GODEY'S LADY'S BOOK
Philadelphia, January 1850

ART NOTICES.

Bracket, Woodside, Rothermel, Read, &c.
BRACKET.– The arrival of this fine ARTIST among us has given a new impulse to the lovers of art in its purest form of sculpture. His quiet studio, in Tenth street, is the daily resort of the cultivated and beauty-loving of our city. The superb bust of the poet LongFellow, with its manly contours and Grecianesque voluptuousness of feature, would make quite an exhibition in itself; but when to this are added the heads of BRYANT, DANA, and ALLSTON – a whole parthenon of genius – no one need be surprised at the attention shown Mr. Bracket. These busts appear to us most carefully and truthfully wrought; conveying the characteristic expression of the poet, without sacrificing the human too much to a mere idealism; and he would pay a grateful compliment to both poet and artist who should order them put in marble and added to his household deities. Now, which of our numerous art-patrons will say the word? But the great attraction of Mr. Bracket's studio is the "Drowned Mother and her Child." No one can look upon this beautiful group – the most poetical and elaborate of the artist's works – without feeling that he has hit upon something very like a piece of genuine inspiration. The figures are life-size, and nearly nude – a portion of the night-dress only hanging to the arms of the principal one. The poor mother, thrown by a receding wave across a pointed rock, still clings to her baby-child with a living instinct. Even in death, she loses not the one thought of the mother. In modeling the figure, the idea of beauty seems to have absorbed all the rest. There is no distortion; no rigidness of muscle; no clutching as if for aid. The expression is that of pure beauty and entire repose; and it would be difficult to find in these radiant features, anything that speaks of violence or an untimely end. And in this, we think there is a certain incompleteness in the artist's conception. The " before and after" are scarcely told – the why this just breathing form has ceased to breathe; and yet this is within the province of art, as it is of poetry. But be this as it may, we welcome Bracket's group, with its careful modeling, its lovely forms, and its graceful contours, as a valuable addition to American Art.

WOODSIDE'S "Introduction of Christianity into Britain." – This remarkable picture has taken everybody by surprise. It is a wonderful advance upon anything the artist has before produced; and if "young Woodside" goes on at this rate, the veterans must look to their laurels. The picture is on a pilgrimage to Baltimore; and will, we trust, find such substantial appreciation as its high merits deserve. We saw it but a moment, before it went, but that moment impressed us most favorably. We hope to speak more at length of it in a future number.

Rothermel has been engaged several months upon a large picture, from a passage in English Ecclesiastical History, which we shall not forestall public curiosity by describing, though we are certain it will more than sustain the high reputation the artist has so deservedly acquired. He has also a picture on the easel, from "The MidsummerNight's Dream," which is full of the fairy witchery and the exquisite poetical imagery of the story. It is in a new vein for Mr. R.; and one which, if well worked, will yield with California preciousness. It is the most fanciful work Mr. Rothermel has yet produced.

The same artist has lately completed e series of drawings for the "Book," which are now in the hands of various distinguished engravers, and will soon be before the readers of "Godey," in all the beauty of line engraving; which is, after all, the true poetry of the graver's art; and, in expressivenees., force, texture, and durability, is before all styles – stipple, mezzotint, and wooden block included.

Read has just placed a new painting in the Art-Union Gallery, which is a very clever performance. It is called "Fortune Telling," we believe, and represents a pretty little "female woman" studying the palm of another little maiden, with true womanly gravity. The coloring is much warmer and more pleasing than Mr. R. has before given us; and, altogether, the "Fortune Teller" is a very pretty affair.

We have no copies remaining unsold for 1849, to make "extraordinary offers" in connection with a magazine failure. We sold our edition off as fast as printed, and could have disposed of many more. Our edition is always honestly stated. If we printed but 19,000, we should say so. We commence the January number with 40,000; and, before February, we presume it will be 50,000.

