WhenIarrivedforthefirsttimeatNewYork，bythatpartoftheAtlanticOceanwhichiscalledtheNarrows，Iwassurprisedtoperceivealongtheshore，atsomedistancefromthecity，aconsiderablenumberoflittlepalacesofwhitemarble，severalofwhichwerebuiltafterthemodelsofancientarchitecture。WhenIwentthenextdaytoinspectmorecloselythebuildingwhichhadparticularlyattractedmynotice，Ifoundthatitswallswereofwhitewashedbrick，anditscolumnsofpaintedwood。AlltheedificeswhichIhadadmiredthenightbeforewereofthesamekind。
Thesocialconditionandtheinstitutionsofdemocracyimpart，moreover，certainpeculiartendenciestoalltheimitativearts，whichitiseasytopointout。Theyfrequentlywithdrawthemfromthedelineationofthesoultofixthemexclusivelyonthatofthebody:andtheysubstitutetherepresentationofmotionandsensationforthatofsentimentandthought:inaword，theyputtherealintheplaceoftheideal。
IdoubtwhetherRaphaelstudiedtheminutestintricaciesofthemechanismofthehumanbodyasthoroughlyasthedraughtsmenofourowntime。Hedidnotattachthesameimportancetorigorousaccuracyonthispointastheydo，becauseheaspiredtosurpassnature。Hesoughttomakeofmansomethingwhichshouldbesuperiortoman，andtoembellishbeauty’sself。Davidandhisscholarswere，onthecontrary，asgoodanatomistsastheyweregoodpainters。Theywonderfullydepictedthemodelswhichtheyhadbeforetheireyes，buttheyrarelyimaginedanythingbeyondthem:theyfollowednaturewithfidelity:whilstRaphaelsoughtforsomethingbetterthannature。Theyhaveleftusanexactportraitureofman;buthedisclosesinhisworksaglimpseoftheDivinity。Thisremarkastothemanneroftreatingasubjectisnolessapplicabletothechoiceofit。ThepaintersoftheMiddleAgesgenerallysoughtfarabovethemselves，andawayfromtheirowntime，formightysubjects，whichlefttotheirimaginationanunboundedrange。Ourpaintersfrequentlyemploytheirtalentsintheexactimitationofthedetailsofprivatelife，whichtheyhavealwaysbeforetheireyes;andtheyareforevercopyingtrivialobjects，theoriginalsofwhichareonlytooabundantinnature。
ChapterXII:WhyTheAmericansRaiseSomeMonumentsSoInsignificant，AndOthersSoImportantIhavejustobserved，thatindemocraticagesmonumentsoftheartstendtobecomemorenumerousandlessimportant。Inowhastentopointouttheexceptiontothisrule。Inademocraticcommunityindividualsareverypowerless;buttheStatewhichrepresentsthemall，andcontainsthemallinitsgrasp，isverypowerful。Nowheredocitizensappearsoinsignificantasinademocraticnation;nowheredoesthenationitselfappeargreater，ordoesthemindmoreeasilytakeinawidegeneralsurveyofit。
Indemocraticcommunitiestheimaginationiscompressedwhenmenconsiderthemselves;itexpandsindefinitelywhentheythinkoftheState。Henceitisthatthesamemenwholiveonasmallscaleinnarrowdwellings，frequentlyaspiretogiganticsplendorintheerectionoftheirpublicmonuments。