The United States Review and Literary Gazette

Vivian Grey. Second American Edition.

Lea, & Carey.

Philadelphia. Carey,

The Marriage of Figaro; an Opera in Three Acts. By H. R. Bishop. New York. E. M. Murden. 18mo. pp. 54.

The Acting American Theatre. No. XII. containing Simpson & Co., a Comedy in Two Acts.

Paul Pry; a Comedy in Three Acts. By John Poole, Esq. New York. E. M. Murden. 18mo. pp. 72.

Hints for the Improvement of Early Education and Nursery Discipline. Second Salem, from the Fifth London Edition. Salem. J. R. Buffum. Vivian Grey. Second Part. Philadelphia. Carey, Lea, & Carey. 2 vols. 12mo.

John of Paris; a Comic Opera in Two Acts. By J. Pocock, Esq. New York. E. M. Murden. 18mo. pp. 32.

Letters to Married Ladies. By Hugh Smith, M. D. New York. E. Bliss & E. White.

'T was I, or the Truth a Lie; a Farce in Two Acts. By J. H. Payne. New York. E. M. Murden. 18mo. pp. 31.

Malte-Brun's Universal Geography. Volume II. Philadelphia. A. Finley. 8vo. pp. 529.

Memoirs of Mrs. Siddons, interspersed with Anecdotes of Authors and Actors. By James Boaden, Esq. Philadelphia.

Reminiscences of Charles Butler. Volume II. Boston. Wells &

Lilly.

A Mogul Tale; a Farce in Two Acts. By Mrs. Inchbald. New York. E. M. Murden. 18mo. pp. 27.

Is this Religion, or a Page from the Book of the World. By the Author of "May You Like It." Georgetown. I. Thomas. 12mo. The Works of Hannah More, with a Sketch of her Life. Boston. S. G. Goodrich. 2 vols. 8vo.

The Poetical Works of Thomas Campbell. Boston. Munroe & Francis. 12mo.

WORKS IN PRESS.

Printing at the University Press, in Cambridge,

MATINS AND VESPERS: with Hymns and occasional Devotional Pieces. By John Bowring.

Hilliard & Brown have in Press, at Cambridge,

AN EPITOME OF HISTORY, accompanied by Charts of History and Chronology, designed as the first book in history for pupils of both sexes, adapted to the use of Common Schools; and similar in size and plan to the "Epitome of Geography " by the same author. By J. E. Worcester.

Published every month, for the Proprietors, by BOWLES & DEARBORN, at the Office of the United States Review and Literary Gazette, No. 72, Washington Street, Boston, and by G. & C. CARVILL, No. 108, Broadway, New York. Terms, five dollars per annum.

Cambridge: Printed at the University Press, by Hilliard, Metcalf, & Co.

The Exhibition of the National Academy of Design, 1827. The Second. New York. D. Fanshaw. 1827.

THE Second Exhibition of this institution was opened to the public early in May.. It consists entirely of works never before exhibited by the Academy, and these are exclusively by living artists. We cannot better introduce a few critical remarks on a display of talent, which does credit to the city of New York and the whole country, than by a few brief observations on the nature of these exhibitions. The Preface to the Catalogue of the Academy, the title of which is at the head of this article, well expresses the object of the Society, and very properly distinguishes the exhibitions of an academy from other exhibitions of pictures, &c. They say,

"An exhibition of the works of living artists forms an essential part of the academic system, in all the academies of Europe. They differ altogether in their object from those permanent collections of works of art attached sometimes to academies, but oftener entirely separated from them, belonging sometimes to distinguished individuals, sometimes to the nation; as the Louvre and Luxembourg in Paris, and the National Gallery in London. The object of these latter is to bring together the excellencies more especially of ancient art, and preserve them, as permanent models, to the artists and the public. On the other hand, the exhibitions of the academies are intended,

"1st. To show the state of modern art, by inviting the living artists to an annual display of their productions;

"2d. To furnish an opportunity for the young artist to bring himself before the public, by the side of the older artist, by which means he is enabled to prefer his claims to distinction, or to see his own defects, and to improve;

"3d. To furnish a mart for the disposal of those works of modern art which may be offered for sale.

"Five or six weeks is sufficient in London to exhaust public curiosity, and the same period is thought sufficient here. These exhibitions are temporary, necessarily. In process of time they will consist almost entirely of the works of the preceding year. It is intended never to exhibit the same picture twice; this is a fundamental rule of the Academy. Every year will consequently have at least the attraction of novelty."