It seems to be the practice with most other magazines to boast of what their January number will be; their whole aim being to make that number superior, and induce persons to subscribe, thinking that they will get such numbers the whole year. Now, we appeal to the public, if many of our numbers last year did not far exceed in beauty and number of pages that for January. We do not contemplate throughout the year to give as many pages us we do in this number, and we honestly state it. We doubt if others will be equally as honest. It is optional with ourselves, however. We watch the course of events, and if circumstances demand it, we may give twice the number. We annex the following extract frm a letter received from the editor of " The American Citizen," published at Jackson, Mich. "We think the ' Book' deserving, because it keeps up its interest throughout the year, which is more than I can say of some magazines." We did not, m our prospectus for 1849, publish eighty pages, and say that "every number throughout the year would, in every respect, be like the January, with the exception of an engraved title-page," and then fall to sixty-four. We did not attack the institutions of the South, which called forth their merited rebuke. Nor did we publish vulgar "model artist" engravings, that met the universal displeasure of the press throughout the country, for which we have, in both cases, the vouchers to show or publish, if necessary.

We did not expect so dignified a publication as " Lit-tell's Living Age" would take from our columns the Biography of Fredriks Bremer, by Mary Howitt, and publish it without credit.

The engraving of "The Death-bed of Wesley," in this number, is taken from our large and expensive engraving,
(File size 29K)

IN this number, we give a specimen of "our artist in London." He is an American engraver, and was sent to London by us that he might get that assortment there which cannot be procured here.

A SLIGHT error crept into our advertisement on the December cover. We are made to say that " we gave over double the number of engravings comprised in the other two magazines," &c. We intended to say that we gave as many as the other two, and thirty-five over. And again, "the cotemporary who gave 916 pages," should have been "the cotemporary who gave 800 pages." Justice to all demands these corrections. It will be perceived that one was in our favor and the other against us. These errors passed through only part of the edition.

We see that "Cousin Helen's Baby," published in the October number, seems to have given great pleasure to the press.

Ma. Arthur's New Book -Mr. Arthur's new book, noticed by our reviewer this month, is a most beautiful volume, and just the thing for a gift-book during the coming holiday season. Mr. J. W. Bradley, the publisher, No. 48 North Fourth street, holds it as a subscription book alone, and will employ agents to sell it in all parts of the United States, who, we do not in the least doubt, will find it one of the most saleable works recently issued from the press.

The condemnation of the wooden block fashions for any useful purpose has gone forth, The dignified co-temporary, who supposed, in compliance with the popular voice, that he would have to give a fashion plate every three months, now has each number filled with these abominations.

THE portrait of Loves A. Godey, the original pro prietor and publisher of the Lady's Book for twenty years, will appear in the next number.

The public will perceive that the premiums we offer are just double those offered by any cotemporary; and, after reading the description on the cover, no one will doubt that they are far superior.

We recommend our friends, in "town and country," to give Warden, corner of Fifth and Chestnut streets, a call, to purchase holiday gifts. His assortment of jewelry and fancy articles cannot be surpassed

In presenting the January number to the public, we need only say that it cannot be equaled, We took the whole magazine world and other publishers by surprise with our December number; but what will they say when they see this? It is useless to attempt competition; for, while the Lady's Book engrosses the whole time of its publisher and editor, the attention of other publishers is withdrawn to other pursuits.

Peabody, the celebrated Cameo Portrait Cutter, 140 Chestnut street, is kept busily engaged with the portraits of some of our most eminent citizen's.

We perceive that our neighbor Scott, of "Scott's Weekly Paper," offers four twenty-five cent novels and his leviathan paper, one year, for $9. This is absolutely giving it away.

Fulfilling Problems--It is not every one who has the good fortune to receive credit for having fulfilled their promises to the public. It has been our happiness, however, to have received from our cotemporaries of the press, the still more grateful award that we have more than fulfilled our promises. The Odd Fellow, Boonsboro, Md., claims to have been the first who said that "Godey more than fulfilled his promises." For that, we thank him; and are grateful that his good opinion has been so universally sustained, proving that, after all, he was not so odd a fellow as he imagined.

THE LATE EDGAR A. POE.– The December number of the "Book" contained some amusing specimens of American Poets; and, among them, one of the poetry of the late Mr. Poe. Lest some of our readers should suppose that we had been trifling with the memory of a gifted but unfortunate son of genius, we deem it proper to state that the article had been sent to the press before the lamented death of the poet occurred, otherwise it would not have been inserted.