t it' ♦ 1 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Getty Research Institute https ://arch ive.org/detai Is/reportsof u n iteds02u n it : PORCH OF THE FIXE ART GALLERY. CHAMP DE MARS R E P O R T S OF THE United States Commissioners TO THE PARIS UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION, 1878 . PUBLISHED UNDER DIRECTION OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE BY AUTHORITY OF CONGRESS . Volume II. FINE ARTS, EDUCATION, WOOD CARVING, TEXTILE FABRICS. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1880 . CONTENTS OF VOLUME IL Reports of Commissioners: Fine Arts.William W. Story. Education.Joshua L. Chamberlain. Political Education.Andrew D. White. Manual Training Schools.. ..Eliot C. Jewett. Wood-carving.John Treadwell Norton. Textile Fabrics.— Henry Howard. Index.... Page. 1 181 349 383 417 429 467 III ILLUSTRATIONS IN VOLUME II. Commissioner Story’s report: Porch of the Gallery of Fine Arts, Champ de Mars The Rue des Nations. Commissioner Norton’s report: Japanese farm-gates. Mirror frame. Carved panel in walnut.. Wood-carving in jujube. Carved panels in walnut. Wood-carving in jujube.. Page. Frontispiece. . .. 152 421 423 424 424 246 FINE ARTS. WILLIAM W. STORY. REPORT ON THE FINE A. H T S . Mr. Edward M. Gallaudet, in his report on the Vienna v g®fere^ice to International Exhibition of 1873 and “The Governmentaltionofisra. Patronage of Art,’ 7 after regretting that no part of the ap¬ propriation made by Congress to enable “ the people of the United States to participate in the advantages of the Expo¬ sition at Vienna could be expended in the purchase of a portion at least of the rich art treasures there exhibited,’’ concludes by “ expressing the hope that no such opportunity in the future will be neglected by the government.” This hope has not been gratified. For the recent Inter- inadequacy ‘of the sum voted by national Exposition at Paris not only was no fund specially the United states . t . Government for appropriated to enrich our country with treasures of art, Paris Exposition but the small sum of $150,000 actually appropriated to° cover all expenses of every kind was not only so insufficient in itself, but was so tardily given as to render it impossible for America to make an exhibition worthy of a great coun¬ try, not only in the department of the fine arts, but even in those of industry, commerce, machinery, manufactures, nat¬ ural products, and mechanical arts.* -Both money and time were wanting, and, as the limitation insufficient _ .. ., ,, time for prepara- of time necessarily added to the expenses, the sum appro- tion. priated, small as it was, was by this circumstance practi¬ cally diminished. The consequence has been an injury, not only to the reputation of the country, but even more to its material interests. u Noblesse oblige ” is a motto which is unknown to or re¬ jected by our country. We wish to take among nations the high place to which we are justly entitlec 1 but we grudge the necessary outlay. Our penurious grants of money for great public objects retard the development of the country; our inefficient salaries to public officers of trust offer a * This sum was in fact found to he so utterly inadequate that subse¬ quently, after the Exposition was open, and ifc was too late to retrieve the past, an additional sum of $40,000 was granted to cover necessary expenses. 3 4 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. temptation to fraud, or exclude from them all who have not private means to sustain worthily their position and inde¬ pendence. The laborer is not considered worthy of his hire. trenoiiment” re *^-h e cry of retrenchment suffices to stop a proper and even necessary expenditure. We expect to secure great public services for inadequate pay, and that which would be rec¬ ognized as folly in the administration of private affairs is thought to be quite satisfactory in the conduct of public and national interests. The Paris Ex- At this International Exposition at Paris a great opnor- position of 1878 ... . ° America’s oppor tunity was offered to America to lift itself in the estima¬ tion of the world, and to increase the market for all its ma¬ terial products. Whether or not we care what is thought of us abroad, we are at least susceptible to our interests, and these have been undoubtedly affected to a serious extent by the incomplete exhibition of ourselves which the govern¬ ment forced upon the country by its unwise economy and delay. It may be quite satisfactory to those who opposed and . delayed the grant of the insufficient sum which Congress finally gave to this Exposition, to be able to declare to their constituents that by their earnest efforts for a retrench¬ ment, v and by their tender care of the u people’s money,” they have saved the country the sum of several thousands of dollars; but it is not quite so satisfactory to find that for pound B fooiishf e ’ every thousand dollars thus saved it is the firm belief of those who have ample opportunity to know, that at least a hundred thousand dollars have been lost to the country by this parsimony. Nor is it quite satisfactory to feel assured that we have also made an incomplete exhibition of ourselves before the world, and, were we to be judged by this Expo¬ sition, would fail to take our proper rank.* imperfect ex- if this be the case in the departments of industry and the fine arts section, mechanic arts, how much more so is it in that of the fine arts, where we were so sparsely and imperfectly represented. We have been accustomed to boast that in sculpture our country * I desire here to hear my testimony to the spirit, energy, and effi • ciency shown by our chief commissioner, Governor McCormick, in arranging and directing the various departments and administering the fund appropriated to this Exposition. All that was possible to be done with the means at his disposal was promptly and admirably done. Whatever deficiencies there were were due to the necessities of the case, and not to any lack of administrative ability or earnest good will on his part. It was, for instance, to his efforts, in conjunction with those of Mr. Philbrick, that the educational section, which reflected great honor on our country and awakened a world-wide interest; owed its existence. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 5 could at least take rank with that of any in Europe, but in exhibition * 1 ox sculpture from this Exposition American sculpture had no place and no rep- theUnitedStates. resentative. It was necessarily excluded. There was neither money nor time to render such an exhibition possible. No space was assigned to it in the portion of the building al¬ lotted to the United States. Not only was no sculptor re¬ quested to send any of his works, but he was forbidden to do so. The grant was too small to enable the Commis¬ sioner-General to assume the necessary expenses of trans¬ mission or placing, or arrangement of a proper room, and the time was too short either to obtain such a room or to do eluded by the iu- what was absolutely necessary. Sculpture was therefore priathm. appiw excluded. The expenses and risks incident to an exhibition of sculpture are of course far greater than those which are required for an exhibition of paintings, and, had such an exhibition been determined upon, these would have fallen solely upon the sculptors themselves, some of whom were unable and some unwilling to bear them. Those whose rep¬ utations were already established had little desire to assume such burdens, with nothing to gain and everything to risk, while others who properly had a right to be represented had not the means. Small consideration has ever been paid by America to her own achievements in the fine arts in any international exhi¬ bition, but this is the first in which our country has formally excluded sculpture. With most nations, the department of the fine arts has ever been looked upon as the flower of their flower of an in- exhibition. No pains have been spared to render it attract - bltfons° na ex u * ive 5 no expense refused to give it importance and complete¬ ness. It is here that the highest laurels have been won, and in the success and distinction of their artists all other nations have felt the warmest interest and pride. We alone have treated art with indifference, if not contempt—wholly neg¬ lected its claims, and sternly refused any outlay of money to advance its interests. What we have done has been incom¬ pletely done and grudgingly done. At the International Exhibition of London, in 1862, the Action of the Papal Government assumed all the risk and expenses ofin^nVat works of art to and from the exhibition, insuring the safe ^ 2 Exhll)ltlonoi carriage and return of any work. Nor did it exclude from this generous plan the artists of other nations working at Rome, but extended to them the same privileges and rights it gave to its own subjects. It took care, at its own expense, and by its own expert commissioners, that the rooms allotted to the arts should be handsomely decorated and arranged. Its generosity was well rewarded. The Roman court was 6 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. one of the chief features of interest in the Exhibition, and gave distinction not only to the artists but to Rome. ment?oward&ar- But, without entering here into details, it may be said in tists - general that there is no government in Europe which has considered itself absolved from all duties toward artists, and none which has not acknowledged the claims of art, and shown a generous and liberal spirit in advancing its inter¬ ests. Not only the first-class powers of France, England, Germany, Austria, and Italy, but all the smaller countries, without exception, have equally felt it to be their duty, their interest, and their pride to develop national art, encourage National muse- national artists, establish museums and academies, and gather emies. together, for the study and delight of all, collections of works of the past and present by the ablest masters in sculpture and painting and the sister arts. America is the only nation which, as a nation, has done nothing. Earnest efforts have undoubtedly been made in some of the principal cities of the United States to encourage and develop the fine arts, and various academies, museums, and Private mumfi- S chools of art have been founded by private munificence cence iu tlie Uni- J ted states a sub- and association, which, as far as their funds will allow, are tionai encourage- endeavoring to supply the absence of all action by the nation. These are well administered, and great credit is due to the founders and officers for their public spirit and energy. Among these may be mentioned the museums and academies Corcoran G-ai- at Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and the gallery at Wash- ton, d. c. mgton, created and given to the city by Mr. Corcoran and sustained by his generosity. But these are all private and local in their character and their funds. They are not national institutions. tiSCollections We have no national collections; no national museums, or schools of art. academies, or schools of art. We have no national rewards for merit; no diplomas or medals for success; no recogni¬ tion save that of public and general estimation for the works of distinguished artists. The medals, diplomas, and deco¬ rations which they have obtained have been conferred upon them by foreign countries. It is true that in the Interna¬ tional Exhibition at Philadelphia, medals were assigned as well to the products of art as of industry; but the list of centennial me- medallists was so extended as to detract from the value and dala were all of . . one grade ami significance of the medals given. The medals had all the same value, and no distinction of merit one above another. But even these were not conferred by the nation, which neither gave its authority nor its purse to this Exhibition. It did, indeed, temporarily lend some money to further the enterprise, which was of a private character purely, but it FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 7 strictly exacted the repayment of the sum. A govern- ment vessel was also sent abroad to transport free of freight from the works of Americans, and especially of artists. The sum aeipiiia. expended in this way, had it been differently administered, by an intelligent commission, would have gone far toward defraying the general expenses of the American exhibitors abroad. As it was, it was wasted in merely relieving them from the payment of freights—for which a quarter of the sum would have sufficed to transport the works in the ordinary way. Freight, however, was but the smallest of the ex¬ penses to which any artist, and particularly any sculptor, was subjected. All other expenses and risks were thrown upon his shoulders. If his picture or statue was damaged, broken, or lost, he had no remedy; if, as really occurred, the cases in which his works had been packed were destroyed by fire in the storage sheds, without his fault, he alone sus¬ tained the loss. As a nation, we do not profess to look down upon art: at, National neg- least, we utterly neglect it. It forms no portion of our edu¬ cation, and in the public representative bodies of our country a lamentable ignorance prevails. There is neither knowl edge nor good taste in the patronage of the government. Ho great national academy or museum of art exists to confer honors and rewards, to educate students, or to improve the public taste; all the academies and museums that exist are private and local in their character, limited in their means, and unsupported by the nation. The American artist, there¬ fore, having but restricted opportunities to educate himself Americans in his own country, is forced to expatriate himself for the pur- abroad/ 0 study pose of study. After he has to a certain extent accomplished hinrself in his art, if he returns to his own country he meets at every turn but obstacles and disappointments. The pat¬ ronage of the government is for the most part in the hands of the ignorant, and it is but too often the prize of success¬ ful lobbying, from which the true artist withdraws In shame. If we are a great country, as justly we claim to be, let us should not a behave like a great country. Is it creditable for us, with all aSd °miseSm “S' our wealth and prosperity, to be without a great national theUnitedstlteS museum and academy of art—such as is to be found in every great capital in Europe ? How can we expect to take rank in art with the great nations of Europe, when neither our nation itself nor any State or city in the Union possesses a gallery of art of which any second-rate government of Europe would not be ashamed? While we have nothing, can we without mortification look at the magnificent collec¬ tions abroad and consider the munificent manner in which 8 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, J878. National Gal¬ lery. British Muse¬ um. Kensington Museum. Grants by Par¬ liament. British success in uneart hing and securing antiqui¬ ties. Halicarnassus. Parthenon. Lycian art. Nineveh. Phigalean mar¬ bles. Royal Acad- emy. ‘ PrixdeRome. Trocadero Gal- le ry of Retrospec¬ tive Art. they are supported and constantly enriched by public grants? In England, besides the treasures of private collections, there is the National Gallery, rich in the most splendid works of the greatest painters 5 the British Museum, adorned with the noblest relics of antique sculpture, vases, gems, terra¬ cotta ornaments, bronzes, not to speak of the incomparable library and other departments in the museum; the Ken¬ sington Museum, a store-house of treasures of the mediteval world and of the Renaissance. Costly as these collections are, they are constantly enlarged by munificent grants from Parliament. Not a year passes that conspicuous sums are not paid to secure still additional treasures. It suffices that England knows that anything of real value and excellence is to be procured, and her purse-strings are liberally opened to obtain it. Not only this, large sums of money are con¬ stantly granted to explore the soil of ancient Greece, and to unearth the master pieces of antique sculpture and arch¬ itecture. There is no corner of the world where she is not prying, regardless of cost, to discover valuable relics of the ancient world of art. Under her auspices the soil of Hali¬ carnassus yielded up the lost sculpture of the famous Mauso¬ leum. The Parthenon conceded to her its glorious but de¬ faced works. To her liberality, enterprise, and determina¬ tion we owe it that we still have the remains of Lycian art, the massive sculpture and cuneiform inscriptions of Nine¬ veh—the Phigalean marbles. Besides these great muse¬ ums, it was under her patronage that the Boyal Academy was founded and still lives, and is regarded as a national institution. Nor far behind her is France, with her magnificent na¬ tional galleries of sculpture and painting, covering acres of ground, and illustrated with the noblest works of the ancient and modern world, with her academies of art, sci¬ ence, and literature, whose hard-won honors are coveted throughout the world, with her annual prizes to those who distinguish themselves in art. Her golden medals of merit, her u Prixde Rome her encouraging hands are ready to help and cheer the artist. In no grudging spirit she expends from the public purse large annual sums to add to her already rich collections of art; and in celebration of this in¬ ternational gathering, has built the great palace of the Tro¬ cadero as a permanent gallery of retrospective art. Here are gathered together, in chronological series, the artistic relics of the past from the earliest ages—a mere description of which would involve the history of art itself. This she FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 9 has done to show to the world that the Republic does not FRANCE - intend to be behind the Empire in the liberal fostering of art. le ries ° p embrlce Nor can it be said that all the galleries of Europe are the thG present as accumulations of the past only, and that it would be impos¬ sible for us even to attempt a rivalship in this regard with the nations of Europe. The Kensington Museum and this very palace of the Trocadero, among others, are a proof of the contrary 5 and still more have we an example in Munich Munich, of what a large and generous spirit can do in our own day. It is within our own recent memory that King Louis founded the Glyptothek and Pinacothek there, and created and de- Giyptothek. veloped a new school of art. This, at least, is certain, that Pmacothek - we never shall make any progress towards having a great national museum, or academy, or school of art, until we begin in earnest. ITp to the present day, we have not begun. How, then, can we expect to have a national character in our art % But the unfortunate fact is that the very proposition in Congress to appropriate even an inadequate sum for such a purpose would probably arouse the strongest opposition, and afford an opportunity for much blatant talk about the necessity of retrenchment and the duty of keeping u the peo¬ ple’s money.” As it is, art is heavily handicapped in America. The govcm- notion of our government is that it must manage for itself, responsibility ^>f without means and opportunities of study and culture, depend for its support upon private patronage solely, and develop itself as it may in the cold shadow of neglect. One might as well expect the highest literary culture without libraries and schools, or the rarest exotic without a shelter frojn the chill of winter. One could not but be struck, even in the most cursory Former divis- glance at the Exposition, by the fact that the sharp division of Art” beconXig of schools which once characterized the different nations of obllterated - Europe has become very much obliterated. The modern facilities of tiavel have tended to draw them all together into one great nationality of art. Formerly the artists of each country remained at home, seeking their subjects in the life and nature by which they were surrounded, and developing a national character and style. Not only was this evident in the schools of various nations in the past, when the Dutch and Flemish schools, for instance, were so widely separated in all their characteristics from those of Italy, but it was also seen in the various schools of the same country, those of Venice, Tuscany, and Bologna being clearly distinguished from each other. In the present day, however, these national 10 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. draw n sSents a of c ^ arac ^ er ^ s ^ cs are f ar l ess discriminated. The great cen- every national- ters of art draw to them students of every nation, who carry back methods there learned to their own country, and thus it happens that the French school has distinguished repre¬ sentatives throughout Germany, Italy, Hungary, and in like manner the German schools have their representatives in France and America, and the Spanish school in Italy and elsewhere. Besides this, many artists permanently reside and practice their art in foreign lands and cities, and are scarcely to be distinguished in style and method from the native artists. If this be observable to a certain extent among all nations, more or less, nowhere was it more strongly marked than in the American department of painting in this Exposition. Here there was no nationality, no peculiarity of method, style, or thought, distinguishing the works of America from those of the rest of the world. American art- Our artists have been driven abroad to study by the utter ropeai°meUiods U absence of any materials for study at home, and the natural consequence is chat they have taken up the style and method of their masters, both in subject and in treatment. The apt¬ ness with which they have caught these characteristic fea¬ tures shows susceptibility, but, as Michel Angelo said, he who follows must go behind. We have many clever scholars, but, as yet, no masters. American art This tendency to imitation in American art, and this ab- imitative rather ' than original, sence of bold originality, is specially to be wondered at in a nation which in other departments has shown so much independence of thought and character. What is still more remarkable is that the paintings which are claimed to be most American are least characterized by vigor of design, fine quality of workmanship, or originality of conception. Despite the talent which is often shown, there is, for the most part, a lack of culture, a lack of training, and a lack of ideas. ceptions making these remarks I am only speaking of general characteristics and tendencies, to which individual excep¬ tions are undoubtedly to be made. Some of the American pictures at Paris showed capacity of no mean order, but in few cases can it be said to have emancipated itself from the tram¬ mels of imitation, or boldly made its own path, or had any¬ thing special to say. In a word, there is little strong creative power, even where there is considerable mechanical accom¬ plishment. Art’s excuse But if works of art are animated by no high poetic sense, tor being. , . 