With this precious bundle of cardinal's clothes he was able to dress one of our models, who, although somewhat ridiculous, lent himself admirably to being dressed in that way; and this is the only means of doing serious work. The model was made under my direction, and exhibited to be judged by the Academy, and declared worthy of being executed in marble. So ended the difficulties arising from the light-headedness of a young artist, and made still harder by the intervention of an artist who was neither generous nor just.
CHAPTER XXI.
THE UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION AT PARIS IN 1867—THE IMITATORS OF VELA—INEDITED MUSIC BY ROSSINI AND GUSTAVE DORÉ—DOMENICO MORELLI—GROUP OF PRINCE TRABIA'S CHILDREN AND THE THIEVES—"STICK NO BILLS"—THE STATUE OF MARSHAL PALLAVICINI—THE EMPRESS MARIA TERESA AND MARSHAL PALLAVICINI—A MEMORIAL MONUMENT TO FRA GIROLAMO SAVONAROLA—THE UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION AT VIENNA—A TINY ROOM—EXCELLENT AND VERY DEAR—ON HARMONY OF SOUNDS—ON THE HARMONY IN THE ANIMAL WORLD—THE HARMONY OF THE HUMAN FORM AS MANIFESTED BY THE INNER BEAUTY OF THE SOUL—THE CAMPANILE OF ST STEPHEN'S AND CANOVA'S MONUMENT.
It is now necessary for me to speak of the Universal Exhibition at Paris in 1867; but first, I wish frankly to give my opinion on the utility or non-utility of such exhibitions, monstrous agglomerations of manufactures, machinery, raw material, food, liquid for drink, sacred utensils, machines for war, &c., all exposed by the different nations of the world at the same time and in the same place. It has been said that this serves to create rivalry and emulation in the people of the different civilised nations, by placing their industries in contact with each other, to be judged by special men named for the purpose to give them their merited reward. The idea seems to be a fine one; in fact, it is so much too fine that the excess deforms it. On the contrary, I believe that all this assemblage of things in an immense edifice, with thousands and thousands of visitors, on one of the pleasantest and most smiling sites, in the most beautiful part of the year, in one of the great metropolises of the world, answers admirably to the economical and political aims of the State that assembles the exhibition; gives an opportunity to travellers and exposers to see, to divert and enjoy themselves, and make acquaintances, sometimes good, but oftener bad; brings money into the pockets of intriguers and swindlers in proportion to their dexterity, and gives or increases the renown of Tizio or Caio, to the detriment of Sempronio, in the opinion of some with justice, and in the opinion of others with great injustice. But who has the rights of it? The rights of it are at the bottom of a well, and need the grappling-irons of time to drag them out.
INFLUENCE OF WORLD EXHIBITIONS.
I should believe in the utility of these world exhibitions if they were by sections—industries, manufactures, machinery, and agriculture—everything separate; and separated always absolutely from all the rest, in time and in place, the Fine Arts, to which I should wish to see prizes awarded, not by a medal, but rather by the purchase of the work itself, or if this be already disposed of, by the commission for another.
It may be somewhat useful to artists to see the works of others, their variety, and the different modes of feeling and seeing of their authors; it may infuse into them new life, new strength, and stimulate them to search within themselves for what they find in the works of others: but if this examination, this comparison, this stimulating fever be of assistance to some, to the greater number it is a stumbling-block, and the cause of their going astray. It is useless to have any illusion. The greater number of young artists allow themselves to be taken by the bait of novelty, only because it is novelty, without being able to discern the hidden reasons for which good sense and experience concede or deny merit to such novelty. To but few belongs the power of examination and criticism,—to them alone who, having by nature the sentiment and cult of art, exercise themselves by constantly holding up the mirror before it; for they find in it always something new and varied, and on this very account do not ignore the reasons and laws that willingly give consent to these varieties and novelties. But the others allow themselves to be dazzled, and accept the novelty whatever it may be, choosing by preference the strangest and most unusual, which for that very reason is sure to be the least true; and so they fall into double error—into imitation which lands one in mediocrity, and into oddity which has affinity with error. As with both—that is to say, amongst those who do not depreciate novelty, and amongst the others that are seduced by the false attractions of mere novelty—there are some who are capable of appreciating the good only so far as the means for being able to manifest it is made apparent to them. To these, great exhibitions are of use; but to the first named they are not of use, as they have no need of them—and to the others even less so, for to them they can do harm.
THE MILANESE SCHOOL OF SCULPTURE.