Nature and Art, March 1, 1867.] 
OLLA PODRIDA. 
95 
destroy is not to create, or to escape a despotic spirit which 
rendered it hostile to whatever was produced beyond its 
own breast. This school, in fact, had scarcely received the 
public sanction, and proved that art was in a bad road 
when it felt itself called upon to regenerate art, treated with 
disdain all its predecessors, and carried fatuity so far as not 
only to give insulting nicknames to many artists then held 
in esteem, but to carry one of its own adepts, Drouais, 
in triumph to the Pantheon, forgetting that the Tarpeian 
Rock is not far from the Capitol. 
“ Thus the public mind no sooner recovered from the 
astonishment created by this school, than it beg’an to doubt 
if art consisted in nothing more than the good drawing of a 
figure ; if the models of the atelier, covered with Greek and 
Roman tunics, and wearing sandals borrowed from the 
opera, really presented a fair representation of the antique ; 
if stiff, outstretched arms could really assume any other 
position — in fact there were not wanting opponents with the 
boldness to proclaim that the respect professed by David 
and his school for the antique was simply a mannerism 
under which they hid the barrenness of their imagination 
and the uncertainty of their object. 
“ The doubtonce admitted, was soon chang-ed to certainty, 
and the law of retaliation was so rigorously applied to 
the school in question, that the very expressions it had used 
against its predecessors were now turned against itself. 
Does the school of David merit the neglect, nay the 
disdain, with which it is treated at the present day ? No ! 
a thousand times, No ! In the first place there was reason 
for its existence, in order to rid the domain of art of frivolity, 
prettiness, and conventionality, and it did its work in a 
satisfactory manner ; only, it persisted in the means when 
they were no longer necessary. Further, if in attempting to 
reduce art to absolute theories, it deprived it of those charms 
which it derives from imagination, it also presented its 
wanderings, and showed that without certain principles art 
would be but an allusion or pure fantasy. The school may, 
moreover, quote, in opposition to its detractors, names 
before which all men of sense must bow, and historical pages 
worthy of the imperishable glories which they are destined 
to celebrate. If all the works produced by the pencils of 
these chiefs leave something to be desired, it is equally 
incontestable that in the greater part of them many of the 
most essential conditions of art are exhibited in a high 
degree. . . . Let us then render justice to this school ; 
let us admit that it too often sacrificed spirit for theory ; 
that in order to reach the mind of the masses it contented 
itself with drawing correctly, even to hardness ; that it did 
not sufficiently occupy itself either with the seductions of 
colour or the effects of chiaroscuro ; that it therefore 
often remained formal and cold ; but let us admit that it 
possessed great skill in composition, a well-expressed in- 
tention and a constant effort to raise itself to the level of 
the brilliant period which it had to traverse, great care 
with respect to details, and a practical skill which enabled 
it to triumph over the difficulties presented by given official 
subjects and the strange costumes of the period.” 
Every one will not of course agree, as we do generally, 
with the above appreciation of the school of David, but all 
must see that Dr. Lachaise has studied his subject with 
care and, we may add, success. 
A chapter at the end of the volume will be highly 
acceptable to connoisseurs ; it contains a list of the most 
important works of art in all languages, to be consulted, not 
only on the subject of painting in general, but on that of 
each school taken separately. 
OLLA PODRIDA. 
The Pictures for the Academy are beginning to 
assume shape, and some of them are already being much 
talked about. Most notable is Mr. Frith’s, which will 
be one of the great, if not the greatest picture of the 
season ; the subject is “ Evelyn visiting Whitehall on a 
Sunday, a few days before the death of Charles the 
Second,” and shocked at the dissolute exhibition of 
manners by which the king is surrounded. Mr. Elmore 
will exhibit the first-fruits of his visit to the East 
last winter. It will be' a telling subject, and will be 
familiar to all Scripture readers. Although ’tis old as the 
East itself, and still daily to be seen, it is strange that none 
of our many artists, who now travel so far for subjects, 
have ever treated it. John Phillip is recovered from his 
severe illness, and has three pictures on hand for the 
Academy. O’Neil has two fine subjects, one an incident in 
the life of Luther, and the other an incident connected with j 
Titian. Leighton has four contributions getting ready ; and 
Prinsep will have a Yenetian interior. John Burgess is 
preparing a successor to his “ Bravo Toro ” of last year, by 
which his established repute will not suffer. 
In the Water-Colour Exhibition, Mr. Louis Haghe will 
have a very fine picture, an interior of a monastery at 
Rome. & % 
New Music. — We have received the following songs and 
pieces from Messrs. Boosey & Co. : “ The Express Quadrille,” 
by Charles Coote ; “ La Vie Parisienne Valse, sur l’Opera 
d’Offenbach,” par C. H. R. Marriott; “La Vie Parisienne 
Quadrille,” by the same arranger; “ Marie Valse,” par S. 
Hugh Baillie (Colonel Royal Horse Guards) ; “ Ralouka, 
Marche Turque,” composee par Blumenthal; “Fantasie sur 
la Priere et Chasse du Freischutz,” par Rene Eavarger; 
“Riding thro’ the Broom,” “Strangers yet,” and “Only 
a Lock of Hair,” by Claribel ; “ She is not Fair to outward 
View,” and “Thou art lost to me,” by Arthur Sullivan; 
“Come Home, Father” (Christy Minstrel ballad) ; “Douglas, 
Douglas, tender and true,” by Bernard Althaus ; “ The Bells 
of Aberdovey,” words and accompaniment by George Linley ; 
and “ Gathered Treasures,” words by Tom Hood, music by 
Elizabeth Philp. 
The dance music of M. Marriott is within the means of 
comparative beginners at the pianoforte. There are no 
quadrilles now of the Henri Herz and Dos Santos type, and 
pianists need not anticipate finding their capabilities very 
severely tried in quadrilles, valses, &c. Mr. C. Coote’s 
descriptive quadrille is, in plain terms, easy to play, and 
good to dance to. Some years ago M. Rene Favarger’s 
fantasia on “ Oberon ” at once established his credit as an 
an-anger of the “brilliant, but not difficult” order. This 
new specimen of his talent now before us is a very favour- 
able instance of what may be done to secure .a brilliant 
effect without putting serious difficulties in the way. 
M. Blumenthal’s quaint and original march may be re- 
commended to all classes of pianists, and is by no means 
difficult. Amongst the younger English musicians Mr. 
Arthur Sullivan holds a very high position. Latterly he 
has become more widely known as a song- writer, and we 
can pay him no higher compliment than to predict that 
many of his compositions will live in the future when other 
commonplace productions are entirely forgotten. “ Thou 
are lost to me ” might be sung by a contralto or baritone. 
Its companion is in A flat, and ranges to the G above the line. 
“ Strangers yet ” is in E flat, and in all probability will 
rival in popularity some of Claribel’ s most famous songs. 
It is signed by Madame Sainton-Dolby, and is a remarkable 
instance of the steady increase in the market price of these 
things. Four shillings is demanded for Lord Houghton’s 
tender and graceful words, and the fair Claribel’ s setting 
thereof. “ Only a Lock of Hair ” is expressive and flowing 
in the melody, and is adapted for a tenor voice. The song 
is in B flat, and ranges upward to A, first line above. 
Messrs. Robert Cocks & Co. have issued the under- 