1 .. and are neither original m conception nor admirable m exe¬ cution, they have but little excuse for existing at all. Mere FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 11 verses, however carefully written with all the requirements America. of rhythm and rhyme, are not poems. In the recent Exposition the comparatively few works of tu f art which hung on the walls of the American department position, were well exhibited. The arrangement of the single room which contained them all compared favorably with that of any other nation. It is impossible, however, not to regret the absence of many of our most distinguished paint¬ ers. In some cases undoubtedly this was occasioned by a misapprehension as to the period within which the pictures Reasons lor in- must have been painted in order to render them admissible, com P letedls P lil 3' : and also by an unfounded belief that only the works of liv¬ ing artists could be sent. In other cases, in consequence of the exceedingly limited space, pictures were rejected which ought to have been received. In other cases, the owners of in ^ o?condluons some of the best pictures by American artists refused to ofreception ’ incur the risk and expense of sending them without any guaranty of their safe restoration. In other cases, the painters had no sufficient notice to enable them to send their works. The time between the appropriation by Congress want of notice, and its determination to participate at all in the Exposi¬ tion on the one hand, and the opening of the Exposition on the other, was too short to enable the Commissioner to give proper notice. Everything necessarily was done in a hurry, short time, and what is done in a hurry is seldom well done. Again, there were no committees appointed in the great centers of art—Italy, Germany, England, or France—to give proper information to tl^e artists or to secure their co-operation. The result was that such artists as William Hunt, Crop- Some able ar- . ' tists not repre- sey f Tilton, Bierstadt, Raseltine, for instance, and manysented. others who have attained distinction at home and abroad, were not represented at all; and those who did exhibit were restricted almost invariably to one picture, and that, in many cases, was selected, not because it was the best or most important one offered, but because of its size. Under such circumstances it is impossible to consider the paintings exhibited to be a fair representation of American art. The total number of pictures exhibited by the United tu ^ m e b t ® r States, in oil and water colors, was 143, and 19 engravings, States etc. There was no sculpture. England exhibited 448 16 £ , n paintings and 46 works in sculpture and bas relief, 26 de¬ signs, 170 architectural designs, and 36 engravings, making a total of 726. France exhibited 1,065 paintings and 389 France, 2 , 071 , works in sculpture and bas relief, 388 architectural designs, 228 engravings and lithographs, making a total of 2,071. Italy exhibited 421 paintings, 180 works of sculpture, 30 archi- Italy 644 tectural designs, and 13 engravings, making a total of 644. 12 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. PAINTING. FRANCE. France. France, not only by the number of its works but by their quality and character, is entitled to the first rank and de¬ serves to be first considered. The influence of its school of painting has been felt over all the world, and in its tech¬ nical works it takes the lead of all. Some of the most ad- schooi ue of Ce p°a f iit^ rabble works of artists of other nations have been achieved in s- under its influence and by the adoption of its methods 5 and its own achievements are generally in technical respects, and at times in poetic feeling, worthy of great praise. The its great quai- drawing is for the most part admirable, showing that its Feeling, artists have been carefully trained in those true principles which are the basis of all fine and intelligent work. They color. also are masters in their methods of using color, and their works, as painting, are vigorous, free, and rich in impasto. They understand the values of color, so that the different parts of their pictures take their place justly without con¬ fusion, and are properly subordinated in tone and effect. Knowledge of This, indeed, is the most essential technical quality of good ue^the 1 test V of painting. Without it there may fairly be said to be no the true artist. g 00( j painting, whatever other merits a picture may have. It is this subordination of the unessential and unimportant to the main and important masses, alike in tone, color, and chiaro-oscuro which shows the training of the true artist. The intelligent understanding of the use of color and of its values, to use a technical phrase, is a marked characteristic of the French school, in which it is surpassed by no other school. * One could not but be struck by the great and various talent which was everywhere displayed upon the walls of the French department of the fine arts. Among the thousand pictures exhibited there were few which, technically speaking, are positively bad; there were many that are admirable; there were a few that are masterpieces. Technical exe- But, on the other hand, it is this very skill of technical ever^hecome the execution by which French art is betrayed. Instead of being the subordinate and servant, it becomes the master. The mode of doing and saying has got to be of more consequence than the thing to be done and said. Execution has tri¬ umphed over ideas. A clever painting has got to be of more value than a poetic conception. Unworthy subjects are treated with masterly skill. The language has been thoroughly learned, but there seems to be little to say FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 13 which is worth saying, and much that is said would be far FRAyCB - better unsaid. There are almost no great conceptions, few & ^!oi« poetic ideas, and little pure sentimeni.* Among these the nnde many are purely demi-monde in character, or directly inspired by the model, and essentially studies from the nude. Naked women abound—standing, sitting, reclining—for no other apparent purpose than the display of technical skill in drawing and color. There are admirable reports of nature and landscape, but they are but too often mere studies, mere clever imitations of actual facts, without feeling or poetic charm. Any thing is good enough upon which the artist can exhibit his technical skill. There are many in- Studies 8UCh teriors of windows filled with bric-a-brac and furniture and ^ bric-a-brac, in volvmg technical vases and glasses, in which is seen a lady looking at herself skill, in a mirror, putting on her gloves, plucking a flower, in which all the objects are rendered with admirable imitative skill, the folds and breaks of the satin dresses perfectly imitated, but which, after all, mean little, and are in themselves mere bric-a-brac. The greatest care is shown in painting all the details, and they are so well done, and so realistic, as to be almost, if not quite, as uninteresting as the reality thereof would be. In a word, the attempt in all these pictures is to be realis- Realistic, not tic, not poetic; to demand applause for technical skill 0 f poetlc> execution, not to interest the heart and mind of the specta¬ tor by touches of passion, feeling, and sentiment. The desire to attract notice takes also two other phases, Microscopic . . 7 minuteness of ex- One to paint pictures so small that a loupe is required to ecution. see their finish of detail, one to cover great canvases with representations of incidents so brutal as to shock and startle the spectator. Thus art oscillates between the in¬ significant and the terrible. The same realism is carried into both. Blood and wounds are painted with a ghastly ^startling bru ' and horrible truth, as if the artist had a morbid relish for what is offensive and disgusting. After these come the pictures of a debauched imagination, innuendo, filled with innuendo and suggestion, corrupt in sentiment, and having nothing to recommend them but the technical cleverness with which they are done—the eternal nude model that the painter has painted from mere emptiness of mind, or for a worse reason, and which he tries to make Pruriency, poetic by the title of his canvas, but who only wakens in us the wish that she would put on her dress and go home. In all this there is not only a singular absence of original * The school of genre predominates and a large proportion of the paint¬ ings are devoted to anecdote and trivial incident. 14 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. reviving. ideas, but a total want of recognition of wbat is the true end and object of art. One cannot but feel, on looking over this exhibition of erring talent, with Hamlet—that “ there is something rotten in the state of [France] 79 ; one cannot but regret that the great skill manifest everywhere should be so utterly wasted or dedicated to such unworthy ends. A purer feeling Fortunately, to this general tendency of French art, which is but the spawn of the last Empire, there are eminent ex¬ ceptions, and it is plain that even now the current is begin¬ ning to set against it among artists and the public. The taste which had been so sadly debauched is beginning to revive in sentiment, and there are indications of a Rennais - sauce of a newer and purer school. It is to be hoped that this Exposition will have a beneficial influence, for here were col¬ lected some of the best pictures of other schools which ap¬ peal to a different standard. It is also to be feared that the search for novelty may lead them astray in another direc¬ tion, and induce them to imitate examples which should be avoided in the luture. What strikes one at present is the absence of all definite The academic school which so long tri- The school of genre , which of Each artist seems in the general anarchy to be seeking blindly some new method—on one side, towards literal realismon the other, towards sensational and vague impressions with¬ out detail or completeness; on another, towards extrava¬ gance; on still another, towards violence and brutality. lm^muc^inS* ^ ere * s little discipline, but much individuality, and this in viduaiity. itself is good. Only one could wish that this individuality had its expression in better ways, and directed itself to nobler ends; that it were not so self-conscious and ready to sacrifice anything in order to attract attention, and that it acknowledged some distinct faith and some sincere purpose. However, we are now at a moment of indeterminateness be¬ tween ebb and flow. The corrupt influence of the Empire has scarcely passed away; the tide lias not yet decidedly out- set in a new direction. But there is much to hope, and with their mastery of methods and their capacity of technical ex¬ pression, we now wait to see if France has any great con¬ ceptions to express. Thus far there seems to be little indi¬ cation of a powerful creative energy, of a lofty imagination, of a noble poetic feeling. The artists of to-day have thor¬ oughly mastered their instruments, but, instead of sympho¬ nies and pure creations of music, we have scarcely anything Absence of defi¬ nite direction of art - , direction of art. Academic school departed, um plied m France lias gone, on the wane. late days has been in vogue, already begins to wane. .Hopeful look. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 15 else than trivial waltzes or the rubbishy jingle of u La France. Grande Duchesse But it is not alone in painting and sculpture that this infidelity to truth and beauty is seen. In poetry, in romance, in the drama, in music, it is quite as clearly manifested, and exhausted sensuality strives to excite the jaded senses by new and extravagant irritations. Undoubtedly the false taste of the public and its insane „ Public craving . _ , for novelty. craving for mere novelty has much to do with this result. The public influences art quite as much, if not more, than art influences the public. Where there is a demand there will be a supply, and happy talent is but too often seduced by high rewards and gains to abandon its better genius. A higher public morality, more certain ethics, a calmer politi¬ cal condition, less luxury and extravagance of life, would soon beget a new spirit in art. But the violent contentions Causes of the for wealth, the fatal excess of speculation, the excitements debauchedtastes. of politics, the worry and irritation of the world, the frivoli¬ ties of society, depress and enervate art, and it becomes the plaything of the virtuoso and the dilettante. The influence of France in art is greater than that of any other nation. It inoculates all the world with its disease, but nowhere is its contagion so deeply felt as in the United States. When society shall become more serious in its spirit and Conditions ne- . . . . cessary for im- in its conduct, art will become more serious and manly in proyement in ar- its aims, and not till then. What in America we have spe¬ cially to guard against is the contagion of manners and morals averse from the natural spirit of a free republic, and degrading to life and to art, to which we offer ourselves as willing victims, rejoicing in the corruption we covet. Let us now leave these general considerations and pro¬ ceed to a review of some of the pictures of the French de¬ partment. Since the International Expositions at Paris in 1855 and Loss to art in 1867, some of the most eminent painters who then illus- neStFrenchpaTn- trated its art have passed away. Belonging to a previous tfonfof if 55 P anci generation, whose principles and practice had not been 1SG ' - forced in the hot-bed of the Empire, they still maintained a certain seriousness of attitude worthy of admiration. Among those who are no more may be mentioned the con¬ spicuous names of Ingres, Delacroix, Descamps, Kousseau, Millet, Daubigny, and Troyon, each in his line a master, showing boldness, poetic feeling, originality, seriousness, and reserve in their works, qualities which but too often are wanting in their successors. 16 FRANCE. Millet, in Exposition 1861. Millet, Rousseau, absent in 1878. Corot, Daubigny. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. No lover of art can fail to remember with delight the remarkable pictures exhibited in 1867 by Millet. These, among others, were the powerful and intense u La Mort et le Bucheron? animated with the truest spirit of tragedy, u Les Glaneuses ,” u Le Parc au Moutons ,” u Glair de Lurie? perfect in its depth of sentiment, and the u Angelus du Soir? profoundly touching in its pure religious sentiment. No one ever expressed as Millet did the simple poetry of peasant life. As themes, his pictures are at times almost nothing, but the pathos, sentiment, intensity of feeling, and profound simplicity with which they were felt and rendered are unsurpassed. There was nothing affected in them 5 they had no conscious graces to attract attention ; no over¬ insistence of detail to show the cleverness of the artist. Homely, direct, and true to life, they went to the heart; in technical qualities they were masterly, broad, and firm ; in drawing, deep and restrained; in color, penetrated by a delicate and exquisite feeling. One of his pictures may be seen in a private gallery of Philadelphia, which may serve as a lesson for all earnest artists. It is merely a shepherd leading home his flock after sundown. The delicate gleam of fading twilight lingers in the sky. The landscape is vague and dark with the coming on of night; the shepherd is but a silhouette in the foreground, and his sheep are densely clustered together so that you have to peer into them to see what they are, as you would in nature; nothing is overdone, nothing cries out to be seen. There is com¬ plete stillness and repose. The day is done; a tender regret, as for that which is gone, broods over the scene. The weary shepherd is going home, unconscious that we see him. Ten¬ derness, refinement, and simplicity can scarcely go further. Unfortunately for art, there were none of Millers pictures in the recent Exposition, nor were there any of Rousseau’s noble landscapes, which illuminated the walls in 1867. Of Co¬ rot’s poetic but somewhat vague and blurred landscapes there were several, but they were not of his best. His delicate and refined talent has been largely appreciated in France, but it was not a robust and powerful talent, and his pictures are but too generally mere suggestions, monotonous in charac¬ ter, and with little vigor of sentiment or execution; on the other hand, they are quiet, unobtrusive, and refined, which, among the many noisy, impudent, and vulgar pic¬ tures of the present day, is in itself a virtue and a grace for which we must be thankful. Several of Daubigny’s landscapes adorned the walls of the Exposition, but they were for the most part ill-hung. One of FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 17 them, perhaps the most beautiful of all, was a “ Lever de Lune , d Anvers ”. The full, warm summer’s moon has just risen, spreading a faint, purplish light about its yellow disk. A deep and delicate shadow hangs over the dim and quiet landscape $ all is subdued, peaceful, and serene. Two figures may be seen sitting on a slope near the foreground. There is also another Lever de Lune , much the same in character and sentiment, with peasants driving cows home, and one kissing the other. Both these pictures are admirably painted, quiet in tone, and full of feeling. Besides these there are u Le Tonnelier ,” u La Matson de la Mere Bazot ,” u Le Pr intemps” all vigorous and striking pictures. The one which is least worthy of Daubigny is u La Beige” a snowy landscape with black leafless trunks, around which crows are flying, against a cold sunset sky, with gleams of bright color. This is effective when seen at a distance, but is of the impressionist school, painted rudely with the palette knife, and is a pretentious exhibition of technical talent of which we should hardly have thought this artist would have been guilty. Of Henri Begnault there were only five pictures, but these were of a character and promise, as well as of performance, which make us only more deeply lament the untimely end of this young and gifted artist. Almost the last shot in the German attack on Paris struck him with death, and French art could scarcely have suffered a greater loss. In the few pictures he painted, he showed a surprising vigor and orig¬ inality. They are very powerful in color, without being- violent, neat in tone and quality, and admirable in drawing and composition. Nothing could exceed the refinement and delicacy of color, sentiment and character, of the portrait of u Madame de Bar eh en Espagnole ”, her head covered with a mantilla ; and the u Sortie du Paclia d Tangier ”, which he left unfinished to go to his death, is a marvel of exquisite and splendid color as well as of composition. There are portions of his picture which leave scarcely anything to be de¬ sired in harmony of colors and tone. His equestrian portrait of Prim is also striking, and the head is particularly strong and serious. The black charger on which the General is mounted is excessive, and occupies too much the eye and the canvas. u Execution sans Jugement , sous les Bois Maures de Grenade ,” painful and disagreeable as it is, shows a wonder¬ ful mastery and artistic power. It is terrible and ghastly in its realism, but it shows a force of conception and treatment which in so young a man are marvellous. In the u Sortie du Pacha , ” the scene is in the court-yard 2 p R FRANCE. Daubigny. R6gnault. 