ctorsEr's 'VIEW ON THE HUDSON.
One of the most beautiful pietnres of the season is not in the exhibi- tient of the'Royal Academy. It it a large ,landscape painting,' by Jasper Cropsey, representing view the Hudson river, froth the heights above one of the small towns upon its' bariki. The spectator stands high up, and somewhat back, upon a wooded hill with an openieg before through which a broad view of the river ; the land descending from the foreground to the' nearest bank, which ie, -however; quite in'the distance. The timo is autumn, and the foliage of the tall trees and tangled underwOod, intermingles a brilliant green with`colonni of red end yellow that vie in richness and intensity with the hue of flowers. Every one who has visited America knows: how' glowing is the Seenery,—how it altogether surpasses the experience of Europe,. and would- seem to these who have seen no more than the picture exaggerated. In the painting before us, however, it 'is generally agreed that the painter has rather subdued these brilliant tones than otherwise. The country is seen under a vivid sun. Thesubject is treated with great skill. With a :sharp eye and a firm hand, Mr. Cropaiy is 'enabled to seize the precise forms of arganic life, or the broken ground, in all their variety and "force ; and the effect, of air is conveyed by the movement in the atnittsphere aberve, by the'smoke which goes dancing from the steamer funnel, and' by the endless change of tint which pervades the entire 'scene,' 1301, as in picture; the varying forms and countless tints of innumerable glaneing shadovis -viewed under one sun by one pair of eyes, are blended into an' hannonious whole; There is complete life and thorough repose. ' One little trait will illustrate the completeness :with_which'the -Work is done ; it is a test which we have often applied to pictures, and very eeldom found them answer to it: , In nature, the forms- of the foliage, the position of the tree-trunks, the leaves, and the flower-sterns, will be found to present an endless variety of direction. - The landscape- painter too often suffers his hand to fall into a pattern : if any variety be introdneed, the variations' are repeated at certain intervals ; and ah in organic mechanism may be detected at a glance. There is nothing of the kind in Mr. Cropscy's picture. It is this; -as well as the force and freedom of the' Colouring, which makes you feel that, placed before the canvas; you stand upon the Wooded height, looking over the 'vast expanse of the-HudSon 'valley, breathing the very air-Of that magnificent region: The painter's magic makes the room well opeii, and the possessor of the picture becomes owner of' one of the loveliest and grandeit estates' in which eye can revel:
Previous page
