Elinor Wyllys-1 [25]
for it was a sketch of Harry. Mr. Taylor was standing behind her, and recognised it immediately.
"That is Mr. Hazlehurst, if I am not mistaken; and a very good likeness, Miss Wyllys."
"I suppose, your son and Harry have met, in Paris, Mr. Taylor," said Miss Agnes, by way of turning his attention from Elinor.
"Yes, madam, Thomas mentions having had some intercourse with Mr. Hazlehurst, and observes, that he sees him, almost every day, in the TULLYREES; which, Thomas says, is the RENDY-VUSS of the fashionable world, in Paris."
"Will your son return home soon?"
"Why, no; I think not. He went for six months; but he calculates, now, to stay some time longer. I am told, Mr. Hazlehurst will not return until next year;--they might make the European TOWER together. But Thomas seems to like the CAFFIES and the BULLY-VARDS of Paris, too much to move from that city."
Elinor was going to take another sketch from the table, when Charlie quickly passed his hand between Mr. Taylor and herself, and drew the paper away.
"I beg your pardon--but it is a wretched thing; I did not know it was there," said the youth, hastily.
"Pray, let me look at it," said Elinor, "for, I thought, I recognised a friend."
"You must not see it, indeed, Miss Elinor; I dare say, you took it for anybody but the right person;" said Charlie, a good deal embarrassed, and hurriedly handing Elinor something else to look at.
She was surprised at his nervous manner, but said nothing more.
"I honestly think, Charlie," said Mr. Wyllys, who had been examining the landscape, that Mr. C-----, and Mr. I-----, will tell you to persevere, after this. There is something about the water, in your picture, that strikes me as unusually good."
"I am very glad to hear you say so; for there is nothing I like to paint so much as water. I took great pains with that part of my piece; but it does not satisfy me yet."
"Do you intend to make use of water-colours altogether, in your paintings?" asked Mr. Taylor.
Charlie looked puzzled, and the merchant repeated his question.
"I should think, you would find water-colours cheaper; but oils must be more durable. Which are most generally in use among painters?"
Charlie, understanding the point, at last, explained that water-colours, and oils, were two entirely distinct branches of the art.
"Which is your picture, there, done in?"
"I am learning to paint in oils, sir."
"And that porTRATE, overhead, which is your father, I presume; is that in oils, too?"
"Yes, sir.--There are very few pictures, of that size, in water-colours, I believe. Here is a miniature, in water-colours, which Mrs. Van Horne lent me; I am taking a large picture, in oils, from it."
Mr. Taylor examined the miniature. "It has puzzled me considerably," he observed, "to know how painters could change the size of an object, and be correct, without measuring it off in feet and inches; but, I suppose, that is what you term perspective."
One is sometimes surprised by the excessive ignorance, on all matters concerning the fine arts, betrayed in this country, by men of some education; very clever, in their way, and quite equal to making a speech or a fortune, any day. In Europe, just notions, on such matters, are much more widely spread. But, after all, such a state of things is perfectly natural; we have hitherto had no means of cultivating the general taste, in America, having few galleries or even single works of art, open to the public. With the means, it is probable, that as we grow older, we shall improve, in this respect. That there is talent, ay, genius, in the country, sufficient to produce noble works of art, has been already proved. Nor can it be doubted, that there is latent feeling, and taste enough, among the people, to appreciate them, if it were called forth by cultivation. It is only a brutal and sluggish nation, who cannot be made to feel, as well as think. The cultivation necessary, however, is not that which consists in forcing the whole body of the people to become conceited smatterers; but that which provides
"That is Mr. Hazlehurst, if I am not mistaken; and a very good likeness, Miss Wyllys."
"I suppose, your son and Harry have met, in Paris, Mr. Taylor," said Miss Agnes, by way of turning his attention from Elinor.
"Yes, madam, Thomas mentions having had some intercourse with Mr. Hazlehurst, and observes, that he sees him, almost every day, in the TULLYREES; which, Thomas says, is the RENDY-VUSS of the fashionable world, in Paris."
"Will your son return home soon?"
"Why, no; I think not. He went for six months; but he calculates, now, to stay some time longer. I am told, Mr. Hazlehurst will not return until next year;--they might make the European TOWER together. But Thomas seems to like the CAFFIES and the BULLY-VARDS of Paris, too much to move from that city."
Elinor was going to take another sketch from the table, when Charlie quickly passed his hand between Mr. Taylor and herself, and drew the paper away.
"I beg your pardon--but it is a wretched thing; I did not know it was there," said the youth, hastily.
"Pray, let me look at it," said Elinor, "for, I thought, I recognised a friend."
"You must not see it, indeed, Miss Elinor; I dare say, you took it for anybody but the right person;" said Charlie, a good deal embarrassed, and hurriedly handing Elinor something else to look at.
She was surprised at his nervous manner, but said nothing more.
"I honestly think, Charlie," said Mr. Wyllys, who had been examining the landscape, that Mr. C-----, and Mr. I-----, will tell you to persevere, after this. There is something about the water, in your picture, that strikes me as unusually good."
"I am very glad to hear you say so; for there is nothing I like to paint so much as water. I took great pains with that part of my piece; but it does not satisfy me yet."
"Do you intend to make use of water-colours altogether, in your paintings?" asked Mr. Taylor.
Charlie looked puzzled, and the merchant repeated his question.
"I should think, you would find water-colours cheaper; but oils must be more durable. Which are most generally in use among painters?"
Charlie, understanding the point, at last, explained that water-colours, and oils, were two entirely distinct branches of the art.
"Which is your picture, there, done in?"
"I am learning to paint in oils, sir."
"And that porTRATE, overhead, which is your father, I presume; is that in oils, too?"
"Yes, sir.--There are very few pictures, of that size, in water-colours, I believe. Here is a miniature, in water-colours, which Mrs. Van Horne lent me; I am taking a large picture, in oils, from it."
Mr. Taylor examined the miniature. "It has puzzled me considerably," he observed, "to know how painters could change the size of an object, and be correct, without measuring it off in feet and inches; but, I suppose, that is what you term perspective."
One is sometimes surprised by the excessive ignorance, on all matters concerning the fine arts, betrayed in this country, by men of some education; very clever, in their way, and quite equal to making a speech or a fortune, any day. In Europe, just notions, on such matters, are much more widely spread. But, after all, such a state of things is perfectly natural; we have hitherto had no means of cultivating the general taste, in America, having few galleries or even single works of art, open to the public. With the means, it is probable, that as we grow older, we shall improve, in this respect. That there is talent, ay, genius, in the country, sufficient to produce noble works of art, has been already proved. Nor can it be doubted, that there is latent feeling, and taste enough, among the people, to appreciate them, if it were called forth by cultivation. It is only a brutal and sluggish nation, who cannot be made to feel, as well as think. The cultivation necessary, however, is not that which consists in forcing the whole body of the people to become conceited smatterers; but that which provides