18 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. FRANCE. Kegnault. Genre. Meissonier. of the palace. The walls are white, and pierced with Arab windows. The Pacha, on a white horse, clothed in a white houmous , is coming from the gate-way, accompanied by his mounted suite. In the center of the court is a group of horses and men with purple and green standards. In the foreground is a raised terrace looking down into the court-yard and thronged by spectators who are merely sketched in. Nothing could surpass the delicate splendor and harmony of color of the Pacha and his suite, or of the central group of horses and attendants$ and the manner in which the white horse is retained against the white wall is a triumph of art. The key is high, but nothing is glaring, and the general tone is worthy of the greatest master. Nothing is hard or crude, but, brilliant as the picture is, it is subdued in tone, and full of air as well as light. The fig¬ ures are scarcely more than two inches in height, yet noth¬ ing is niggled or little in their execution-—nothing over¬ done or overstated. If power such as is exhibited in these pictures could have been devoted to great conceptions, what might not the artist have achieved! Genre. Let us contrast with this picture the small panels of Meis¬ sonier. These, sixteen in number, were all arranged in a line upon the same wall. This was, perhaps, unfortunate, as it brought one too closely to a certain rigid monotony of effect which would not have been as evident had they been sepa¬ rated. Meissonier has a great reputation, particularly in our country, and his pictures have there brought enormous prices. There can be no question of his talent. He is an admirable draftsman. His works are finished with exceed¬ ing elaboration and pains. His attitudes and movements are correct, his minuteness of finish and study of detail are surprising, his precision of touch admirable, but all his work bears the mark of over-study and effort. There is a want of freedom and happiness in it all. It is very well done, but it leaves us cold. It is monotonous in tone, rigid and hard in feeling, and not agreeable in color. His figures are as hard as tin. His dresses have no texture and quality, his landscapes and skies no air. Everything has a look of pre-determination and not of accident. It is what it is, be¬ cause the artist has chosen to have it so, and not because it happened to be so. Nothing is like the real thing, though it is wonderfully copied in all its details. The charm of a work that is finished more through happiness than pains is FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 19 entirely lost—one feels tlie labor. One of bis principal pictures, for instance, represents himself and his son riding along the shore near Antibes. There are the sea and the mountains, and the shy, and the road, and the figures of the horsemen—all of them have the same quality, the same definiteness and rigidity. The sea is not watery, the shy has no atmosphere, the mountains no haze of air. The draw¬ ing is correct, save always the preposterous little figure on the edge of the sea, which is totally out in perspective and is only as large, relatively, as a fly, but the whole has a preciousness of looh. Tahe again the portrait of Alexander Dumas, fils. Elaboration can go no further—only every thing has the same value. The boots are as good as the head, the accessories as much insisted on as the essentials. There is all that makes up Monsieur Dumas and his study, part by part, but there is no whole and no reality of per¬ son. The u Peintre dH Unsigned and the u Portrait du Ser- gent , ” contain the largest figures, but the latter is, perhaps, the thinnest of all in painting—one does not feel that they have any other side, they so stick to the background. u Mo¬ reau et son Chef d\Etat-Major Dessoles , avant Hohenlindenf is one of the best, if not the best. The drawing is good— the incident interesting—the story well told, and the sub¬ ject lends itself to his peculiar style. The wind which blows the naked branches of the trees, the tails of the horses, the skirts of the dresses, the dreary coldness reign¬ ing over all, the two officers standing apart and studying the country through their glasses, the horses shivering in the bleak air—are all admirably expressed and composed— but there are still the same defects of color and tone. So too the long line of the u cuirassiers f stretching out in a wedge, is undoubtedly clever in all the details of the fig¬ ures. Their attitudes are good, and they are most care¬ fully drawn-—but they are rigid in color and character as a line of Nuremberg tin soldiers. Details are painted which in nature would be beyond the sight, and the sky and land¬ scape are vague, cold, and uncertain. Perhaps the very cleverest of all, as far as mere cleverness goes, is the small¬ est—for his extreme precision then has a value, which in the larger figures is lost—ordinarily there is no loose¬ ness of texture—no happiness of touch—no freedom of spirit. Yet despite all these drawbacks, there is no doubt of the great talent of Meissonier—and his honesty and patience of labor, his conscientiousness and faithfulness as an artist, his general skill in drawing and composition, are deserving of the highest praise. But he is not a colorist; FRANCE. Meissonier. 20 FRANCE. Meissunier. Meissonier, jr. Gerome. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. and one gets quite as good, perhaps even a better, impres¬ sion from engravings of his works than from the original paintings. His son, who follows in the footsteps of his fattier and imitates his style, had four pictures which are quite worthy of his master. Another distinguished painter of genre pictures is M. Gerome, who exhibited ten pictures. The first by which he attracted the attention of the public were very large and crowded with figures, and had for subjects episodes or inci¬ dents of ancient Eome. Of late, however, he has devoted his talent to small cabinet pictures, ordinarily of a less ambi¬ tious character. These are elaborated to the utmost, and so labored in every detail as almost to be painful exhibitions of patience. The subjects are often drawn from Eastern life, but fail to reproduce the Eastern character studied. Clever as they are, they are wholly wanting in reality, and have a hard metallic quality of color and tone. Perhaps the best of the specimens he has here collected is U L’Emi¬ nence Grise ,” which is cleverly composed and drawn. Crowds of elaborately dressed courtiers are ascending the palace stairs and profoundly saluting His Eminence, who is de¬ scending, dressed in his monkish robes, and intent on read¬ ing his missal. Well as this is painted, and patient as are the care and elaboration shown in its details, it misses its point and fails to touch us with the sense of reality. The picture is clear and polished as steel, the dresses new and precise, the attitudes a little exaggerated, and all a little too exact. Compared with the picture by Zamacois in the Spanish department, representing the self-important Court Dwarf descending the court stairs accompanied by a great dog and saluted by smiling courtiers, by which this picture of Gerome was plainly inspired, one cannot but feel the great inferiority of the French painter to the Spanish as a colorist or a delineator of character. Not only is the picture by Zamacois warm and rich in tone, and free in execution, but it exhibits a remarkable sense of restrained humor. The paintings of oriental scenes represent “ The Arab and his courser,” “ Women at the Bath,” “ Santon at the Cate of the Mosque,” “ Turkish Bath,” u Bachi-Bouzouks Dansant” a “Lion,” “ Cafe Rue de Caire .” These have a certain kind of interest, but they all have the same defects and the same merits. We have had quite enough of women at the bath, and these two are more than enough. They have no interest save that of nudity, and one of them is absolutely vulgar. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 21 u San ton at tlie Gate of tlie Mosque ” is an ugly Arab stand¬ ing at a door which is surrounded by a mass of shoes and slippers—‘all very carefully done. The Arab and his dead horse in the desert is cold, hard, and antipathetic. There is no air and no feeling of desert and solitude, and the figures are finished to death. “St. Jerome and the Lion” is artifi¬ cial in sentiment, and nothing is freely felt: the green eyes in the lion are scarcely worthy, in their exaggeration, of an artist like Gerome. All these pictures are character¬ ized by the same hard metallic quality of color; all are elabo¬ rated with the greatest patience—too much elaborated, in fact. The extreme pains has killed life and feeling. But, on the other hand, there is undoubted talent and capacity to seize upon characteristic subjects, careful drawing, artis¬ tic skill, and conscientious work. Beside these pictures by GerOme are those by Berne-Bel- lecour, in the same school, but rendered with more freedom and truth. One of these, “ Tin Officier de Mobiles,” represents a soldier lighting a cigarette, with a cold, .gray, brumy landscape behind him. This is very clever, free though careful in execution, and touched with much spirit. But his “ Coup de Canon ” is a work of much more power and char¬ acter. It represents a group of cannoniers and officers firing a cannon over a rampart of earth-works. It is early morn¬ ing. The sky is cold and gray, and the group is relieved darkly against the breast-high ramparts. The scene is repre¬ sented with great truth and sentiment, the drawing and character are admirable, and the color is subdued. In tfie same room are seven genre pictures by Vibert, much in the same school, and, though very clever, sinning on the side of hardness and over-elaboration. Of these, perhaps the most interesting, alike in story, humor, and execution, is u La Cigale et la Fourmi .” This represents a fat, well-fed Capucin carrying over his shoulder a basket laden with game and poultry, who, on a hill-side of cold snow, meets a slim, starving lutanist clad in green, with his long lute slung on his back. The poor, shivering lute-player craves alms. The fat, warmly-clad monk utterly rejects his demand. Both the figures are very cleverly painted, especially the strolling lutanist, and the picture is full of humor and character. Even more clever and spirited in character, drawing, and execution is the admirable portrait of Coqueter in the role of Mascarille in the u Precieuses Ridicules ” of Moliere. Of the others, u Tlie Serenade” is a little confused and over¬ charged in details, and not so satisfactorily expressed. The “Depart des Maries ” is clever in composition and drawing, FRANCE. Berne-Bellecour. Vibert. 22 FRANCE. Worms. Goubie. Goupil. Toulmouclie. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. as is also u La Toilette de la Madone,” but they have neither of them the excellence of the two first mentioned. In the school of genre the seven pictures by Worms are entitled to a high rank. They are, like all the other small pictures of this class, a little hard and over-careful, but they show a good deal of humor and character. u Le Depart pour la Revue” is admirable. A tall guardsman in full dress stands in the center of the picture drawing on his gloves before a mirror with its inevitable French clock, while his wife stands before him with clasped hands in mute admira¬ tion. The raide self-sufficiency of the one, and the naive delight and approbation of the other, are very humorously rendered. Perhaps even better is u La Fleur Freferee” This is a scene in a garden. A young girl is sitting sewing under a porch. The old father has taken away a young Spaniard to show him his flowers. He is holding up one in a pot, and pointing out its wonderful merits, but the young man, in a short Spanish jacket, whose back is turned to ns, instead of examining the flowers, turns his head aside to gaze at the girl. The whole story is told with delicacy and sentiment, and the humor of the incident is not forced in any point. As far as mere painting goes the best is u Le Compliment,” which, besides being very spirited and characteristic, is in execution the freest of all the series. It represents a 4 - Bon - homme endimanche” in a brown coat with a favor in his but¬ ton-hole, his hands in over-large gloves and spread at his side, who, with an elaborate smile on his face, has just uttered his compliment, which he evidently thinks he has done very well. Among the cabinet pictures of genre are also to be noted, as showing spirit and cleverness, the u Voyage deNoces,” by Goubie, in which an old-fashioned chaise and postillion, with the new-married couple, are represented coming down a steep and deep-rutted hill, drawn by a black and white horse, while a storm is rising behind, and also “ Tine Ci-Di- vant ” by Goupil, which is delicate in color and pleasing in character. Toulmouche also sends three pictures, u Le Coin du Feu,” u Le Miroir ” and u I?EteP The last is a lady gath¬ ering roses. She is dressed in yellow-striped silk, with a blue sash tied behind, a blue parasol, and a red flower in her hand. u Le Coin du Feu” is the pendant. It is a lady in pink satin in a boudoir warming her hands at the fire. u Le Miroir ” is another lady, or the same in blue satin, holding a mirror. In these pictures the silks, the satins, the stuffs, the furniture are all painted with the greatest care, but the sentiment is fade and affected, and it seems a pity to waste FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 23 so much skill of execution on such weak and trivial subjects. Beaumont sends two pictures, u La Fin Wune Chanson” and u Ou diable VAmour va-t-il se nicher !” The first represents a lover who, while serenading his mistress, has been killed under her window. She is weeping over his body. The faint light of morning is beginning to dawn. The story is well told, and the scene, though a little theatric, well ren¬ dered. u Tin Duel sans Temoins” by Leleau, represents a girl in red woolen corsage with a dusting-brush, who is seated in a flowered cretonne chair hunting for a flea in her bosom. The picture is well painted; but what a subject! It makes one sad to think that talent should be so frivolously wasted on such unworthy themes. The title certainly is witty. Could such pictures as these be painted if the public taste were not corrupted ? Some very clever genre pictures must also be noted by Comte, one of which, u Recreation de Louis XI” represents the old monarch in his bed watching with amused interest two pigs that, dressed in green and red, with swords at their sides, are made to dance ou the floor, while two Capucins are kneeling before the fire, pretending to be praying, but glancing aside at the pigs. The old king in the bed is quite in shadow. His attendants are at his side and at the foot of the bed. This picture is remarkably well painted, and exhibits great humor and sense of character. Leloir’s pictures, five in number, must not be omitted in this connection. u Tin Bapteme” is very clever in character and design, painted with great care, but without niggling or hard elaboration or over-voyant colors. So also is the u Pecheurs du Treport 7 ” which is very quiet in tone, and repre¬ sents two figures under an arch, one lighting a pipe, one with a turbot and basket. u Le Repos ” is a delicate picture, of very pale grays and yellows, of a young girl lying on a couch tickling a cockatoo. u Dentation” represents Saint Anthony clinging to a low breaking cross planted in the ground, while two naked girls lie against him and fondle him. The picture is clever, and shows decided ability; but if it is sad to see talent devoted to trivial subjects like those we have mentioned, how much more sad to see art dragged into the mire of sensuality, and driven to such base uses. And here, perhaps, it may be as well to give a glance at a series of pictures which have no other reason to be at all, save to gratify sensual or brutal appetites, but to which great talent has been devoted. Of the former class is par¬ ticularly to be remarked u La Sultane Favorite” of M. Gar- nier, illustrative of some verses of Victor Hugo, and the FRANCE. Beaumont. Leleau. Comte. Leloir. Garni er. 24- UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. France. picture is quite as exaggerated as the verses. The scene is in a seraglio. On the edge of a hath sprawls the nakedest of courtesans. The Sultan, a coarse and languid voluptuary, is seated cross-legged and leering at her, and behind him enters a slave bearing the decapitated head of a woman, a previous favorite, on a salver. There is a combination of the brutal and the sensual, which out-Herods Herod. The Sultan is asking whether it is necessary that for every coup of her fan there should follow a coup of the axe. The great vulgar courtesan does not seem to answer, but is quite satis¬ fied with being utterly naked, as if' that were an excuse for everything. the realise 8 a re* over-stress of the realistic school on the common, bru- voit against‘^the tal, and even ugly, is of course the revolt against the artifi- va & uc i ea is ic. tawdry sentiment and effeminate feebleness of the vague idealistic school. It is quite natural that a person of strong feelings, in disgust at the affected prettiness of the enameled dolls and characterless conceptions of nameless idealists, should even affect brutality and coarseness, as at least giving play to life and energy where before there was mere asphyxia, and prefer even the awkward and common to simpering affectation and platitude. But, like all revolts, this goes too far, and conducts the artist but too often to an opposite excess, and thus misses the true aim of art, which is to delight and not to disgust, to charm and not to repel. It is not everything in nature that is fit for art, nor is the mere plea of truth to fact a sufficient excuse for a work that simply repels the spectator. Giaize. One of the largest canvases in the exhibition represents “A Conspiracy in the Early Days of Borne,” by Giaize. There is decided talent, but the conception is brutal and disgusting. It is an illustration of a passage in Plutarch (Publicola), and represents a group of men half-naked around a bleeding corpse. They have filled a cup with his blood, which one conspirator is holding up while the others make oath to some common crime. All the horrors of such a scene are empha¬ sized even to exaggeration, as if the artist delighted to shock our sensibilities j and, acknowledging the talent, we can only regret that it should be devoted to so loathsome a sub¬ ject. The taste of M. Giaize, however, seems to be in this direction. Another of his large canvases represents fugi¬ tives let down by a rope over the steep walls of a fortified place. Here again, the incident is over-told, and the painful character exaggerated. Still another canvas represents u Le premier Duel ,” where a naked woman lying on a cliff watches with interest the death-struggles of two naked men, FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 25 each striving to force the other over a precipice. This is the FRANCB - cleverest and least brutal of the three in conception and execution, and, painful as it is, does awaken one’s interest, which the others do not. Delaunay also, in his “Ixion,” has gone farther in the Delaunay, delineation of the loathsome. His Ixion is the contorted, tortured shape of a human being torn upon a wheel, rent with wounds and bleeding. It is a picture from which every one must turn with horror. His “ La Peste a Rome” is also painful in character, but there is a certain reserve in it which there is not in “Ixion,” and it shows undoubted power. Dead bodies are lying on the pavement, while a good angel directs an evil angel, armed with a bar, to beat at the door of a house, where, according to the legend it illustrates, there will be as many dead as there are blows. There is over-em¬ phasis of action in these two principal figures, but the pic¬ ture shows strength. His “Diana,” on the contrary, is merely the naked model executed with skill, though the action of the figure is not clearly or happily conceived, but far more like Elise or Henriette , who posed for it, than the goddess of the silver bow; so, too, his “ David Triumphant ” is a Paris gamin with his legs spread wide apart, armed with a gigantic sword and a sling, and screaming. In such ideal subjects as these last two, nothing is so fatal in I“Jmodeis Py ' as to attempt to embody them by careful imitation from par¬ ticular models. The model should be but the dictionary or grammar of the artist, and not accepted as the true repre¬ sentation of his ideal. Into this error painters are far more apt to fall than sculptors, and in this Exposition we every¬ where saw naked female figures plainly inspired by some actual model figuring under the name of a classic divinity or nymph, or representing some ideal virtue. For instance, Lefebvre’s u La Verite ” is plainly merely a naked model, Lefebvre. holding up a mirror. His “ Femme couchee ” has no pre¬ tense to be other than a study from a particular nude. It is drawn and painted with great ability, and as a study de¬ serves very high praise, and, in fact, is far the best of all his nude women. His “ La Reve ” is a nude model whitely and thinly painted on a cloud which hangs low above the surface of water, on which are lilies and leaves, and not particularly graceful in the pose. That is the dream. His “ Madeleine” is also a nude woman, and evidently copied from a model. In like manner in “ Le Jugement de Paris,” by Parrot, the three goddesses are merely naked models. Parrot * Nothing ideal in character or feeling is even attempted; and this is still more striking in his “ Galatee ,” which pre- 26 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. feance. tends to be nothing but a naked model on an actual mod¬ eling-stand. Why he calls it u Galatee” it is difficult to see. There are several u Davids” also, which are all Paris gamins. All -this is very tiresome and disappointing, and all the more so because of the technical skill displayed. What is wanting in the treatment of all such subjects is the creative power, the imaginative sense, the poetic sensibility, and in the realism of the present day these have little chance. The artist is too subordinated to his facts to pay heed to his ideas and inspirations. He becomes a pain¬ ful copier and imitator of nature and fact, instead of a cre¬ ator and coactor with nature. She rules him with