Bryant's face has an
immovable tranquillity, a reserve and impassiveness, which yet are not
coldness; the clear gray eye calmly looks through and through you, but
permits no intelligence of what is passing behind it to come out to you.
It is such a face as one of the old Greek kings might have had, as he
sat administering justice. All this, it seems to us, Durand's picture
gives. It looks out at you impassive, penetrating, as though it would
hear all and tell nothing,--a strong, self-continent, completely
balanced character,--unshrinking, unyielding, yet without being
unsensitive,--concentrated, justly poised, and intense, without being
passionate. The head is admirably engraved, though we do not at all
fancy the way in which the background is done; it is heavy, formal, and
unartistic,--but this may be matter of choice.
RECENT AMERICAN PUBLICATIONS.
Man and his Dwelllng-Place. An Essay towards the Interpretation of
Nature. New York. Redfield. 12mo. pp. 391. $1.00.
Annual of Scientific Discovery; or Year-Book of Facts in Science and Art
for 1859, exhibiting the most Important Discoveries and Improvements in
Mechanics, etc.
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