Winter's Distribution   of Paint-
ings. 
On Saturday evening, Dec. 30th, 1854, 
Winter's annual distribution of paintings took 
place at the Melodeon hall. A very large,  
intelligent and fashionable audience assem- 
bled there on that occasion, which evidenced certainly a growing interest for the fine arts, 
and a cultivation among us of the high-
er and ennabling [enabling] faculties of our nature.-
The interest manifested by our ladies, too, whose presence contributed much to the evening so pleasantly occupied, will be long remembered.
The lecture on Art, by Hon. H. P. Biddle, 
was of a high order, and was conceded by all 
present to be an intellectual banquet. It was elegantly given. The lecturer was well inform-
ed upon the subjec [subject] he discoursed—he 
gave ample evidence of much deep research 
and varied knowledge of the arts, embracing painting, sculpture, poetry and music—the 
lovely sisterhood of a divine family. Had 
we space, we would give a synopsis of the 
discourse, but forbear, as we understand it  
will be published at the request of many of our citizens.
The perioration was truly beautiful. He observed: "Mankind has been singing on the musical scale, which contains but seven 
sounds, ever since the creation, and the vari-
ety is still exhaustless; and with a few letters, 
not exceeding eight different sounds, perhaps, 
in all the languages (for the consonants are 
nothing but the vowel sounds, with a peculiar beginning or termination), every possible tho't within the range of intellect, and every image 
and object in the ideal and material world,
may be represented by poetry. How few 
the principles, how endless the variety, how 
vast the domain of art! And nature herself 
in all her works, is but the art of God. The 
Heavens are his architecture. His statuary 
is man, formed in his own image. His paint-
ing is on the earth and in the sky. The har-
mony of the rolling spheres is his music; and 
his poetry is universal and eternal praise!"
After the delivery of the lecture, the distri-
bution took place by a committee of five 
chosen by the members. Among them we 
noticed the Hon. A. S. White, who had pre 
viously in a flattering manner introduced the lecturer to the audience. The following was 
the result: "Seeking the Shade," "Crossing 
the Creek," "Vicinity of Cincinnati," "Mau-
mee River," "Eel River," "Wabash Scene," "Spotted Fawn," "3 Pottawattamie Women," "Pattawattamie Girl," "Down Charge," "Mt. Gilboa," and "N'-dam-in-a-doo," all which 
fell to citizens of Lafayette. Evansville got "Sunset," one of the best paintings. "A 
Good Shot" goes to Toledo. "Indian Wig-
wam," a little gem—to Columbus, Ind.— "Scripture Scene," got by a lucky member at Indianapolis, "Oliver Cromwell," Logans-
port. Winter Scene," drawn by a subscri-
ber at Fort Wayne; and "Fording," a gem, 
to Lockport, N. T. Two-thirds of the cer-
tificates were disposed of in Lafayette; the 
balance were secured in various other places. Thirteen paintings were drawn by citizens of Lafayette, and seven in the towns above enumerated.
The artist will therefore make his works 
familiar to those residing at a distance, and 
no doubt will exert a favorable opinion rela-
tive to the position of the arts on the Wabash. 
And as every work of art infuses more or 
less influence towards a refining taste, so the twenty paintings now distributed will perform 
their congenial mission.  [in pencil]-[4 Jan 1855]