HENRY VANINiiEX. 31 



ties of nature which these artists had pointed out in their 

 works. 



After this short review of the varied effect of these two 

 essential elements of art on the old art of Europe, let us 

 look nearer home and consider for a moment their effect 

 on the art of painting in America. 



The art of America only dates back a very short period 

 •of time. Copley, Trumbull, West, Allston, Inman, Cole, 

 Mount, Morse and others are the first American artists. 

 Then follow some who are still living — Weir, Hunting- 

 ton, Church, etc. 



Every one of these men aimed at the high function 

 which art ought to fill ; and tried to reach it by their 

 individual efforts. A few of them studied abroad, but 

 at a time when art in Europe was based on the most 

 romantic principles. 



The pictures of most of these men look weak, and lack 

 thoroughness of drawing and form, when they are com- 

 pared with the foreign pictures of the present time. 

 They lack the qualities which belong to a fine chiaros- 

 curo, and for this reason they have not that appearance 

 of reality so attractive in works of the present school of 

 Europe. 



The young American artists of to-day perceiving this 

 lack in the execution of the art of their country, have 

 gone abroad and have studied in the large art centres at 

 Paris and Munich. Many of them have since returned 

 and have exhibited their work at home. After a careful 

 and unbiased examination of the merits of their pictures 

 we must come to the following general conclusion : 



Most of these young men in the pursuit of art have 

 mistaken the means for art itself. Although they have 

 only acquired what they call technique, they consider 

 themselves accomplished artists. Let .us look at the 

 large number of American artists who have studied in 

 Munich, and what do they show us : Most of them ex- 