a rod of iron. She does not inspire him. nation. ^ In the higher range of subjects this lack of imagination is fatal to all real success. In genre subjects it is less fatal, because imitation is more legitimate in these; the material things exist to be copied, and taste and skill, humor, and a sense of character supply its place. The subjects are to be seen by the real eye, and not to be divined and created, or at least not to such an extent. Whatever may be the ex¬ planation, the fact is certain, that while so many succeed in genre , so few succeed in the higher range of purely ideal work. We see many naked women, but no figure like u La Source ,” by Ingres, which was a sentiment and a creation, ideal in character, and perfectly pure in feeling. Brutal pictures. But to return to the series of what may be called brutal pictures, wherein the scope of the artist has been to be pow¬ erful at the expense of being disagreeable. An eminent Becker. example of this may be found in Becker’s u Bizpali protect¬ ing the Bodies of her Sons against the Birds of Prey? Here undoubtedly a remarkable talent is shown, but is it legiti¬ mately employed ? Here is imagination, if you will, but is it governed by good taste, by happy selection, by proper re¬ straint, by the sense of beauty, by the true sentiment of the subject 1 ? Is there any profound feeling in it? Bead the story as told in the Old Testament, and see if this in any way represents it. Six ghastly naked dead figures are hung in a line upon crosses against the sky. Below at their feet is an enormous virago, one hand straight up, and the other swinging a club to drive away an eagle, which is swooping down on her. Where is the pathos, the solemn sorrow of the desolate mother, watching at night over her dead sons? This is but a theatrical display of horror and violence. There were other pictures, generally of large size, which are of a similar character, showing a total want of a true imag¬ inative sense; but it is needless to enumerate them. In FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 27 Scripture subjects specially there is generally wanting all true sentiment. The incidents are forced, the attitudes ex¬ aggerated ; there is almost invariably too much action. On the other hand, some of the religious pictures are academ¬ ically sentimental and languidly weak. For instance, in the latter category are to be placed the three paintings of Bou- guereau, representing u La Vierge, VEnfant Jesus, et St. Jean Baptiste” the u Pieta,” u La Vierge consolatrice.” They are placed in line side by side, and are monotonously like in char¬ acter, feature, and color. The surface is smooth as enamel. They are carefully drawn and worked out with extreme elab¬ oration. In a word, they are fatally pretty and purely senti¬ mental. This is the characteristic quality of all the paint¬ ings by Bouguereau which are there exhibited. u La Gliar- ite” is even weaker than those already mentioned. The most pleasing of all—and this has too much of an album prettiness—is u La Grande Soeur,” which represents a sister pulling on the stocking of a little one on her lap. The sub¬ ject of some of his pictures will clearly indicate the char¬ acter— u Ame au Ciel,” u Nympliee,” u La Jeunesse et VAmour.” One other picture of the brutal school must not be passed over. It represents u St. Sebastian et LEmpereur Maximien Eercule.” The ghastly figure of the saint is seen descend¬ ing the steps before Maximien and his companions. He raises his white drapery so as to expose his corpse-like body covered with wounds and stabs. The emperor and his at¬ tendants start back in dismay, as well they may. Nothing can be,more repulsive. The saint is well drawn from the model, but he is no saint—only a murdered man covered with wounds. The other figures are grotesque in their attitudes and purely academic, and the picture is an offense to good taste. Moreau also exhibited six pictures of a purely imaginative class.— U Rercule et EHydre” u Salome” u Jacob et IPAnge,” u David,” u Moise exposee sur le Nil,” u Le Sphinx divine” —all kaleidoscopic in color, and of a strange bizarre character. There is undoubtedly a certain fancy and grotesqueness of imagination displayed in these paintings. They avoid at once the academic and the real; but they are neither of the earth nor the air, nor the waters under the earth. They are wild phantasies like opium dreams. Le Boux has also sent several pictures of imaginative subjects, partially historical, partially ideal. One repre¬ sents the u Danaides,” two vague lines of damsels, stretch¬ ing far into the distance, the one bringing jars of water to pour into a well in the foreground, the other disappointed FRANCE. Bouguereau. Moreau. Le Roux. 28 FRANCE. Historical. Laurens. Robeit-Fleury. Cabanel. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878 going away. There is a certain poetic feeling in this picture, hut it is pale, and vague of color and of form. Another picture by him is u La Vestale Tuccia” carrying water in an uplifted sieve; and still another, u UnMiracle chez la Bonne Beesse” is a group of vestal virgins all in white seated in a hall, while a sister virgin in black implores the aid of the goddess to relume the sacred fire. There is an idea in all these, and a refinement of sentiment, but they are pallid, weak in color, and want grasp and vigor. Historical Paintings. From these it may be well to turn to some of the purely historical paintings, and among these the most forcible and well conceived and expressed were those of Laurens. They were twelve in number, all vigorous in color and drawing, and all historical in their character. The least good were those which are taken from the New Testament, such as u Jesus chasse de la Synagogue” and u La Piscine de Bethzaida.” Far more satisfactory is he in such subjects as u Le Pape Formose et Etienne VII” which, though a little black and harsh in its shadows, is a powerful and well conceived pic¬ ture, without exaggeration or confusion of figures. u ISEtat Major Autrichien devant le Corps de Marceau” is also an ad¬ mirable picture. It is simply treated without that exagger¬ ation and gesticulation which so often supplies the place of true action. The general tone is gray and subdued, the heads expressive, and the grouping good. The body of Marceau is lying on a couch, and the Austrian staff is passing into the room to pay its last tribute of respect. U L > Excommunication de Robert le Pieux” u Funerailles de Guillaume le Conquer ant ,” and u IS Inter dit” have all serious qualities, a true historical character, and simplicity as well as power. The last men¬ tioned is especially marked by sentiment. We mark in M. Laurens, the evidence of a return to the older traditions and the more serious schools of art. Bober f -Fleury also sent two large pictures one u Le Ber¬ nier Jour de Corinth,” and one u Pinel , Medecin en Chefde la Salpetriere , en 1795.” Of these, by far the best is the latter. It represents Pinel entering the court of a mad-house to carry out his reforms in the treatment of the insane. There is a good deal of character in this picture, and a good deal of expression. Cabanel also exhibited four pictures of this class, one the u Mort de Francesca da Rimini etde Paolo de Malatesta ,” one u Thamar et Absalom.” In neither of these has he been able, with all his talent, to rise to the dignity of history or the FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 29 tragedy of his subjects. Both are forcibly feeble, exagger- France. ated in action, and falsely conceived. It is impossible to recognize Thamar in the half naked woman in Absalom’s lap, and it is equally difficult to recognize Absalom in the modern, violent, scowling, and overdressed Oriental who is clutching the air in so impotent a rage. There is nothing Biblical in the sentiment, the character, or the facts of this picture. It is rather like a modern harem. It shows talent as a painting, but not as a conception. These are not the sort of subjects in which this artist succeeds. The larger his canvas the weaker his work. His u Peste Florentine was charming, and herein he showed his special talent. The enormous paintings in three divisions for the Church of Saint Genevieve still more bear out this opinion. They are feeble, flat, and characterless. M. Lecompte du NTouy had a series of pictures, historic Lecompte du and semi-historic, displaying a very considerable talent, and Nouy ' of the school of Gerome. The u Homere Mendicant” is well composed and interesting, but too enameled in surface. In u Les Porteurs des Mauvaises Nouvelles ” Pharaoh lies on a couch looking out and anxiously awaiting messengers with tidings. Those who have already arrived with bad news lie slain at the foot of the couch. This picture is clever, but disagreeable in subject and hard in color. It has the defect so common in France of excess and over statement in action, as if convulsion and attitudinizing could alone express deep passion and emotion. There, were many other large historic pictures, but time and space are wanting to go over all of them. Those already mentioned are the most prominent, and convey a fair idea of the character of this kind of work in France. There is in all of them ability. One cannot deny the talent or the artistic knowledge displayed; but it is displayed, and this is its defect. The heart of the mystery is not plucked. There is much realism and capital painting, but little evi¬ dence of high dramatic purpose, serious sentiment, or power of conception. It is perhaps worth remarking that in almost all the pictures, as well as statues, of figures in action, the toes are in crispation beyond all reason in nature. M. Luminais’ u Le Poi Mow an” and u Brunehaut” should Lumtnias. not be overlooked. In the former particularly, M. Lu¬ minais has given evidence, not only of a strong sense of color, but also of discrimination of character. The compo¬ sition is not very satisfactory, but the figure and expression of the queen, who is seeking by her wiles and caresses to deter the king from acceding to the terms of peace offered by 30 FRANCE. Gustave Dor6. Portraits. Bormat. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. the Abbe Witchar, are subtle and striking. Other pictures by M. Luminais also show talent and force, as the u Eclair- eurs Gaulois two figures crouched to the earth and listen¬ ing to distant steps, and the u Retour de Ghasse dans les Gaules ” where four figures are carrying a wild boar on poles, while another on horseback, with shield and spear, accompanied by two dogs, is at their side. These pictures are low in tone and painted with muert-Fieury. a portrait of u Madame R.-F.,” by M. Robert-Fleury, care¬ ful, pleasing and lady-like and without posing. But, perhaps, the most remarkable portraits for the ex¬ pression of character were those of M. Bastien-Lepage. For individuality and personality, the portrait of u M. Hayem” could scarcely be surpassed. The hands, the pose, the movement of features, and specially the expression of the mouth are evidently of the person himself. The very trousers are expressive. All go together to make the indi¬ vidual. There is no attempt to flatter, and certainly the portrait is not flattering; but it is better than flattering; it is the person himself, as understood and felt in every par¬ ticular by the artist. u Le Portrait de mon Grand pere v is equally strking, and for the same qualities. Gaillard. Bastien-L page. Landscapes. Landscapes. In the French department of landscape there was much talent and more study. In fact, many of the large landscapes FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 33 were mere studies from nature, very cleverly executed, care¬ ful and true to nature, full of facts vigorously rendered, but inspired by little sentiment or feeling. What I mean will clearly appear if most of them are compared with the exquisite works of Claude, in which nature is all subdued to sentiment. There is no reason why the two should be di¬ vorced. There are, however, remarkable exceptions to this general rule; and first of all, in combination of figure and landscape, are to be mentioned the remarkable pictures of Jules Breton, on which it is a pleasure to look. He sent nine pictures, every one of which is worthy of a great artist. It would be difficult, in the whole range of landscape and figure, to find a more exquisite picture than u La Sieste v —one more masterly in drawing, more perfect in tone, more simple and true in its sentiment, more admirable in its ideas. It represents a party of hay-makers, who are taking their siesta under the shadow of a great tree. The sunlight falls behind on the fields and haycocks, which are bounded by a line of foliage, and, peering through the great tree, flecks with spots oflight one of the figures. A woman is seated and suckling her baby. An old man is smoking his pipe. The rest are stretched carelessly on the ground enjoying the luxury of the shadow and rest. One of these figures, a girl lying flat on her back straight in and out of the picture, is marvellously fore¬ shortened. There is no air of effort about the execution; it is free, but mellow and clear. There is a little careless¬ ness here and there in the landscape, but the figures are beautifully finished, low in tone, but transparently luminous and solid. Here is the very soul of sentiment ; the feeling of summer; the languor and repose of noon. It is a delight¬ ful picture, which it is pleasant to see and to praise. Of an entirely different character, but almost equally ani¬ mated with a true sense of the scene, is u Les Peclieurs rfc la MediterraneeP The scene represents a curving beach of pebbles stretching far round the bay, on which are two groups drawing in their nets. The sky is pure and bright. The blue sea gleams and sparkles in the sun as it rolls gladly in. One can almost feel the breeze and hear the hiss of the sea raking over the shingle. The figures are doing their work unconscious that we are observing them, and their sharp shadows are thrown upon the beach. The whole effect is of bright sunlight. If it have a defect, it is in a lit¬ tle excess of brightness, but this time will tame and sober. Another of his pictures, u Les Amies ,” is a little idyll. Three girls interlaced are walking through a cornfield 3 P R FRANCE. Landscapes. Jules Breton 34 FilAXCE. Breton. Bernier. Fraiujais. Hanoteau. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1873. breast-high with poppies. It is twilight. They are going home. The sentiment of this picture is charming. u La Fontaine” is also a masterly picture, with the same characteristics of simplicity, low tone of color, and sentiment. The figures are peasant girls come to draw water at a foun¬ tain, but they have a dignity of bearing, and an unconscious¬ ness of posing, and a laziness of style that elevates the sub¬ ject into the ideal. The same remark may be made of the large single figure u La Glaneuse,” which has something statuesque and heroic in its pose and treatment. The three landscapes by M. 0. Bernier, “Janvier” u TJne Ferme en Bannalec and u Sabotiers dans le Bois de Qui- mere\” have all remarkable qualities. The first represents a farmer with a white and roan horse plowing. These form the main ground-light. Behind are farm-houses and almost leafless trees, with a few brown leaves on some, dark against a marble-gray sky. The second is a sunset scene in a farm¬ yard. Here all is in tender shadow, except the sky where the sunset gleams. Cows are drinking ; a pool in the center reflects the light of the sky; the farmer and his horses are going in; dark trees rear themselves on either side. The sentiment of the hour is most happily rendered. The tone is charming, and the soft growing shadow which involves the chief part of the scene is delicate and transparent. The third above mentioned is a very remarkable landscape, rep¬ resenting woods without underbrush and flecked with mot¬ tled light and dark, in which is a sabotier’s cabin with a pointed roof, from which smoke is rising, while the sabotier and his wife are at work near by. Here there is a rare feel¬ ing of open air, a simplicity and truth to nature, united to breadth and freedom of execution, which made this one of the most striking landscapes in the whole Exposition. The landscapes by M. Frangais are not characterized by strength and vigor of execution, and they are somewhat academical and sentimental. The best of those exhibited was u Daphnis et Cliloe” which is a deep wooded landscape well composed, with two nude figures at a pool in the center. M. H. Hanoteau sent a very vivid and brilliant picture representing an old mill, u Le MoulinP A large tree, grow¬ ing on a sloping bank beside the road, throws its shadow over the chief part of the foreground, and some pigs are coming down the bank. The road strikes across the picture over a bridge, passing the old mill, which is partially in shadow; and a house beyond in full blaze of sunlight. The picture is admirably composed in light and shade, very care¬ fully studied in all its details, free of execution, and very FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 35 brilliant in effect. The technical qualities of this work are remarkable. There was also a bright and spirited picture byM. J. Ma- sure, u Bivage du Golfe Juan,” of blue sea, which afresh breeze is rippling in to the shore. M. J. 0. Meissonier, fils, had also three little pictures after the manner of his father, representing u TJne Chemin aux Environs de Nice,” u Plage aux Environs de Nice,” and u Le Matin sur la Plage, aux Environs dHAntibes,” all worthy of his father in truth and character. The landscapes by M. L. G. Pelouse were very clever, but they have rather too much the look and character of studies from nature. u TJne Coupe de Bois” represents a wood, with wood-cutters, with bright sunset clouds sloping toward the horizon behind the tall trees. This is perhaps the most effective of all, and is executed with spirit and talent. M. A. Seg 6 exhibited rather a remarkable picture of u Les Chaumes.” It is just afternoon, and the shadows are begin¬ ning to slope. A shepherd and dog stand in a broad, flat plain with a crowd of sheep in shade with their backs touched with light. In the distance rises a village all in shadow, and beyond on the level a delicate horizon. The effect is very brilliant, the perspective of the flat plain is exceedingly well rendered, and there is a considerable novelty of effect and distinction in the picture. One regrets, however, the monotonous slaty color of the whole village, in which roof and walls- are of the same hue and tone. The birds flying through the clear air are peculiarly rendered 5 the bodies are dark, the wings vague, dim, and fluttering in effect. M. E. Yan Marcke sent a very vigorous picture of cows drinking in a pool. A white cow forms the principal light, while dark trees and foliage cover the main upper part of the picture, leaving only a corner of clouded sky. This is very strongly painted and well composed. It is of the school of Troy on, and well worthy of that master. M. F. de Mesgrigny’s u Bateaux-Lavoirs sur la Seine” is also an admirable picture. It represents a broad, still river with wash-houses on one side and ducks swimming down the stream in which trees beyond are reflected. The key is very light, and the effect clear and pleasing; the water and the reflections very transparent. u Un Marche d Grenade,” by M. A. Moreau, represents a street in Grenada on market-day. Half the street with its portico is a shadow. Two great oxen with yellow frontlets, and drawing a huge cart out of which rises a tall, coarse, gray net supported on poles, occupy the center of the picture, FRANCE. Masure. Meissonier,/^ Pelouse. Seg6. Van Marcke. Mesgrigny, Moreau, 36 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. FRANCE. Moreau. Girard. Jacqueti. Hubert. Lambert. Desgoffe. Vollon. Aquarelles. and around this are groups in costume coming and going, and, behind, the sun flashes on white walls of houses. Here is Spain in full blaze, yet without over-statement and noise of color, and without confusion of parts. The shadow side is transparent and cool, and gives a brilliant effect to the subdued colors around and the flashing walls beyond. I wish here to mark this picture particularly as admirable for its composed and effective treatment of many figures and brilliant light without confusion, and as an expression of Spain. I shall have occasion to refer to it in contrasting it with pictures of the Spanish school. Among other pictures not coming exactly under these classes, several should be noted. M. Girard sent a small picture of “Les Fiances , w representing a party in very bril¬ liant costumes coming through an alley of trees strewn with dead leaves. Some of the figures are a little too voyant in color, particularly those in the shadow, but the shadow itself is capital, the figures very carefully and elaborately exe¬ cuted, and the dead leaves admirably rendered. M. J. G. .TacquetPs “Reverie” has something distinguished in character. It represents a girl in a red dress sitting a little affectedly in a chair and glancing out of the picture. If she is in a reverie she knows we are looking at her, and has a rather shy sense of it. M. Hubert exhibited four pictures, of which the best are the two representing “La Pastorella” and “La Tricoteuse ,” both of which are refined in sentiment and quiet in execu¬ tion, and have a tender melancholy which is attractive. L. E. Lambert had a humorous and spirited picture called “Installation Provisoire,” representing kittens which have got into a chest of drawers—the chest of drawers itself admira¬ bly painted. M. Desgoffe had some remarkable representations of still life, some of which for