Photography as a Fine Art. 19 



solar spots. He considers the action of Jupiter in this matter 

 to be established ; and as we are now in the epoch of minimum 

 spots, he asks whether we can recognize any influence analo- 

 gous to that which M. Alexis Perrey, of Dijon, attributes to 

 the moon over the volcanic eruptions of our planet. He thinks 

 it probable, considering the immense mass of Jupiter, that he 

 may cause an accumulation of solar atmosphere at the equator, 

 augment its density and absorbing power, and thus lessen the 

 rapid cooling actions which ordinarily take place in that zone. 

 He likewise suggests that planetary attraction may collect some 

 of the cosmical matter of the zodiacal light in the plane of the 

 sun's equator, and thus mitigate both radiation and evapora- 

 tion. M. Chacornac considers that the line of research fol- 

 lowed by Messrs. Warren De la Rue, Balfour Stewart, and 

 Loewy, is calculated to settle these questions. 



In a note M. Chacornac says that since the text of his 

 paper was written, other observations make him believe ' c that 

 a central body may be clothed with an incandescent ocean, and 

 that penumbra are craters of elevation.-" Our present object 

 is not to criticise, but simply to give an account of the most 

 generally interesting portions of M. Chacornac's important 

 publication. 



PHOTOGEAPHY AS A FINE AET. 



Those who considered that the function of the artist was 

 merely to copy natural objects with accuracy and fidelity, were 

 (though erroneously) prepared to be satisfied with the operations 

 of photography as soon as they were conducted with a sufficient 

 amount of technical skill. There are certain cases in which 

 art realizes all the conditions of deceptive imitation, and it is 

 not very difficult to paint a butterfly, or a deal shaving so that 

 a spectator might actually expect to be able to catch the pre- 

 tended insect, or pick up the thin curly slice of wood. 



When this mechanical fidelity is realized, there are many 

 persons who conceive that nothing more is to be desired, and 

 they form in their own minds a rude and inaccurate mode of 

 estimating pictures according to the amount of realism which 

 they exhibit. 



A little more acquaintance with the facts of nature and the 

 possibilities of art soon lead to the conclusion that realistic 

 imitation is only possible to a very limited extent, and that in 

 the main what may be called the imitative part of the artist's 

 work consists in transposing, according to natural laws, the 



