7 OCS 
“* What I can pronounce with any cer- 
tainty, as to the present state of the fine 
arts is, that sculpture and architecture 
have been much advanced. They ap- 
pear to me in a very promising state. 
The little I haye seen of painting, gives 
me a totally opposite impression. [ 
have several times passed through the 
apartments of the Academy where the 
youny men work, and, as an artist, have 
minutely examined their performances, 
but in none of them could I discern the 
germs of the future painter. I sought to 
explain this to myself, and found one very 
efficient cause in the bad examples which 
are ever before the eyes, and which they 
copy as the standards of perfection. The 
walls, instead of being enriched with a 
few excellent paintings, are disgraced 
with myriads of vile daubings. Whom are 
we to blame for this? Certainly not the 
imperial foundress or her successors. 
The invaluable saloons of the Hermitage, 
are ever Open tothe students of the Aca- 
demy. There they may stray from 
morning till night, imbibing from the 
sublime works of Michael Angelo, and 
Raphael, the very fountain of taste and 
improvement. ‘These they neglect, or 
rather I should say, that the professors 
never introduce them to a glimpse of 
such great originals. Why, I cannot 
pretend to tell you; but so it is, and thus, 
for want of the same plan, which pre- 
vails in the schools of sculpture and ar- 
chitecture, the whole of the expence 
lavished on that of painting is little bet- 
ter than absolutely wasted. When ma- 
nifest want. of genius and bad instruc- 
tions are united, nothing but disappoint- 
ment can be the result. Able teaching 
and industry may give respectable pro- 
ficiency to the most moderate capacities ; 
and it iswell known,that bad examples will 
eorrupt and destroy the finest talents.” 
Mr. Porter then proceeds to give his 
judgment upon the productions of sta- 
tuary and architecture, of the present 
Russian artists, He pays very high 
compliments to Mr. Marlanze, an eléve, 
of the Petersburgh academy. This gen- 
tleman has produced, by Mr. Portes’s 
account, some admirable pieces of sculp- 
ture. One of his works is a colossal 
statue of John the Baptist. Mr. Ker 
Porter gives a description of this, which 
is very favourable to the present state of 
sculpture in Russia. 
The churches and palaces of Peters- 
burgh, such as have been finished by the 
preseut race of architects, are equally- 
proofs. that architecture begins to be 
according to Mr. ft. Mer Lorter. 
543 
understood, as well as statuary. The 
perverse taste of the Emperor Paul, in- 
deed, finished a magnificent church in 
brick, which his mother had begun, and 
almost completed in inarble; butjthe taste 
of the monarch 1s so little in conformity 
with that of the ne ion, that there 1s a 
general wish that this part of the church 
may be rebuilt. It is no inconsiderable 
arguinent, that a nation will shortly be 
distinguished for eminence im an art, 
when it already shews itself to be pos- 
sessed of the primary principle of taste. 
The music of a nation may be distri- 
buted into three classes ; the popalar mu- 
sic, the church-music, and the scientific 
music of the theatre or opera. It has 
been already said, that even to the end 
of the reign of Catherine, there was ne 
science in the Russian music; that the 
opera was not tolerated, and that the 
popular music was uniform, and merely 
not unmusical. 
The present state of Russian music, 
according to Mr. Porter’s account, is very 
muchimproved. The popular music of 
every country, that which characterizes 
their ancient songs and burthens, seldona 
varies in any considerable degree; it 
passes from father to son, and is dear to 
the old, as having been remembered by 
them when young. But when a people, 
in the progress of their civilization, come 
to hear music of a better taste, when 
their ears become gradually formed by 
the melodies of the theatre, and the 
science of the opera, even the popular 
mustc suffers some change; if the old 
tune is preserved, it is set as it were witha 
new graces. It has thus happened in 
the Russian popular music, It has be- 
come improved, though it still retains 
something of its ancient character. 
The church-music always follows the 
progress of the arts. In Russia, there- 
fore, the present church music is solemn, 
without monotony, and grand without 
confusion. 
The music of the theatres has equally 
improved, ,and the Russian dramatic 
boards may boast of singers, who are 
nothing behind those of London and 
Paris. Mr. Porter confirms these ob- 
servations in every page, The reader, 
however, may preter hearing him speak 
for himself. We shall again therefore 
avail ourselves of his authority. - 
“ The wind blew perfectly fair; and 
the people having little to do, we gave 
them, something to cheer their spirits. 
Our present had the desired effect; and 
they entertained both themselves and us, 
through 