technical qualities and imitation de¬ serve very high praise. The “ Guriosites” and “Coin du Halle” of M. A. Vollon, uninteresting enough in themselves, are extraordinarily well painted. His “Femme du Pollet,” a large figure of a peas¬ ant with a basket on her arm, has attempted to follow in the footsteps of Millet, but his work, though clear, has a coarseness of quality and character which is never seen in Millet. Aquarelles. In aquarelles the French have distinguished themselves of late. In this branch of art the names of Messrs. Detaille and Neuville should be noticed, though they exhibited no FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 37 specimens of their talent here. To these should be added_ FRANCE - among others the names of Messrs. Harpignies, Berne- B^e’^efiecour Bellecour, Bida, Berchere, Bruneau, Galbrund (en pastel), Bid ^ etal Re gnault,Veyvassat, Worms, Saunier, and, especially, M. M. Leloir and Mareclial. M. Leloir sent six aquarelles , which, Leiou. for splendor and brilliancy of color, were perhaps the most remarkable works in the whole Exposition. The subjects are u Le Repos,” u Les Souris Branches,” u Danseuse,” u Joueuse de Flute,” u L > Oiseau bleu,” u Nonchalance.” The color, which is like melted gems for force, is not glaring or confused in tints, the composition is good, the values well rendered, and altogether this is a remarkable series of pictures. M. MarechaPs works are in pastel and are rich and low in tone, Marshal, but strongly treated, almost as if they were oils. M. Worms 7 worms. aquarelles, u Apres la Revue” and u La Toilette Time Bailer- ine,” are of the same kind as his oil pictures, and admirably rendered. M. Regnault’s U lnterieur de Harem” is brilliant, KSgnnuit. but too kaleidoscopic in colors, and too much inspired by the Spanish school. Baroness Rothschild also sent some BaronessRoths- very spirited and interesting aquarelles of different views, chll<1 ' U A Scafati, environs de Naples,” U A Vitre,” and U A Chartres”; M. Berchere, several clever Egyptian scenes; Madame Berchere. Becq de Fouquieres a pastel of a u Jeune Fille de Kerfuntun,” ^ Mad : Becc i de x J 1/7 louquieres. which is very pleasing in sentiment and character; M. Bru- Bruneau. neau several admirable studies of fruit and small animals; M. Chaigneau a clever pastel of u Les Rocliers du Jean-de- chaigneau. Paris”; M. Brunet-Debaines a capital view of li St Gal- unmet-Do- 7 r bames. mier”; M. Galbrund a spirited portrait in pastel. Annong Galbrund. the aquarelles should also be specially noted a street scene with old houses on a canal, by M. Saunier; and two bright, saunier. clear, and well-drawn pictures by M. Veyvassat, of u Le veyvassat Gouter des Moissoneurs,” and u Une Charette.” ENGLAND. Having now examined the French school, let us turn to englaxd. that of England. Here, we are in an entirely different world. There are perhaps no two countries in which the technical methods, the subjects chosen, and the spirit in which they are rendered are so opposed or diverse. The . c A r Diversity of characteristic excellence, as we have seen, of the French character 1 in . ' . ' French and En school is technique But this technique has been so over- giish painting, insisted upon in France as finally to have become in the eyes of many of its cleverest artists the one thing to be aimed at, the one thing above all to be desired, and to this the higher claims of art have been subordinated. On the contrary, in passing from the French school into 88 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. ENGLAND. Pictures feeble technique. in technique and impasto. No true sense are not in water-colors. of values of color. technically termed u values” of color. Monotony. the English, one is at once struck with the feebleness of the The pictures are for the most part flat and com¬ paratively feeble in execution. The grammar of painting in oil as distinguished from painting in water-color has not here been learned. The first impression is that all of the oil pictures are aquarelles , so little body and vigor of touch, so little depth of impasto , so feeble a perception of light and dark do they show. Some of them under glass we are forced closely to examine before we can believe that they There is no true sense of what is All the parts are comparatively of the same value. The foreground figures are no more vigorous and decided than those which are in the middle distance. There is little representation of per¬ spective beyond what is expressed by drawing. The figures for the most part, as far as color and light and detail are concerned, are all in the same plane. There is a general monotony of color, a remarkable absence of shadows, and an equal insistance on all parts. Another peculiarity which is very striking is the lantern-like illumination of all the Pecuiiariiiumi- faces. Ao matter whether the light falls upon them or is natiou of faces. behind them, or whether there is any intelligible light com¬ ing from anywhere, the faces all are self-illuminated, and, in many of the landscapes with figures, they glow mysteriously, whether turned against the moon or the sun or turned to them. What is also curious is that, though these faces aie i Absence of so illuminated, scarcely a figure casts a shadow. Much of this peculiarity probably arises from the fact that in Eng¬ land there is little brilliancy of sun, the prevalent atmos¬ phere being gray and dim, and the counterpoises of light and dark little seen, so that the shadows are vague and feeble, and the effects misty. But whatever be the reason, the Delicacy offact is evident. But on the other hand there is much deli¬ cacy of sentiment, and great refinement of feeling. The Purity of feel- subjects are always pure in character, and if there be no great force of execution there is simplicity and sweetness, and an absence of violence and brutality of subject and of treatment. This sometimes errs on the side of senti¬ mentality and almost of triviality, but there is never any¬ thing to shock the sensibilities, and in all there is a pure purpose. In draftsmanship there is much to be desired. The best of the English painters can scarcely be said to reach the higher average of the French. In figures, and partic¬ ularly in the nude, their works show not- only a lack of firmness and decision of outline, but an absence of careful Lack of drafts¬ manship. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 39 training, and of style in their drawing. Of the landscapes, some are carefully, almost painfully, studied after nature, hut the detail is in many cases so over emphasized that the mass is sacrificed to the parts. They do not seem to under¬ stand that a multitude of particulars do not constitute a whole. On the contrary, with some at least, their idea seems to he that unless everything is said nothing is said. English art seems to drift in various currents, without any clear and definite course, and to subdivide itself into various degrees rather than schools. Mr. Burne-Jones rep¬ resents one direction, for instance, towards the romantic and vaguely ideal. Mr. Tritt another, towards the literal. Mr. Watts another, towards the mythological and heroic. Mr. Leslie another, towards the idyllic of common life. Mr. Armitage another, towards the antique and historic. Their methods and manners differ as much as their subjects. They have no style of workmanship in common; each, as it were, is striving blindly, as far as technique is concerned, to find a way for himself, and it must be confessed that in some of these efforts there is not a little affectation of originality, and, as it were, an euphuistic attempt at novelty, both in subject and iu treatment. On the other hand, there are some who are truly earnest and capable, having ideas and sentiment, but wanting the mastery of the grammar and language by which to express them. There is, in consequence, a good deal of wasted power. The result is not equal to the effort. Still, in coming ffom the French department of the Exposition into that of England, one cannot but feel that he has entered into a serener atmosphere of simpler manners, and higher morals, and purer sentiments, the absence of which cannot be compensated for by any technical merits however great. Over-emphasis of details. English art drifting in vari¬ ous directions. Romantic and ideal. Literal, Heroic, Idyllic, Antique and historic. Simpler and purer feeling than in the French section. Aquarelles. Aquarelles- If in the use of oils the English are far behind the French, in aquarelle they at least take equal rank with them. The room dedicated to these in the English department contained master-pieces of execution as well as of sentiment. The side of one screen was dedicated to aquarelles by the late Mr. Frederic Walker. These are characterised by tender and Frederic walk delicate sentiment and by harmony of color. They all rep¬ resent scenes of common life, and are each so happy in the rendering that it is difficult to say which is to be preferred. u The Old Farm Garden” is charming. It represents a scene in an old-fashioned garden inclosed in walls, over which are seen the farm building and roof. The garden is filled with bright flowers, a tree is in full blossom, and along the 40 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. exglakd. walk is ranged a row of bee-hives. A girl, slowly sauntering walker. through the walk, is knitting. She has dropped her ball of yarn, and a tortoise-shell eat is couching to spring at it. Here is the pure English feeling and character, all quiet and in harmony. “ The Ferry ” also is a beautiful picture, and as true to fact as to feeling. A boat is drawing up to the shore of the river. White swans are swimming in the water. Straight down to the ferry opens a street of red-brick houses with groups and figures scattered here and there. The atmosphere is England, the feeling is all English, and the Frederic Walk- picture is full of air and misty sunlight. “ The Housewife ” • is a figure seated in a court-yard, shelling beans; a chair is before her, and a great butt of water on one side, and a low window is filled with flower-pots. In description this is nothing. It is the tenderness and sweetness with which it is done that make it a delightful idyl. “The Village” is a bit out of English life and scenery. There is a bridge with three arches, under which the river flows, and over the parapet of which figures are leaning lazily. An old man¬ sion-house is seen behind, on the further side of the road which crosses the bridge, encompassed with a wall, with trees inside. Another represents “ The Last Asylum,” where a daughter is accompanying her old mother to the almshouse—beautiful in sentiment and delicate in execution. “ The Fishmonger ” also is admirable. He is leaning for¬ ward and pointing out on his broad bench covered with fishes a large turbot to a girl who is standing beside it hesi¬ tating whether to yield to his persuasion or not. This is masterly for management, color, and tone. The soft, dark¬ ened shadow of the interior is admirably given; the figures are capital in character and expression; the details are carefully studied and not obtrusive. Of a more ambitious character are “ The Three Fates, ” who are three sour old ladies, two seated on a sofa and one standing, and deliver¬ ing their oracles to a young girl who is rising from her chair. This is dramatic, entirely modern, and full of character and spirit. The other pictures are “Health to the Absent,” “The Chaplain’s Daughter,” “The Field of Violets,” all charming. Mr. Walker had also a large picture in oils, called “The Old Gate. ” This has much of the same excellence as the smaller water-colors in sentiment and character, but it lacks vigor of execution and is a little monotonous in tone and color. In fact it is rather like a very large aquarelle than a painting in oil. The figures are admirably drawn and the picture has much charm. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 41 Mr. A. H. Marsh sent a good showy picture of “Mussel Gatherers,” representing a crowd of fisherwomen toiling along a beach, with a storm rising. Mr. J. D. Linton’s “ Off Guard” is also well composed, with good effect of light and dark, and painted with vigor. The parts are well subordi¬ nated to each other, and the general masses are well kept, which is a rare thing in English art. Mr. G. J. Pinwell sent three pictures, “The Pied Piper,” “The Great Lady,” “ St. James’ Park,” of which the best is the last named. This is a subject which suits the English mind. It represents a scene in the park, English in its character and true to common life. The figure of the man seated on a bench and looking down is particularly good. The subject does not call for a high effort of imagination, but is represented with much truth and feeling. There were several of Mr. J. F. Lewis’s elaborate oriental scenes, which are painted with great minuteness and detail, and are brilliant in color $ but they are of little interest as to character or incident, and are too uniformly brilliant and have too equal insistance of parts. They represent “A Street in Cairo,” “The Lilium Auratum ,” “The School,” “Cairo,” “The Prayer of Faith.” He also sent three oil pictures, all of which have the same characteristics and are scarcely to be distinguished from aquarelles , so thin and flat are they in treatment. “ Twilight,” by Joseph Knight, is power¬ ful and interesting. There is a lowering gray sky, with a strip of light on the edge of the horizon. Shadows darken over the low deep-green moor-like swell of the ground, and in the foreground is a pool illuminated by the sky, and overgrown on its banks by low bushes. This picture, which is painted in body color, is solemn, lonely, and full of senti¬ ment. Mr. Boyce’s “ Bridewell” is admirably rendered, and a capital study of the place. Mr. J. D. Watson’s “Book Lore ” is rich in color. The low crimson dress is well painted, the color is rich, and the composition is good in light and dark. Mr. Thomas Collier sent a masterly landscape called “Arundel Park,” which is freely and vigorously rendered. Mr. E. X. Johnson’s “The Anxious Mother” is delicate in sentiment and color, and painted with much care and re¬ finement. The anxious mother is a hen, which is much dis¬ turbed because the lady in the picture has taken her chicken from her and holds it in her hand. “ Notre Dame de Brou- Bourg ,” by Mr. S. Bead, is a careful and effective study of the interior of the cathedral. “The Higher Pool,” by Mr. E. H. Fahey, is admirable in color, tone, and composition. It is a study of the same place that he has taken for his oil ENGLAND. Marsh. Linton. Pinwell. Lewis. Knight. Boyce. Watson. Collier. Johnson. Bead. Fahey. 42 ENGLAND. Birket Foster. Green. Herkomer. Sir John Gil¬ bert. Mrs. Ailing- ham. Kilbume. Gregory. Macbeth. Poynter. Crane. Burne-Jones. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. painting “He Never Came,” and is even stronger than that. The picture is effective in its light and dark, and the sky is particularly good. “The Market at Toulon,” by Mr. Birket Foster, with its gay flowers, vegetables, and great yellow umbrellas, is very bright in color and clear in treatment. “Derby Day—Here they come !” by Mr. 0. Green, is a very clever and characteristic representation of this scene. The eager heads and earnest action of the crowd that are pressing forward against the rope to catch sight of the com¬ ing horses are capitally rendered. Mr. H. Herkomer’s “Woodcutters,” which represents workmen turning the trunk of a tree they have felled, is admirable in its action and drawing, and very pleasing in its clear gray tones. Among other watercolors which may be noted are “The Guide,” by Sir John Gilbert$ several pleasing pictures by Mrs. Allingham, “When our Gudeman’s Awa’” by G. G. Kilburne, and a clever head of “ Saint George” by Mr. E. J. Gregory, “Sunday Evening in Chelsea Hospital Gardens” by Mr. James Macbeth, and E. J. Poynter’s portrait of Mrs. Louis Courtauld. “ The Death of the Year,” by Mr. Walter Crane, is a proces¬ sional picture of maidens carrying a corpse, which is pleasing and stronger in color than his oils. There is little definite character and individuality known in the figures or faces: they are all of the same type, and have a family likeness, as if they were sisters. The same observation may be made of all the pictures by Mr. E. Burne-Jones. He sent two water- colors, representing “Love among the Bums” and “Love as Wisdom.” The first represents two figures, a youth and a maiden, seated in a strange place, with strange fragments of architecture overgrown with ivy and thistles, with little regard to perspective or probability. The low gateway, for instance, has no just relation in point of size or height to the figures, and all parts are so equally emphasized that the total effect of the picture is flat. “Love as Wisdom” rep¬ resents two girls in red and brown dresses standing erect and half embracing, while opposite to them stands a third in dark blue, who is apparently addressing them. A town on a hill behind forms the background. The picture is pleas¬ ing in composition, but it entirely lacks aerial perspective, and the houses of the distant town seem to adhere to the heads of the figures. Both these pictures are rich in color, and in “Love among the Buins” there is considerable ex¬ pression of languid sadness. But both are rather conceits than subjects. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 43 Mr. Burne-Jones lias attained so distinguished a reputa¬ tion in England, that it is with much hesitation that we ap¬ proached with criticism pictures which have received higher panegyric from his friends and admirers than perhaps was ever before bestowed upon the works of any living painter. One of his admirers has not hesitated publicly in his writ¬ ings to say that he is the greatest artist that ever lived.* * Note.— Lest I may be supposed to exaggerate the statements of Mr. Burne-Jones’s admirers, I cite the following passages from an article in the “Fortnightly Review” for June, 1877, by Professor Sydney Col¬ vin, ou the Grosvenor Gallery, which may also serve as a correction to ‘ my own view. The whole article is worthy of perusal, as indicating the opinion of the new school of criticism on the new school of painting in England. Language can scarcely go farther. Professor Colvin speaks of Mr. Burne-Jones as a “master in whose inspiration there is nothing faltering or ambiguous, and in his ideals nothing harsh and unlovely. The genius of Mr. Burne-Jones will on these w r alls become a reality to those to whom hitherto it has been only a report.” Speaking of the “Six Days of Creation,” he says, “This is a favorite mediaeval sub¬ ject for the opening illustration of Chronicles, and occurs in some schemes of mosaic and other church decoration. But the modern work is no echo of any old; the subject has been redipped in the colors of a liv¬ ing spirit, and recast in the furnace of a great imagination. . . . Since painting was an art it is probable that no poetry so intense as this, no invention so rich and unerringly lovely, was ever pressed into form and color. It is better to say it without hesitation, we have among us a genius, a poet in design and color, whose like has never been seen before. To an almost incredible j)atience and multiplicity of work¬ manship, this* painting joins a quite inexpressible felicity and loveli¬ ness of pictorial invention. Inch by inch, as well as division by divis¬ ion, it can only be studied with ever-increasing wonder and delight.” Just as a born poet and inspired singer cannot put together those words that have not the sound, the spell, the soul of poetry, so this artist can¬ not draw a ring of hair, or a fold of drapery, or lay the tint of a flower, or a feather, or a shell, but the drawing has a charm and the color a preciousness which stirs the mind with the spell of visible poetry, an enchantment from the soul of things, an inexpressible felicity and loveliness,”—“preciousness of color,” “soul of poetry,” an “incredible patience,” “an increasing wonder and delight,” “unerring loveliness,” “great imagination.”