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23 was their prefect enthusiasm for athletic exercises, and for the full development of the physical power, which made their sculpture the wonder and despair of succeeding ages. So to the enthusiasm of a pompous religion, which no longer exercises it dominion over the imagination, we owe the masterpieces of historical composition in painting. Inanimate nature is still unchanged; and therefore landscape painting has failed less than any other, except portrait, which is the natural growth of busy and selfish society. But even landscape painting requires for its perfection, like descriptive poetry, a secluded and contemplative life, which becomes every day more rare and difficult. We cannot, therefore, join Mr Morse in his confident anticipations of the triumph of American artists over the most transcendent efforts of European geniuses, ancient or modern. That our country will equal the contemporaneous works of others, we are well inclined to believe; though we care [[?]] in our peculiar [[strikethrough]] system [[/strikethrough]] situation
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