40 SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS 



He learned to know the various tribes of 

 America ; and followed the traces of their 

 culture. Thus Humboldt acquaints us with 

 the ancient inhabitants of Mexico and Peru. 

 He made himself intimately acquainted with 

 bhe condition of these peoples in the Spanish 

 colonies, inasmuch as he could represent 

 their commerce, their mining, their agricul- 

 ture, their political constitution, their missions, 

 nay, more, even their peculiar diseases. 

 Humboldt likewise originated another im- 

 portant undertaking, which had for its object 

 to bring the great scenes of nature of the 

 mountain- chains of the Andes, and the me- 

 morials of the departed civilization of the 

 aborigines of Central America, before the eyes 

 of Europe in a series of pictures. For the first 

 time appeared in Europe landscapes which, 

 with the artistic conception of a country, 

 united a most faithful representation of nature, 

 and speedily banished, in the higher circles of 

 artistic taste and education, all illusive land- 

 scapes ; and originated the historical land- 

 scape-painting which, especially through Eu- 

 gendas, and other German and foreign artists 

 of our days, has attained to such great per- 

 fection. Tn the opinion of Alexander von 