—After such praise what can be added—what can be said of those whom we have hitherto held to be great masters ? As for those who do not agree to this “supreme” gush (“supreme” is the word which is affected now by a certain clique of critics, and we wish to con¬ form to this “preciousness” of diction for the moment), and who dare to criticise even the drawing, they are told that their criticisms “can¬ not be made with any show of reason now,” and that some critics of this class “ write themselves as asses and puppies before the world.” Still we must honestly say that such extravagant laudation is, in our humble opinion, not calculated to be of benefit to Mr. Burne-Jones, who, whatever be his talent, has still something to learn, nor to lead with it the calm judgment even of his best friends and much less of the public. It may also be interesting to append here two opposite criticisms of ENGLAND. Bume- Jones. Prof. Colvin in ‘Fortnightly Re- 44 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. exgland. But, on the other hand, critics are not wanting who, admit- Burpc-jones. ting his great talent, protest against this excessive laudation as injurious not only to art hut to the artist, by confirming him in a style, both of subject and of treatment, which in itself is not the highest, and which threatens to degenerate into mannerism, and to lead astray into vague sentiment¬ ality those who follow him. It may not, therefore, be pre¬ sumptuous if we venture to choose a neutral ground, and proceed to consider his methods and his subjects. These two pictures, as well as his “Beguiling of Merlin,” which, though in oil, is partially aquarelle in its technical treatment and effect, have been declared to be “among his noblest inspirations,” and it will be no injustice to judge him by them. Mr. Burne-Jones is essentially a colorist, and in the two water-colors he has amply justified his high reputation. They are rich in color, and harmonious in combination of tints. The “ Beguiling of Merlin by Vivian” is not, however, at all entitled to the same praise. It is monotonous and Mr. Burne-Jones’s latest work, “Pygmalion,” as indicating tlie opposite “L o n d o n extremes of opinion, taken from the “ London Week” of May 24, 1879: Week.” 7 •‘two ways of seeing a picture. “Let us now see what these discordant voices have to say about Mr. Burne-Jones’s ‘Pygmalion’ series. The following criticisms are well worth comparing carefully: “Spectator.” “Illustrated News/’ “ [Spectator.] “ ‘No description of which we are capa¬ ble can convey in any adequate degree the intense beauty of this work. As in all supreme painting, we lose sight altogether of the artist in the vision he has created for us, and it needs a severe effort of the mind to bring itself back to the consider¬ ation of the marvellous skill which is here displayed. But when this is done we hardly know upon what to bestow our greatest admiration, whether upon the soft effulgence of light in which the pic¬ ture is enveloped, the little bit of azure sky-on which Venus stands, and the deli¬ cate iridescence of the doves’ plumage; on the stately strength of divine beauty and power in her figure, the clinging de¬ pendence of that of Galatea, or on the ex¬ pression of the living statue, which is probably the most wonderful painting of all—surprise, joy, and helplessness strug¬ gling together in one woman’s face.’ “ [Illustrated News.] “ ‘We are assured that in these pictures there are latent meanings as to the rise, growth, and fruition of “passion” which associates them with those productions of the minor poets of the day, which forms the * ‘ supersensuous, ” or rather, we should say, the ultra-sensual, school—a school which, in its worst development, is the morbid outcome of weakly, overwrought physique—which every man who respects his manhood and every woman who val¬ ues her honor must regard with disgust, and would destroy everything of value in the national character. For our part, we see merely mawkish sentiment, not “pas¬ sion,” in these wan, haggard faces—these limp languors, this hysterical tension— together with mediaeval dilettanteism, for there is nothing whatever of Greek spirit or character in the series.’ “The ‘Spectator’ critic, it will be seen, goes nearly into hysterics; the other gentleman is affected in a very different way. We must say that for gush, tears, and bosh generally, the ^Spectator’ man throws all his fellow-laborers in the field of art far into the shade.” FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 45 ineffective in color and without perspective. Merlin is repre¬ sented as reclining in a contorted and helpless attitude, with crossed legs, at the foot of some tree or thorn covered with blossoms, while Vivian, swaddled in an extraordinary dress, turns her back upon him, twisting her head round over her shoulder, and holding before her in both hands a loug book, from which she is apparently reciting her spell. The figures are neither of them well drawn. Each is at least ten heads high, and Vivian, from her feet to her waist, is seven heads. The attitudes are singularly constrained and graceless, and inexpressive of the subject, and Merlin looks rather like a feeble, peevish old woman than the master magician with all the arts of sorcery at his command. Without the title to this picture it would be difficult to divine the subject. The objection to be made to many of Mr. Burne-Jones’s works, and specially to these most recent ones, is the vague¬ ness of the theme; and it is greatly to be regretted that his remarkable talent should have taken the direction it has toward subjects either vaguely ideal or languidly effeminate, removed from the best sympathies of our age, or the highest requirements of art. One gets a little tired of the constant apotheosis of Venus and Love, of these unwarlike knights and sentimental ladies, and of this perpetual repetition of the same type of face. Here, for instance, are three pictures, in all of which, both male and female, is the same type of charac¬ ter, expression, and face ; and a similar peculiarity may be observed in all his later works. They are all the same per¬ son, or of the same family, with the same prominent chin, the same large sickly sad eyes, hollow cheeks, and full lips. Both manly and womanly vigor is wanting to all. The men are not virile; the women are not womanly in its best sense; but a certain languidness, effeminacy, and dreamy senti¬ mentality, as of exhausted passions, almost epicene in its character, is visible in all. It is not because we do not recognize the ability of Mr. Burne-Jones that we venture thus to criticise him. He has great merits to counterpoise his defects $ but we would gladly see his genius engaged in sturdier struggle with more vig-, orous subjects and themes of greater power. Revived Medievalism. And this leads us to speak of the school or rather clique of art which has lately grown up in England, and in which some of the most noted names are enrolled. Admitting at once the ability of these artists, we cannot the less regret the influence they are exciting. Desiring to lift art to a more ENGLAND. Burne-Jones. Medievalism. 46 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. England, imaginative height, out of the commonplace of life, they have carried it beyond its legitimate domain into the vague and un¬ real, and sought to obtain notice by eccentricity and medise- valism. In their protest against the lower school of mere genre , they have sought to renovate art by recurrence to Recurrence to earlier methods and simpler schools. Feeling, through the style 1 y Italian quaint awkwardness, naivete , and rigidity of the early Italian period, a purity and sweetness of sentiment art hath since lost, they have made the mistake of supposing these to be inseparable conditions of their charm, and have wilfully assumed their technical limitations and deficiencies. The sentiment they seek is modern, but the manner is in imitation of the early Italian masters. New wine is poured into old bottles. Their pictures are animated by the spirit of the new and the memory of the old. Scorning Guido and the Caracci, and scarcely accepting even Raffaelle, they prostrate them¬ selves before their predecessors, expecting by imitations of their defects to attain their excellences. For instance, “ Love as Wisdom” is a reminiscence of early Italy in composition and character. Its inspiration is from the early Italian poets in sentiment, and of the early painters in composition. So also the “Renaissance of Venus,” by Mr. Walter Crane, is plainly inspired by a picture of Botticelli’s in the Uffizi, at Florence, and in “ On the Banks of the Styx,” by Mr. R. Spencer Stanhope, the same early, dry manner is imi¬ tated. I only refer here to some of those examples found in this Exposition, but the list might be greatly enlarged, if it were proper to cite other names and works outside the Expo¬ sition. In these works, one cannot but feel that the genius of the artist has been fettered 5 that his intention is willful; imitated quaint- that his method is not spontaneous. The quaintness, rigid- unafffecteci cbarm ity, even the bad drawing, of the early Italian school is imi- ” a t 1 , t schooL y Ita1 ’ tated, but the unaffected charm is lost. There is a touch of affectation which ruins all. So strong is the protest against beauty, through fear of prettiness, that the ugly and awk¬ ward is sought, as it would seem, with intention. Another defect to be seen in some of the English work is niteraiuess. literalness. The artist is not a co-worker with nature, but her drudge and slave. He is so afraid not to be truthful that he copies the accidents and defects of nature as well as all its unimportant details with a fatal subjection. This is specially observable in some of the landscapes, in which the parts often are over emphasized to the destruction of the main effect. They look like timid and labored studies by a student, not free and plastic interpretations of a mas- FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 47 ter. Mr. Ruskin has so loudly and emphatically preached ekgland. the gospel of detail and imitation of nature that his fol- RtlsMn - lowers are afraid to omit anything, and there is little dis¬ tinction in the work between the common and the poetic. The opposite defect of slovenliness and meanness of exe¬ cution is also frequently seen, and there is a strange oscilla- oscillation bc- tion between overdoing and carelessness—between doing and^rSsneS? too much and doing too little. In fact what the English school most lacks is a decided style and training, a cer¬ tain hand, a command of material, and precision in draw¬ ing. Much of their work has, therefore a groping charac¬ ter, with no definite and absolute intention. They are happy ideas, half expressed, and a constant tendency to sentimentality. In the poetic and ideal school of English art the themes subjects for are at times subjects rather for poems than for pictures. SSmpictures. ei They do not clearly express their meaning, but need a runing commentary of explanation. Sermoni proprior a is their pet motto. “Love as Wisdom,” for instance, might apparently make a pleasing poem in the early Italian man¬ ner, but as a picture it scarcely explains itself. So much is this felt in England, that great pains and ingenuity are ex¬ pended on the titles of the pictures. These are often tar more suggestive than the pictures themselves. Suppose “Love as Wisdom, ” or “Love Among the Ruins,” had no name, could bne easily divine what was the precise inten¬ tion of the artist % Nay, can one, as it is ? Between these and the school of anecdote, genre , and Genre. familiar life, the gap is great. “Love as Wisdom” and~~ “The Railway Station,” by Mr. Frith, represent the ex¬ tremes of different styles. In the familiar school of England of common life there is often a triviality and sentimentality of commonplace which is disappointing. The themes are Trivial themes, often not worthy of the cleverness which is displayed, and the execution, so far as technique is concerned, is insufficient to give an interest of itself to the pictures. In these respects the superiority of execution in France is very striking. There are no oil pictures in England which are rendered with the skill which, for instance, is to be observed in Worms, Meissonier, Gerome, Leloir, or indeed of any oi the chief painters of such subjects in France. The humoi is often a little exaggerated, the sentiment a little flat, and the painting weak. At times the real poetic sentiment is reached, as in the water-colors of Mr. Walker, and at times true pathos is expressed; but generally speaking there is a 48 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. England, want of freshness and energy of conception, and firmness of drawing. Historical. Historical Paintings. In the higher branches of History, the eight pictures in this Exposition, with all their cleverness and talent in gen¬ eral, lack power and firmness of conception as well as More scenic strength of execution. They are more scenic than real; the heart of the mystery is not plucked; they do not interest; they do not excite the spectator. They want reality. In ^Reference to this connection I would refer to the admirable essay of essay. Charles Lamb “On the Want of Imagination in Modern Works of Art, ” as clearly showing what is needed in a great historical painting. English art shows: Earnestness, Purity, Propriety. Morris. But to pass from general considerations to particular in¬ stances, there were many works in the English department which deserve high praise, and constitute exceptions to the general statement we have made. One observation is to be strongly emphasized, and that is that, with all its short¬ comings, earnestness of purpose, purity of theme, and pro priety of thought and feeling are always to be seen in Eng¬ lish art. There are no indecencies, no doubtful innuendoes, no displays of mere nudity, no violence and brutality of subject and treatment, such as deform the French school, and but little mere bric-a-brac work, with no soul and noth¬ ing but the body of technique —all is serious or quiet, at least in its intention, and there are frequently a naturalness, sweet¬ ness, simplicity, and refinement of feeling which make up for many deficiencies. The English school in various and perhaps blind ways is feeling its way, but it is animated with high and pure purpose. It does not prostitute itself to low and unworthy aims. This it is which marked espe¬ cially all the department of English art at this Exposition, and made a strong impression on artists of every country. Among the most charming pictures in this department was “ The Beaper and the Flowers, ” by Mr. P. B. Morris, which is a little idyllic poem, full of sentiment and feeling, and very delicate and pure in color. The sun has set, but the light is still bright in the sky, and the trees and landscape in the middle distance rise dark against it. The old reaper with his scythe on his shoulder is going home, and five little girls, who have come out to meet him, are dancing around him, gay and llower-like. He is walking toward the sunset, and his face is illuminated with the coy light. So, too, are the faces of the children whose backs are turned to the FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 49 light. How their faces are illuminated, or why they cast no shadows, it is difficult to say; but no matter, the picture is charming and truly poetic. Another of Mr. Morris’s pic¬ tures represents four mowers working in a held of grain. The action of the figures is well expressed, and the drawing and color good. They are earnestly at work, unconscious that we are looking at them. There is less poetic feeling, perhaps, in this than in the other picture, but the subject is well felt and rendered, and it is a serious and admirable work. Both of these pictures are under glass, and one needs to examine them closely to assure one’s self that they are not aquarelles. Mr. Holl sent two pictures, both of decided merit, “ The Lord gave, and the Lord taketh away,” which is cleverly composed and interesting, and “Leaving Home.” Here there is character, firm drawing, and truth of movement and expression. The scene is in the waiting-room of the third class, at a railway station, and represents the leave- taking of a young soldier who is leaving his home. It is simply rendered and without affectation. The group, con¬ sisting of mother, father, and sister, is seated along a bench, and the figure of the old father in especial is admirable in every way for color, drawing, and character. The sincerity and clear intention of the artist, and his ability to depict what he means, make this an exceptional picture. There is nothing mawkish in the sentiment, or slipshod in the exe¬ cution, and there are strong values of darks, which is rare in an English picture. Unfortunately it is under glass, which gives it somewhat the effect of an aquarelle , and disturbs the eye. Why the English have this practice of covering their oil pictures with glass, it is difficult to see. The effect is injured, and there is no apparent necessity for the practice. “Toilers of the Field,” by Mr. J. Aumonier, is a very pleas¬ ing picture, well composed, and agreeable in sentiment and general sunny tone. One cannot but regret that it is so aquarelle in treatment, that the figures are so thin and even in tone, and that the shadows are so faint. At this hour the long shadows constitute an essential feature and senti¬ ment of the scene. A little more enforcement would have made this picture quite charming ; as it is, the figures are a little too transparent, and do not come off from the ground. But, despite this, the picture is full of feeling and sentiment. “Applicants for Admission to a Casual Ward,” by Mr. Luke Fildes, is a composition of great talent, full of dramatic character and feeling, and without affectation or grimace. It is a little gloomy and monotonous in tone and color, and 4 p R ENGLAND. Morris. Ho]l. Aumonier. Luke Fildca. 50 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, J878. ENGLAND. Herkomer. -Millais. wants focussing of light and dark, but it is a strong, able, and pathetic picture, done with great directness and steadi¬ ness of purpose. “ The Last Muster,” by Mr. H. Herkomer, deserved the medal of honor which was conferred upon it. It is a remark¬ able picture, representing a Sunday service at the chapel of the Royal Hospital at Chelsea, with all the veterans seated on their benches and the tattered banners hanging over head. This picture, which is really a picture of portraits, is painted with great vigor, honesty, and solidity of impasto ; but be¬ yond this it shows a quiet dramatic sense, and a simplicity and truth of individual character such as is rarely seen. The two principal figures are particularly admirable in truth of action and expression. Besides this, Mr. Herkomer’s other oil painting, “ After the Toil of the Day,” looks very washy and aquarelle in manner, and is far behind it in character and vigor, though it is a pleasing picture. The only other medal of honor which was given to Eng¬ land was awarded to Mr. Millais. He was admirably repre¬ sented by no less than ten of his principal pictures, of which five were portraits, two landscapes, and three subject pic¬ tures. These pictures have been repeatedly exhibited, and are already so well known that they scarcely need to be described. Of his portraits, that of “Mrs. Bischoffsheim ” is one of the best, and it is spirited and well painted, though a little careless in the execution of all but the head, and has the great merit of a very strong resemblance. The portrait of the “ Duke of Westminster ” in his hunting dress is also an admirable portrait, simple, direct, and true to life; but still better than this is “ The Gambler’s Wife,” which, notwithstanding its title, is plainly a portrait, and only a portrait. The head on this picture is charmingly rendered with great delicacy of color and feeling, and care in execu¬ tion. Indeed, of all Mr. Millais’ works in the Exposition this is the most sincere and happy, as far as the head goes. But the Jicliu on her neck is too careless—it means nothing. Mr. Millais lias quite changed his whole style since those early works which first won him his high reputation, and which were characterized by fastidious and minute elaboration. Now, on the contrary, his style is free, and at times quite too free and careless, and he often contents himself with merely suggesting in the sketchiest manner what, with the pressure of his engagements, he has no time to work out. There, perhaps, might be a happy mean between these two manners, and there is at times an indication of altogether too much liurrv in his work. In the portraits of his three FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 51 children, for instance, the dresses are mere vague smudges of white, with no anatomy in the folds and no texture. The dresses also of the “ Three Sisters” are very careless, and all the same pattern and color, while the background of flowers is a mere sketch. This reckless splashing on of inci¬ dental parts is a characteristic of English portraits. If an artist draws anything it ought, at least as far as it goes, however unfinished, to have a determinate form and mean¬ ing, and not to be, as it too often is, a mere -scribble, and Mr. Millais is too clever an artist and too capable an exec¬ utant to allow himself to slur over accessories in this hur¬ ried way. “The Yeoman of the Guard,” clever as in some respects it is, has on the whole something a little grotesque in it. The tones of the red costume are too voyant. The face is dabbled and spotty in execution, and the general effect is of a huge water-color. The two landscapes, one representing “ Chill October,” and the other “ O’er the Hills and Far Away,” which is a view of the Scottish moors, are so well known that they scarcely need to be described. In sentiment and general tone the “Chill October” is the best, and narrowly misses being a remarkable picture. But here is the same careless¬ ness of parts, the same want of real love for the thing rep¬ resented, the same hurry of execution. The background and distance are scarcely even sketched in, as if the artist had got tired of his work before completing it. The fore¬ ground is scratched in loosely; the roots of the trees are scarcely drawn at all. The only part which is really painted is the middle distance, with its dark trees bending to the stress of the wind and its chill gleamy water, and these are so admirably rendered and so good in character that they hold the whole picture together and cover the deficiencies of the rest. In the Scotch landscape, as in “Chill October,” the main dark is in the middle ground, drawing the pictures into two parts, and the foregrounds are comparatively weak and unsatisfactory. Here there is much and careful study; the execution is free and the color good, but it lacks the sentiment that animates the “Chill October,” and is not so happy in its expression of feeling, though it is more care¬ fully painted. Indeed, it is to be objected that in the dis¬ tance there is too much insistance of particulars which could scarcely be visible to the naked eye, and little effect of chiaro-oscuro. The subject pictures by Mr. Millais are two in number, “The Northwest Passage” and “Yes or No.” The latter is essentially portrait. The former, a girl seated at the feet ENGLAND. Millais. 