jealousy of the natives, he has obtained the countenance of the 

 government, by whose orders he has executed some of the most 

 difficult projects. We have deemed this short allusion to the state 

 of French architecture not impertinent, as we shall probably have 

 no opportunity of again dwelling on the subject. Our attention 

 \rill be directed to painting and sculpture, and occasionally to 



