A History of the Nineteenth Century, Year by Year. Volume 2 (of 3)Emerson, Edwin
History
A History of the Nineteenth Century, Year by Year. Volume 2 (of 3)
Emerson, Edwin
History, Modern -- 19th century
As a sculptor, Thorvaldsen's name will always be linked with that of his
great rival and contemporary, Canova. Both sculptors are equally remarkable
for the way they returned to the classic traditions of Hellenic sculpture.
It can be said of them that they bridged the chasm of nearly two thousand
years that had elapsed between antiquity and modern times. It was reserved
to their successors to introduce a modern note in sculpture. Like Canova,
Thorvaldsen exerted great influence on almost all the sculptors who came to
Rome in his day. Thus Rauch declared himself indebted to him for the purity
of his style. From his school in turn issued Riechel of Dresden, Drake,
Wolff and Blauser of Cologne. Among the friends of Thorvaldsen, who
profited by his councils, were Dannecker, Schadow and Schwanthaler. At
Rome, Tenerini, Louis Bienaime, Pierre Galli and Emile Wolff proved
themselves apt pupils of the Danish master, while, at Copenhagen,
Thorvaldsen's influence was kept alive by Bisson.
[Sidenote: Death of Saint Hilaire]
[Sidenote: Comte]
[Sidenote: Lacordaire]
[Sidenote: "Count of Monte Cristo"]
In France two other great personages of Napoleonic days passed away with
Joseph Bonaparte, the great Napoleon's brother and quondam king of Naples
and Spain, and Jacques Lafitte, Napoleon's banker, to whose honor were
intrusted the millions left behind by Napoleon, when he fled from Paris.
More lamented than their death, perhaps, was that of Etienne Geoffroy
Saint-Hilaire, the great French naturalist. Born in 1772, he first came
into prominence as the curator of the wild animals in the Jardin des
Plantes. Here he formed his life-long friendship with Cuvier. General
Bonaparte took him along on the expedition to Egypt, where Saint-Hilaire
helped found the Institute of Cairo. In 1807 he was admitted into the
French Institute, and two years later was appointed Professor of Zoology
and Comparative Physiology in the Faculty of Sciences. This chair he
retained until his death. Starting as a pure zoologist, Saint-Hilaire
became the founder of the science of philosophical anatomy. This new
doctrine was fully expounded in his "Philosophie Anatomique" (1818-1822).
Other important works of Saint-Hilaire were "Histoire Naturelle des
Mammiferes," collaborated with Cuvier (1819-1837); "Principes de la
Philosophie Zoologique" (1830), and "Etudes Progressives d'un Naturaliste."
During this same year Comte published his "Discours sur l'Esprit Positive."
Pere Lacordaire brought out his "Funeral Orations," while Charles
Lenormais, with others, published the great French work on "Ceramographic
Monuments." Practical effect to the teachings of Saint-Simon, Fourier and
Louis Blanc was given by the establishment of the so-called Creches, or
infant asylums for the temporary care of children of working mothers. The
greatest literary success of the year was that of Alexandre Dumas's serial
novel, "The Count of Monte Cristo."
[Sidenote: French war with Morocco]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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