52 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, J878. ENGLAND. Millais. Watts. Poynter. of her father, an old sailor, and reading from a book, to which he is attentively listening. The character and expres¬ sion of the sailor, who clasps his daughter’s hand, is admira¬ ble, the incident is interesting, and the story well told. Mr. Millais’ reputation is so established and his talent so decided that he can well afford to be criticised. Had his influence and position been less we should not have dwelt upon his shortcomings, which are chiefly the result of hurry and carelessness and want of real love for his work. Art is a jealous mistress, and demands devotion and ear¬ nestness. She is not satisfied with a careless nod even from so masterly a workman as Mr. Millais. Mr. G. F. Watts sent a number of interesting portraits of “ Robert Browning,” “Herr Joachim,” “General Lau¬ rence,” “P. H. Calderon,” “The Duke of Cleveland,” and “ Hon. Mrs. Percy Wyndham.” Of these the best is the full-length of Mrs. Wyndham, which has much dignity and breadth of style and character. Mr. Watts’s genius, how¬ ever, has a larger scope in his ideal subjects, of which lie sends us but two specimens, in his “Pallas, Juno, and Venus,” and his “Love and Death 5 ” of these the more carefully painted is the former, which is simple and unaffected, and, though it leaves much to be desired in clearness of color and exactness of drawing from the nude, has no taint of the model, and is conceived in a true spirit. There is something large in the conception of Death, and the head of Love is expressive in action and feeling; but his figure is sadly out of drawing and strange in color. There is in these pictures, however, a lift of spirit and feeling. Mr. E. J. Poynter sent three pictures, “ The Catapult,” “ Proserpine,” and “ Israel in Egypt.” There is much that is refined in sentiment and conception in the “ Proserpine” gathering flowers, her figure showing through the half-trans¬ parent drapery in which she is robed. Both the other pic¬ tures are more ambitious in character and design, show great study and research, and are interesting and spirited. The “Israel in Egypt” represents the Israelites dragging a colossal figure through the burning noon of Egypt. The great mass of figures are well drawn and appropriate in action, the costumes are carefully studied, and nothing has been slighted. Wliat is to be objected is that the values of all parts are too equal in color and chiaro-oscuro , so that the interest is too widely distributed, and not sufficiently con¬ centrated on any main incident. In consequence the pic¬ ture has a certain thinness and flatness of effect. “The PINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 53 Catapult” is more concentrated and more powerful, and very clever in action and design, though a little dull in color. “Rough Weather in the Mediterranean,” by Mr. Henry Moore, is a very careful study of mid-ocean. The heaving waves are full of life and movement, and the intense blue tones very true to nature. Mr. Brett’s two pictures of u Spires and Steeples of the Channel Islands,” and u Mount’s Bay, Cornwall,” are immense birds-eye views of the sea and coast in broad sunlight, crowded with detail, and studied with exceeding pains and labor. Indeed, it is a painfully careful study, and despite the talent it displays and the conscientiousness of the work, one cannot but feel that the labor is in the wrong direction, and that the artist has been mastered by his subject, and rendered subservient to the facts. There is no reserve any¬ where; every thing glitters with excess of light; every bit is of equal value, and insists upon forcing itself on the atten¬ tion. The minute is over-emphasized, as if the artist had been afraid to have anything unreported, however unneces¬ sary, and the result is fatiguing. Mr. Albert Moore’s two little pictures of “ Beads, ” and “ The Palm Fan. ” which in the catalogue are called “ har¬ monies in blue and gold,” have little theme or character, but they are well drawn, delicate, unaffected, and graceful, though a little pale and chalky in color. They are of the young school of England—with which novelty is often a synonym of excellence. These two pictures were too pale and weak to produce much effect in the Exposition, but they would be charming in a little boudoir. Mr. R. W. Macbeth sent two pictures, a “ Lincolnshire Gang, ” and “ Potato Harvest in the Fens.” The first repre¬ sents a gang of workmen and women roused to labor at day¬ break. It is well composed and painted, and has a good deal of action and spirit and vigor of character. It is a little monotonous from its want of contrast in light and dark, and the faces have that peculiar lantern-like illumination which is characteristic of so many pictures in the English department, but it is an interesting picture. In light and dark, and in technique ^he “ Potato Gatherers” is much more vigorous, and, indeed, in these qualities it is one of the most striking pictures in the English department. It is firmly and forcibly painted, well composed, and solidly laid in. The sky is good, and the massed figures come up strongly against it. Miss Thompson (now Mrs. Bufler) sent a picture repre¬ senting “ The Return from Inkermann,” in which we confess. ENGLAND. H. Moore. Brett A. Moore. Macbeth. Mrs. Butler, nee Thompson. 54 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. ENGLAND. Mrs. Butler. Stanhope. Brewtnell. Sir J. Gilbert. Arraitage. Calderon. after all tlie great praise which has been bestowed upon this lady’s work, to have been disappointed. The drawing is studied. There is character undoubtedly in some of the groups, but the figures are somewhat confusedly massed together, and there is a certain want of that virile strength and enforcement which is demanded in such a subject. The color is dull and smudgy, and of a uniform tint throughout. After the pictures of a similar class in France it has rather a tame effect. But there is undoubted talent in it, and as the work of a woman it is remarkable. Mr. Spencer Stanhope is a follower of Mr. Burne-Jones, and his “ On the Banks of the Styx, ” is an effort in the same early Italian direction, though Avitli inferior talent. In color it is washy, thin, and ineffective, and the figures are \ r ery long, lean, and queer. The subject is poetic, and with dif¬ ferent treatment might have been made interesting and pathetic 5 but as it is, it is only affected and eccentric, and willfully wrong. “ Ils sontjoliment maigres ,” was the com¬ ment of a French woman that reached my ears as I was looking at it. Mr. E. F. Brewtnell is of the same following, and his “ Sleeping Beauty” has the same quality of queerness. The young Prince especially is very peculiar in attitude and drawing. Originality seems in this class of pictures to be confounded with oddity and awkwardness. Among the historical paintings, those of Sir John Gil¬ bert are among the most ambitious, though, perhaps, not the best of his efforts. They represent “The Doge and Senators of Venice in Council,” “ Richard II resigning his Crown to Bolingbroke, ” “The Arrest of Hastings,” and “Cardinal Wolsey at Leicester Abbey.” There is in the treatment of these subjects a certain academic character of composition and action, the color is hard and voyant, and the drawings far from good. “Serf Emancipation,” by Mr. Armitage, represents an Anglo-Saxon noble on his death¬ bed, surrounded by his family and friends on one side, while opposite stand a group of serfs, some kneeling and some standing, to whom he is givingtheir freedom. The picture is a little academic, though well composed, but it is monotonous in color and tone, and there is little salience in character and expression. Mr. P. H. Calderon sent seven pictures. “Constance,” “Victory,” “Margaret,” “On her Way to the Throne,” “Catharine of Lorraine,” “Sighing his Soul into his Lady’s Face,” and “Home they brought her War¬ rior dead.” “On the way to the Throne” is good in character and composition aud is delicate in color, but it FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 55 is in the pure water-color style, and it would easily pass at a little distance for an aquarelle. The u Catherine of Lorraine urging Jacques Clement to assassinate Henry III,” is clever, but exaggerated, and the color, particularly in the background, not happy. “ The Last Touch”is a very clever bit of comedy and humor, without exaggeration and splendidly rendered. “Home they brought her Warrior dead” is by far the best of his pictures here. It is strongly painted and clearly felt. The textures are well given, par¬ ticularly the curtain and the yellowish white and satin coverlid. There is pathos, too, and simple unexaggerated strength of feeling, and it is altogether an interesting and effective picture. And this leads me to speak of the want of feeling and study of draperies and textures and quali¬ ties of stuffs which is ordinairly seen in the English work. The anatomies of drapery and the peculiarities of different textures are little studied. The execution is not only care¬ less, but unintelligent. The folds and breaks are not under¬ stood and imitated, but merely blotted in with a vague, un¬ certain touch, and uniformly treated as if they were unim¬ portant accessories. The picture by Mr. Calderon is known as one of the few exceptions to the general rule. Here you see what the stuff is, and you feel that the artist has repre¬ sented it con amove. Mr. Millais sins greatly in this respect, as we have already said. His draperies and textures are the least good parts of his pictures, and he seems not to feel their value and beauty. In this respect, the English might well take a lesson from the French, whose draperies and text¬ ures are studied with great care. It is vexatious to see in the English work dresses vaguely rubbed in in color, with here and there an indeterminate and inexpressive streak of dark to break the surface. There is one kind of execution which although it does not insist on details or become nig¬ gled in execution, is broad, decisive, true, as far as it goes. This is the free manner of a master’s work, and is the re¬ sult of knowledge. There is another, in which the English school indulges, that is indecisive and careless, and which strives to mask its ignorance or carelessness by sloppy inex¬ pressive touches under the pretense of freedom of style. Another exception to this general characteristic is to be seen in the exquisitely felt and carefully studied draperies of Sir Frederick Leighton’s u Music Lesson.” This picture has great refinement of sentiment and composition, and, though a little over-labored in the execution, and with, per¬ haps, a touch of the precieuse in tbe almost enameled flesh, is, as a whole, charming. There is great harmony in the ENGLAND. Calderon. SirF. Leighton. 56 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. ENGLAND. Leighton. Prinsep. Yeames. GoodalJ general tints and great tenderness of feeling. Sir Frederick’s portrait of u Captain Burton” is, on the contrary, masterly in execution and strong in impasto , and is decidedly one of the best portraits here. We regret to say that his more ambitious attempt to represent u Elijah” ministered to by the angel, does not show the same vigor. It is not happy as a composition, and it is weak in execution. The angel is graceful, but the picture lacks that solemnity and seri¬ ousness of character that the subject demands. There are in all Mr. Leighton’s works earnestness and faithfulness of study, but powerful subjects like the Elijah are less in har¬ mony with his genius than that of a more idyllic, romantic, and poetic type. Mr. Y. Prinsep sent three pictures, u Beading 4 Sir Charles Grandison,”’ “The Linen Gatherers,” and “A Bi- entot .” “The Linen Gatherers” represents a scene on the Devonshire cliffs, with English girls coming down a slope carrying home the linen that has been bleaching in the sun. In this picture, though it represents a scene in the open air towards evening, with full light, not a single figure casts a shadow, while all the faces coming toward the spectator, and with the light of sky behind them, are self-illuminated like lanterns. There is no feeling of distance or perspective, all the figures are of equal value and distinctness in one monot¬ onous tint, and there is no light and dark. There is the same monotony of tint and value, the same absence of shadow, and the same thinness of execution in both the other pictures, which are essentially genre. This even, flat monotony and absence of shadows and self-illumination are singular peculiarities of most of the English pictures. For instance, Mr. W. F. Yeames’s “The Last Bit of Gossip” represents a scene in the open street of Bath, with two persons meeting in Sedan chairs, the tops of which are raised while their occupants look out and chat together. The incident is amusing, there is a pretty arrange- ment of color, and there is character, but the whole picture is flat, as if it were printed in cretonne , the tones are all even, and nothing casts a shadow. There is no distance, no tone, no disengagement of one thing from another. In examining the picture bit by bit, one sees that it shows spirit and talent, but there is absolutely no light and dark. u Pour les Pan. vres ,” by the same artist, has the same defects and the same merits. Again, in Mr. F. Goodall’s picture of “ The Time of Boses” the same peculiarity is seen. It represents a mother with her infant in her arms in a rose-garden, with a red-brick wall behind. It is clear sunlight, and yet nothing casts a FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 57 shadow, and the faces are self-illuminating. There is much that is pretty and pleasing in parts, hut it is all there as water-color, and without light and dark. The “ Head of the House at Prayer,” by the same artist, represents an Arab chief standing in front of his tent with his camels near by, in broad daylight, yet there is not a shadow thrown by any¬ thing. The same thing may be said also of Mr. Goodall’s “ Spring,” which is vaporous, tender, and delicate in color, but without a shadow. Again, the same remark may be made in respect to all Mr. Bicliardson’s pictures. There is something very pleasant and bright about them. In linear composition they are clever, the figures are fairly well drawn, and the incidents rep¬ resented are interesting, but there is almost no composition of light and dark, all things are of equal value, there are almost no shadows, there is no principal light, and all the faces are equally illuminated. Each figure is drawn with a dark outline, and flatly filled in with color. The back¬ ground and still life are painted in a thin, stringy manner, are just washed in, and have somewhat the effect of stained wood. Still there is much talent displayed in these pictures, though one cannot but regret the feebleness of the technique. One exception there is in his “Escaped,” which represents two dogs finding a cap in the water. Here there are darks and a sense of values, but here, too, there are no shadows. The subject of “The Queen of the Swords” is taken from Sir Walter Scott’s “Pirate,” and the moment chosen is when Minna Troil moves down between two files of lifted swords, which are crossed above her head. It is drawn with spirit and animation, and is an interesting picture. “The Bill of Sale” is also clever, and has a good deal of quiet character. The “Portrait,” however, is far more solid and strong in color, painted with good impasto , and simple, unaffected, and natural. It is one of the best portraits in the English school. Again, the same peculiarity is seen in Mr. G. H. Boughton’s pictures. Xone of the figures cast any shadows, and the faces are all self-illuminating. This is especially the case in the “ Surrey Pastoral,” where the subject is an English landscape almost in twilight, with a rising moon. In the middle ground are figures, some seated, and one crossing a brook. All is in subdued lone and pleasing in sentiment; but, though the backs of the figures are turned to the sky, their faces are all unnaturally illuminated, and seem like lanterns. The same is the case with “The Bearers of the Burden,” which is also marked by a quiet monotony of tone, ENGLAND. Goodall. Richardson. Boughton. 58 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. ENGLAND. Bough ton. Harmonies.” “Nocturnes.” •“Symphonies.” What “color” means. English combi¬ nations of mere tints. Weak in draw- Lng. Disproportion. with faint yellows and browns, and almost no perspective of distance. “Snow in Spring” represents a group of young girls in a wood. Primroses are on the ground, and flakes of snow are falling. The theme is rather a quaint conceit, with little realism, but pleasing in arrangement of colors and refined in sentiment. Indeed, there is something agreeable and attractive in all Mr. Boughton’s work, when one has ceased to look for solidity and truth, and is content to accept sentiment and delicate tones in their stead. Here it maybe observed that the phrases so constantly used in the new school of England, such as harmonies and ar¬ rangement in this and that color, nocturnes, symphonies, etc,, indicate clearly a notion that a pleasing combination of tints and colors constitutes “color.” It cannot, however, be too strongly insisted upon that no arrangement of tints and colors constitutes, in its proper sense, “color.” The term “color” has a far larger and deeper significance, and em¬ braces not so much mere arrangement of flat tints (which might equally well be made in a cretonne pattern) as unity and harmony of tone, depth of quality, values of colors in chiaro-oscuroj and solidity of representation. When it is said that Titian and Giorgone are great colorists, it is not meant only that the tints superficially laid on are agreeable in ar¬ rangement, but that the qualities of the things are rendered; that there is a just relation of parts in effect ; that all is in its proper place as value; that the flesh is deep, rich, and luminous $ that the gradations are subtle$ that light and shade balance and give value to each other ; and that there is an all-pervading presence of tone throughout every part. And this is exactly what is not seen nor apparently sought for in most modern English works. They rather seek for agreeable combinations of mere tints. But, besides, they are extremely weak in their drawing, which is generally without style and decision. It always seems tentative, approximative, and uncertain, and often ignorant, as if the artist had not been properly trained to draw before he began to paint. But it cannot be denied that good drawing is the very foundation of good art 5 and, in drawing, the English school is far be¬ hind the chief schools of the Continent. Take, for instance, the drawing in the figures of “Merlin and Vivian,” by Mr. Burne Jones. They are about ten heads high, while the highest ideal standard is eight, and the practical standard less. It may safely be said that no figure can be found in nature, and none in the antique, which clearly measures eight heads. But it is not only in the lengths of parts, but in the unintelligent rendering of them, that the drawing FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 59 fails. The hips are almost impossible. The neck is de¬ formed; the proportions and balance and movement all incorrect.* Look, too, at the “Love” of Mr. Watts, where not only the color but the drawing and anatomy are ex¬ ceedingly unsatisfactory. I mention these two names only because they enjoy so high a reputation, and therefore fitly should be among the best draftsmen. Similar defects are to be found in the pictures of Mr. G. I). Leslie, but they need not be more insisted on. They are very flat and weak in color, are without contrast of light and dark, and have a thinness of body as if they were aqua¬ relles; but a charming and refined sentiment animates them all, and they have a naive grace and simplicity which is very attractive. The “School Revisited” is in especial to be no¬ ticed. The time and costumes are of the last century, and the picture represents an old schoolfellow, who sits on a bench with her former playmates, younger than herself, tell¬ ing them, probably, of the outer world and its delights, and talking over old times. His pictures “ Lavinia,” “ Fortunes,” “ Celia’s Arbor,” and “ Potpourri” are all most pleasing. The same faults may be found also Avith Mr. Briton Ri¬ viere’s pictures. He sent three, “ Daniel in the Lions’ Den,” “Charity,” and “The Last of the Garrison.” This last, which represents a wounded dog, has a good deal of pathos. The first, “ Daniel,” is, however, his most important work. It is spirited in conception and original in treatment. Daniel, with his arms tied behind him, and his back turned to the spectator, confronts a group of lions. His figure is striking in its severe simplicity. The character of the lions, too, is well given. What one regrets is the monotone of color and the want of technical strength in the execution, but the picture shows much talent and originality. Mr. C. W. Cope’s picture, “ Selecting Pictures for the Royal Academy Exhibition,” is very clever and Avell com¬ posed. The likenesses are good, and the groups happily arranged. “Trawlers waiting for Darkness,” by Mr. Colin Hunter, is a strong and well-conceiA 7 ed work. The coming on of the dark is well expressed, and the contrasts of light and dark are good. Altogether it is a serious and striking picture. * Professor Colvin is of a different opinion. In tlie article already cited from tlie “Fortnightly Review,”after stating that in this picture “the countenances are passion incarnate, the profile of Nimiane never to he forgotten,” etc., he adds that “the drawing of Nimaine’s figure, hands, and feet—the numb and slackened hands of Merlin—these, for instance, are mere masterpieces.” ENGLAND. Leslie. Eevi^re Cope. Hunter. 