This plan must be popular. It is impossible, that the influence of art in Europe should not speedily be felt here. At the present time all the various exhibitions of art, which have multiplied and are multiplying, especially in England, are crowded by the intelligence and fashion of the metropolis. An exhibition of paintings, sculpture, architectural designs, and engravings, does not attract to it that class of people who are fond of nine days' wonders, lusus naturæ, calves with six legs, and kittens with three tails; these are not the frequenters of picture exhibitions; they are the intelligent, the educated, the refined part of a population, who go not merely to please the eye, to gratify an idle curiosity, but who go to drink in intellectual pleasure as they would from a poem or other fine work of the imagination. Our form of government, while it is founded on the intelligence of the people, while one of its prominent objects is to spread education and information among all classes, is admirably fitted to encourage the arts in the way adopted by the National Academy; for in proportion as that class increases, which only is capable of the refined pleasures of art, in the same proportion will the visiters to their exhibitions increase. The liberal plan on which this Academy proceeds, deserves the attention, and must, in time, have the patronage of the public. The union of so many artists, associated not for the purpose of individual advantage, at the expense of the rest, but looking for that advantage, by consulting the prosperity of all, cannot fail to win the good will of their fellow citizens; as they say, "although with perfect propriety the receipts of the exhibitions might be divided among the contributors to these exhibitions, yet not a cent is to be distributed to the individuals of the Academy for their private advantage." All, it would seem, is to be expended to build up an institution, which, like its model in London, must, if conducted on the same liberal principles, be a proud monument to themselves and to their country. This union of the artists does away at a blow, a calumny (for such we have always considered it to be) often uttered against them, that they were for ever quarrelling among themselves. We believe that artists, in common

with other human beings, have the frailties of human nature, that there are some whose eccentricities unfit them for intercourse among themselves, and that the excitability of that temperament which naturally belongs to men of vivid imagination, may at times be directed against a rival, and furnish ground for cavillers to make complaint; but do not such complainers know that this very temperament is also the fountain of all those generous, noble, and affectionate sentiments, which we instinctively admire in the works of men of genius, and that it is quite as often the parent of the strongest attachment, as of enmity? Where moral principle has held the rein, it has so curbed the extravagances of this irritability, and so checked the too great ardor of feeling, as to subdue to a most delightful harmony the various strong and conflicting qualities which naturally spring from this temperament. From what we have seen in the instance before us, we anticipate with confidence the happiest results; if the same friendly and social feeling, which now exists among the artists, be lasting,-and we would beseech them to guard most cautiously against any occasion to mar it, we predict for them a glorious triumph over all their discouragements, and the dawn of a brighter day than has yet risen in this country upon the arts.

But to come to the more immediate object of this review. Criticism has two duties to perform, to censure and to praise. It is the judicious exercise of these two opposite offices, that gives to criticism its power in forming the character of a community. Too much censure, or censure improperly applied, tends to discourage the young aspirer for public favor, whether it be bestowed in his own case, or in that of others; too much or too indiscriminate praise, also, while it destroys the confidence of the public in the critic, no less disheartens the artist, who feels that his labor has been bestowed in vain, while less receives the full measure of applause which belongs only to the highest efforts. Much depends, also, upon the manner or temper of criticism; censure may be just, while the manner of administering it may be such as to defeat the end of upright criticism, which is to advance the cause of correct principles; an unfeeling manner will irritate, and lead to despondence, rather than incite to efforts for improvement. Praise also may be just, but too lavishly distributed, or in a way of odious comparison with works of contemporary professors, so as to disgust, and not delight either the favored artist or his friends, and will be sure to create enemies for him among the friends of those above whom he is so invidiously exalted. Without boasting that we shall not ourselves fall into the very

error we have proscribed, we will at least approach the subject with impartiality; our error shall be of the head, and not of the heart. It is no easy task to classify the subjects of criticism in the fine arts, so as to give to each its proper rank and due share of attention. The departments of art are so various, and so disproportioned in their relative value, that it is exceedingly difficult to construct a just scale; and when this is done, the more serious difficulty remains of arranging in each department the various works according to their respective merits.

"One science only will one genius fit,

So vast is art, so narrow human wit;
Not only bounded to peculiar arts,

But oft in those confined to single parts."

Imperfect as the scale may be, we shall make the attempt at something like a just classification, taking as the leading principle, that that department or that work of art should rank the highest which requires the greatest exercise of mind, or, in other words, that mental is superior to manual labor. With this principle in view, we thus arrange the various departments of art, giving examples under each head.