Painting,—the most beautiful in the triumvirate of the Arts, proudly follows Sculpture in her classic path,—the precedence only yielded as to one of elder birth, who attired in her snow-white raiment marches forward with majestic step, casting her shadow to the confines of History; while her graceful follower, clad in the rainbow-tinted garments, and having no shadow of herself, receives her coloured brilliancy from the glowing Sun of Genius, and thence in gratitude reflects back her pictorial light to illuminate the mind! This delightful art may be defined to be a species of poetic and historic writing, and subservient to the same ends—the expression of ideas and events—of Nature and her children. It bears resemblance to the diamond in the dark recesses of the earth, which by its own innate quality emits sparkling rays of light, thereby not only discovering its own splendour, but giving a lustre to obscurity.
Painting has her direct claims to be received as authority for past events and records, and in illustration may be cited the Life and History of the Saviour. The pictorial art alone was for centuries the only record whereby the mass of the people could read that Sacred Life. The cross upon the banners, shields, and pennons of the Crusaders, spoke to the Christian heart, even above the din of arms or the yell of battle. When the Latin was the general tongue of prayer and preaching, the pictorial art sprung into life with redoubled power; and from the painting above the altar, representing the Crucifixion, the people learned that Christ suffered,—it alone reached the heart and understanding, while the Latin language reached only the ears of the unlettered. Has not the Life of the Redeemer been traced through every event by the painter's magic art? The Annunciation, Nativity, Disputation in the Temple, Healing the Sick and the Blind, Last Supper and Sacrament, Rejection by Pilate, Crucifixion, and the Resurrection and Transfiguration, are the pictorial Volumes of our religion. Angelo, De Vinci, Raphael, Murillo, Rubens, and West, were as essentially historians of sacred events,—as Plutarch, Livy, Tacitus, Gibbon, Hume, and Robertson, were those of a national and political character.
Painting has traced upon the galleries of Versailles the chief events of the French kingdom—of the Empire and its glory. And in the present day, the new walls of England's Parliament are to be decorated with her deeds of chivalry—sacred to her historic and undying fame!
The walls of the American capital contain the imperishable history of Washington, and the Freedom of the Western Hemisphere! Paintings then will not be rejected as evidences of events, or of religious and national records.
SECTION III.
COINS AND MEDALS.
These are admitted species of historic evidence, and as lasting ones, perhaps, beyond all others. A series of them is the most certain method of arranging a chronological tablet, and thereby preserving the data of history, mythology, portraits, customs, and art.
The reader will excuse the relation of an anecdote, to which may be traced the production of the present work. At the early age of nine years, a small ancient coin came into the accidental possession of the writer; its stamp and character were enveloped in mystery, and recourse was had to an antiquary to decipher them. The obverse of the coin contained a profile head, and around it the letters AVGVSTVS: on the reverse, a Temple with the doors closed, surmounted by the word PROVIDENTIA. The explanation was as follows: viz.—A coin of Augustus Cæsar—the Temple was that of Janus, the doors of which had been open for nearly two centuries, as emblematical of the continuance of Roman warfare with foreign countries; but on the coin the doors were closed, and with the word of thanksgiving, were symbolical of universal peace, thus proving that the coin was struck the very year in which the Saviour was born! Thus upon one coin were illustrated the features of the second Roman Emperor,—Mythology, Cessation of War,—the downfall of Brutus and Cassius,—the defeat of Anthony,—and the Birth of Christianity! This simple incident made so powerful an impression upon the boyhood of the relator, that to it he has always traced the foundation of his Scriptural, Historical, and Poetical studies, together with an enthusiastic devotion to the Fine Arts.
The description of the above coin will illustrate the historical intelligence to be derived from their perusal. A medal is an especial mode of recording tributary honour to individuals—literary, civil, or military;—they become heirlooms in family possessions, and are transmitted from sire to son, as absolute records of their ancestors' fame. They are also struck in celebration of national events, and thence become records of a people. So assured was Napoleon of this, that a series of his medals are a complete history of his victories, from his Consulate to his loss of the Empire; and that event at Waterloo was recorded by Great Britain upon her medals, for even the soldiers as well as officers. Denon of France, and Wyon of England, are names as artists worthy to record the victories of Napoleon and Wellington.
Architecture, Sculpture, Paintings, Coins, and Medals, from the investigation contained in the previous pages (we submit to the judgment of the reader), are established as authorities for historical records.