bombastic, shall we reject and condemn a colossal statue before having
seen it, because there is nothing like it in France? And is it true that
it will be bomastic? That is by no means demonstrated. On the contrary
an impartial examination of the design would show that the work has been
seriously conceived and thought out; that it does not lack dignity; that
it is intended to be full of spirit and significance. It would be the
part of wisdom at least to avoid dogmatism in an advance judgment as to
its worth as a work of art, and to wait awhile before pronouncing a
final verdict.

Hazlitt tells of a conceited English painter who went to Rome, and when
he got into the Sistine Chapel, turning to his companion, said, "Egad,
George, we're bit!" Our own tendency is, because of our ignorance, to be
sceptical and suspicious as to foreign works of art, especially of a
kind that are novel and daring. No one is so hard to please as a
simpleton. We are so afraid of being taken in, that we are reluctant to
commit ourselves in favor of any new thing until we have heard from
headquarters; but it appears to be considered a sign of knowledge to
vituperate pictures and statues which do not conform to some undefinable
ideal standard of our own invention. There is, of course, a class of
indulgent critics who are pernicious enough in their way; but the savage
and destructive criticism of which I speak is quite as ignorant and far
more harmful. It assumes an air of authority based on a superficial
knowledge of art, and beguiles the public into a belief in its
infallibility by means of a smooth style and an occasional epigram the
smartness of which may and often does conceal a rank injustice. The
expression of a hope that the result of Mr. Bartholdi's labors "will be
something better than another gigantic asparagus stalk added to those
that already give so comical a look to our sky-line," is truly an
encouraging and generous utterance at this particular stage of the