60 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1*78. eng: and. Morgan. Landseer. Mason. Phillip. Armstrong. Croft. The “ Haymakers,” by Mr. F. Morgan, represents a group returning home along the road in. the glow of a summer’s evening. This picture is admirable in composition, color, and chiaro-oscuro. The sentiment is welf expressed and the character of the figures well rendered. One cannot but ask, however, why the faces, though turned away from the sun¬ set, are self-illuminating, and why, since the sky is so bright, no shadows are cast. Of deceased artists, Sir Edwin Landseer was represented by six of his well-known pictures—“ The Indian Tent,” “The Connoisseurs,” “Swannery Invaded by Eagles,” “Man Proposes, and God Disposes,” The Ptarmigan Hill,” and “The Sick Monkey.” The last is the only one that merits attention, and here Sir Edwin is seen at his best. The remainder are weak and washy in execution, and very poor in color, and without strength of design or character. In fact, it must be admitted that these pictures do not at all sustain his great reputation, and have materially diminished the estimation in which he has been held. Seven of the late Mr. George H. Mason’s pictures were ex¬ hibited, all of them good in color and impasto , and pleasing in sentiment. Particuarly are to be mentioned the “ Even¬ song,” “Children Fishing,” and “The Cast Shoe,” all of them characterized by a low tone of color, a good feeling for light and dark, and a pure simplicity of treatment. Four of the late John Phillip’s works were also here, of which the principal one was “ Round the Brasero,” represent¬ ing a group of Spaniards gathered around the fire in the brasero. These are all a little coarse in color and charac¬ ter, but are clever and spirited. Mr. T. Armstrong’s “Music Piece” is graceful, pretty in sentiment, and pleasing in its arrangement of colors, though it is perfectly aquarelle in quality. Two half figures of girls in front are listening to a young priest who is play¬ ing the piano-forte in the background, or rather what is meant for the background; but in reality the picture is so totally without perspective, and all the parts are so much on the same plane, that the girls look like giantesses and the priest like a pigmy. Mr. E. Crofts’ “ Morning of the Battle,” with day breaking over a weary and wounded group of soldiers, some on the ground, some preparing to move at the summons of the trumpet, has much character, expression, and spirit, and shows very decided talent. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 61 Among the portraits are to be noted Mr. Lehmann’s excel¬ lent likeness of “ Mr. Browning.” He is also represented by his well-known and often-repeated “La Lavandaja” and “ The Convent Dole,” which is one of his best works.” Of the late Sir Francis Grant’s three portraits, “His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge at the Battle of the Alma ” is the most ambitious, but the portrait of “ Lord Gough ” is far the best, and this is spirited and clever. Mr. W. B. Rich¬ mond sent a portrait of “ Lady Frederick Cavendish,” which is delicate in color and highly finished; Mr. Ouless sent por¬ traits of the “ Rt. Hon. Russel Gurney,” “ Mr. H. D. Pochin,” and “ Mr. William Sale,” all strong and vigorous works; and Mr. J. Sant had a group of three portrait figures, called “ The Early Post,” all in white morning dresses, opening the letter bag, which is very fresh and English in character. Mr. Sant’s “Adversity,” which represents a poor girl lean¬ ing against a wall, with flowers for sale, has a good deal of expression and grace of attitude. Among other pictures to be noted are “ At the Prison Win¬ dow” in southern Italy, by Henry Wallis, where a girl is playing a violin outside a prison grating through which a group of prisoners is looking, which is pleasing and well painted; and here it is to be observed that the girl casts a shadow; “ Ouft in the Cold,” by Mr. J. MacWhirter, repre¬ senting a donkey standing in the snow outside a shanty; “Christmas Eve,” by Hay wood Hardy, a man with horse and dogcart in the cold, bleak, wintry evening; “ Shearing Wraick in the Sound of Harris,” by Mr. H. Macallum, a very clever picture with a good deal of careful study of nature; “ French Savants in Egypt,” by Mr. Eyre Crowe, showing considerable humor and character; and “The Lament of Ariadne,” by Mr. Richmond. “What is it?,” the “ Apothe¬ cary,” and “ St. Francis and the Birds,” all very carefully painted, and particularly in the still life and the birds. But perhaps the cleverest of all in humoristic perception and treatment is “ Only been with a few Friends,” by Mr. J. D. Watson, where the confused drunkenness of the careless home-returning drinker is admirably rendered in contrast with the rigid figure of his severe spouse. ENGLAND. Lehmann. Sir Franci Grant. Richmond. Ouless. Sant. Wallis. MacWliirter. Hardy. Macallum. Crowe. Kichmond. Watson. s Among the humorous subjects are to be mentioned those Humorous of Mr. G. A. Storey of the “Old Soldier” asking alms and storey. v Green “Scandal”; also “Old Neighbors,” by C. Green ; and prob- Gregory, ably under this title should be ranked the extraordinary pic¬ ture by Mr. E. J. Gregory called “ Dawn,” which is a scene in 62 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. englakd. a ball-room, where the early light comes in and the lamps are still lighted, and a man and woman stand by a piano forte. Whether it was meant to be humorous or not, its peculiari¬ ties are certainly amusing, both in color and drawing. Frith The two large pictures by Mr. Frith of the “ Derby Day” and u Charles II ’s last Sunday in Whitehall,” and “The Salon d’Or at Hombourg,” are too well known to need de¬ scription, and have been already so much lauded and criti¬ cised that it is almost useless here to say anything more about them. They represent common incidents of life and character with undoubted talent, and some of the groups are strongly dramatic in character, well expressed, and well drawn. They will always appeal to a certain class of minds, to whom the poetic and ideal is comparatively a closed book, and who prefer the accurate representation of incidents of every-day life and character. Of the ability of Mr. Frith to represent these there* can be but little doubt. Such inci¬ dents as the arrested felon as he is entering the railway car¬ riage, while his wife looks out through the open door, is not only highly dramatic but rendered with great talent. So, too, in the “ Derby Day”: the various groups are faithfully drawn from nature, and there is something touching in the poor little tumbler who looks askance with hungry eyes at the tempting lunch, and loathsome in the half drunken faces near. Whether the representation of such subjects is the highest function of art is quite another question, which there is no need to discuss. Sentimental. In this connection a certain class of sentimental pictures of every-day life may be spoken of, which are often fairly well rendered, but are commonplace in ideas, and can scarcely awaken any great interest with those who crave high or ideal subjects in art and a lift above the ordinary. ^Keepsake” The “Keepsake” style has little true root in art, and one was pleased to see so comparatively little of it in this Exposi¬ tion. The “ Mother’s Darling,” “ The First Shoe,”“The First Prayer,” the “First Step,” and, in general, baby pictures have been omitted. Scenes of ordi- Among the scenes of ordinary life and family interiors, Wynfieid. may be mentioned “The New Curate,” by Mr. D. W. Wyn- field, which is an elaborate representation of a very common¬ place subject, painted with extreme clearness and precision, but with a certain quiet sense of humor and character. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 63 We have left to the last Mr. L. Alma-Tadema, for, although he exhibited in the English department, and his pictures almost covered one of the walls, his style, subjects, and exe¬ cution are so completely foreign that he can scarcely be con¬ sidered as an English artist. These pictures, ten in num¬ ber, are interesting in character, clever in composition, and remarkable for their technical qualities of drawing, method, and color, as well as for the archaeological study which they display. The still life, the texture and anatomy of the dresses, the imitations of stuffs, and especially of mar¬ bles, which abound in his pictures, are rendered with great fidelity and truth, and vigorously painted. Most of them are representations of so-called classic scenes of ancient Eoine or Greece, as will be seen from their titles: “ A Boman Emperor,” “The Sculpture Gallery,” “ The Picture Gallery,” (in ancient Borne), “An Audience at Agrippa’s,” “A Boman Garden” (very brilliant in color), “A Pyrrhic Dance,” “After the Dance” (a naked Bacchante reposing, not among his happiest efforts), “ The Vintage Festival,” “ Vne Fete Intime ,” and “Death of the First Born”. One of the most striking is “An Audience at Agrippa’s,” where a group of Boinans are coming down marble stairs, at the foot of which is a statue. There is generally no strong theme in these paintings. They, for the most part, represent ordinary scenes of ancient life, and derive their chief interest from the ability with which the artist reproduces the costumes, furniture, manners, bric- a-brac, sculpture, marbles of the antique world; and in doing this no one can doubt that he shows the accomplish¬ ments of a master and a student. There are at times a little want of perspective and a little too equal values of parts, blit their general excellence is indisputable, and it cer¬ tainly is to be wished that his methods and skill in painting could find followers among the English artists. Though among them, he is not of them, but essentially a foreigner in his art. Black and White. Among the drawings in black and white, some were to be found which are quite equal if not superior in character and ehiaro-oscuro to the more elaborated oil pictures in the Eng¬ lish department. Particularly may be mentioned as admi¬ rable several by Mr. 0. Green, as “The Irish Patera, or Pil¬ grimage,” “ Holiday Time Afloat,” “ Cripps the Carrier,” and several by Mr. Gregory, whose “Among the Brigands” is capital in its effect of light and dark; “ The Funeral at Sea,” by Mr. J. Nash, which is simple and striking. The orig¬ inal drawings of correspondents, and the wood-cuts from ENGLAND. Alma-Tadema. Blackand White. Green. Gregory. Nash. 64 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. ENGLAND. Artists of London “Graph¬ ic.” SPAIN. Fortuny. them exposed by “The Graphic” Company are spirited, and executed with vigor and character. Many are without the names of the authors, but among those which are signed may be noted as very clever those by Messrs. C. Green, L L. Fildes, L. J. Gregory, Fr. Holl, H. Herkomer, T. E. Hodg¬ son, J. Nash, E. Hopkins, and M. D. Mauris. SPAIN. We now come to the Spanish school, and, as it were, into a totally different world, animated by different ideas, ex¬ pressing itself in a different manner, and having a different purpose and aim. This school, within the last few years, has exerted upon modern art, and particularly upon that of Italy, a strong influence, but whether, on the whole, a bene¬ ficial one is a question. The leader of the modern Spanish school, which is now so greatly in vogue, is Sen. Mariano Fortuny. To him the place of honor was given in the Spanish department. His various works covered one whole side-wall, and over these was placed his bust. He was represented by 29 works, among which were some of the most important, for size and subject, ever painted by him, as well as many smaller ones, and a number of finished studies. Fortuny’s pictures early took the public by surprise, and captivated its judgment by their eclat of color, by a certain exactness and brilliancy of execution, and by their novelty of subject and treatment; and the place he took almost at first he maintained to the end of his not long life. Their great popularity, and the extraordinary prices which they brought, drew after him a host of imitators, and already the manner as well as the matter of this school begins to pall. The question is whether these pictures were and are entitled to the great praise that has been given to them. As they stood together on the wall, the first impression was that they had paled in color and lack the vividness which so struck us at first. Their sparkling brilliancy seemed to be going; and when it is gone, what will remain to justify their great repu¬ tation ? Little, it is to be feared. They had only caprices of color, brilliancy of execution, and sparkle. All the great qualities which make works lasting and “a joy forever” are lacking. The imagination has had no play. There are no great conceptions, no poetic utterances, no inspirations of genius. They are the apotheosis of the palette. It is the “preciousness” of the doing, the minuteness of the execu¬ tion, the touches of the brush, the multiplicity and finesse of details which captivate the attention; but they have no FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 65 soul. They never touch the heart nor stimulate the imagina¬ tion. They are, in a word, the bric-a-brac of art, to delight collectors and what are called amateurs and connoisseurs, apparently because the former love so little and because the latter know so little. Among the principal subjects rep¬ resented are “ The Academy of Saint Luke,” “ The Court of Justice in the Alhambra,” “ Serpent Charmers,” “Amateurs, 7 ' “ The Sword Sharpener,” “ The Poet’s Garden,” the “ Dance of Arabs,” “ The Turkish Butcher’s Shop,” “ Prisoners at the Gate of the Mosque,” etc. Of these, perhaps the best in color is “ Serpent Charmers.” It is freer in its rendering and larger in its execution than most of the others, and as mere color is certainly a striking picture. But the subject is not expressed. It is only with the most careful examination that one can detect the meaning of the composition, and there is no interest beyond the mere technique. “ The Poet’s Garden ” is equally without character or expression. Its total effect is of a mass of crude and disagreeable greens, spotted here and there with thin, ill-drawn, and character¬ less figures, so confused with the background as scarcely to be intelligible, and the whole producing the general effect of bright patches of color on a palette. It is not a picture at all in any true sense. There is no dramatic purpose; no story; and whqjb character there is in the figures is forced and unnatural. In fact, they are but pegs to hang costumes on, and the costumes themselves are tin. The “Academy of Saint Luke” represents a naked woman standing on a buhl table against a richly-ornamented pink wall, on which hangs a great mirror, while a group of old men, in last-century cos¬ tumes, are examining her. Everything here is confused, and without relation of parts or perspective. There are pictures and statues and painted glass, and bronzes and elaborate columns, and busts and marbles, and an infinite deal of minute bric-a-brac , and all the figures in costume are, as it were, veneered upon them and into them, with no relief. The idea of the picture is essentially vulgar, and what char¬ acter there is in the faces and figures is offensive. There is undoubtedly great dexterity and finesse of touch in the de¬ tails, and the nude figure is painted with great skill. “The Butcher’s Shop” is so confused in color and compo¬ sition as to be scarcely intelligible. It is a conundrum in blood. The picture representing Arabs leaping over a grave and firing guns into it has a similar confusion, but here, at least, there is an attempt to represent a character¬ istic incident of manners. 5 p R SPAIX. Fortuny. 66 SPALX. F ortuny. Madrazo. Rico. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. But without particularizing more, it may he said that here are a number of pictures without any soul to animate them, exceedingly clever in touch and finesse of details, brilliant, but spotty and confused in color, without sobriety and tone, and manifesting great manipulative dexterity with no imag¬ ination. Much of the same quality, with similar excellence and sim¬ ilar deficiency, may be obsei ved in the works of his followers. Among them, of Sen. Madrazo stands prominently forward. He has much of the dexterity of Fortuny, but everything is sacrificed to brilliancy. The colors are very voyant. the tone of his picture very high, and the combinations of tints often clashing and inharmonious. They are all vividly painted, in fact too vividly. There is more noise than tone, more brush-work than feeling, more emphasis than truth. He sent several portraits which are broad in their manner and firm in their drawing, but they all want sobriety and quiet. One, full length, is of a lady in a dress with a violet waist, white skirt, and black round her hips, relieved against a glaring blue wall-paper, and with a yellow rose in her fichu. Another figure is a pierrette in a pink and blue domino, white peaked felt hat, and a black mask in her hand. It is totally pink in tone, if it can be said to have any tone, and thin and bright in tints as a picture on a prune box. There were also two portraits of children, glaring in color, all over-bright and loud. His most elaborate picture represents early morning, with the guests just leaving the house after a ball. There is very great painstaking in the drawing, considerable truth of action and character in these figures, patient exactness of detail, and minuteness of execution. The dresses specially are touched with great spirit; but the tone is not pleasant, the general effect is spotty, and, despite the chic with which it is executed, one cannot but be vexed to see so much talent wasted on such a subject. He also sends several small pic¬ tures, the chief distinction of which is that they are very small, and finished with extreme precision; but as to color, sentiment, or feeling, they have not much to recommend them. Indeed, the effort of this school seems to be to startle and provoke admiration by technical tours de force , over-empha¬ sized light and tints, and violent effects. They are the fashion now; how long they will please the public after their novelty is gone remains to be seen. Sen. Bico sent a considerable number of pictures, all small, and all studied with minute attention to detail. Four of these are about 14 inches by 7, and three of them repre FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY 67 sent buildings with figures from J an inch to an inch in height. One of these represents a market with about 30 figures, with horses, market-carts, and a strip of houses be¬ hind them. Another is of Eienzi’s house at Eome, with some 10 little figures. Another of Venice, with houses on a canal. As wholes these pictures are hard and spotty in color, but as specimens of minute work remarkable. In quality and color they are hard. They look as if they had been painted from photographs, and have the merits and defects of photographs. Another of his pictures repre¬ sents boats on the lagunes at Venice, which is hard and glittering in its quality. By far the best of all is an interior of a Moorish court. The tone of this is pleasant, the color subdued, and there is air and feeling in it. Sen. Eibera also sends some very clever pictures of the extreme realistic school. They are well composed and have a purpose. The drawing is good, though sharp and edgy in outline, and the figures have a little the effect of the tin Nu¬ remberg figures, but they show a great deal of talent and strong perception of character. Specially clever is the pic¬ ture representing an actor in red, standing on the stage be¬ fore the curtain with the orchestra below. The heads are characteristic and the execution exceedingly careful. The street sceneis also spirited and clever. Sen. T. E. Sala ? s u Guillen de Vinatea devant Alfonso IV” represents a figure in red addressing the king and courtiers ranged along a wall. There is a combination of brilliant tints of white, red, yellow, and blue, vivid in effect, but each so evenly insisted on as to create a confusion of colors. The only way to enjoy such pictures is to examine them in detail part by part. At a distance they affect one like palettes. Sen. E. Santa Cruz sent a picture representing a catafalque draped in black and surrounded with tall candles in a hall hung with tapestries and rich in ornament. Four servants are in service there. Two are inlaying cards, one lighting a paper for his pipe at one of the tall candles, and one is stretched on a red embroidered divan. The theme of this picture is striking, and it is executed with skill and care even to the minutest detail. The utter reckless heartless¬ ness of the attendants, who are simply bored by their serv¬ ice and care nothing for the corpse, is well executed, and all the details are painted with delicacy, truth, and spirit. The great defect of the picture is that the parts are too evenly insisted upon and the interest dispersed, so that the total effect is a little flat. SPATS Rico. Ribera. Sala. Santa Cruz. 68 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. SPAIN. Groczalez. Casada. Carbonaro. Zamacois. Sen. Gonzalez sent seven pictures, all of the modern Spanish school, all exhibiting; talent and technical skill, and all having the defects of this school. Sen. Casado’s u Zaida la Favorite ” represents a half nude female figure reclining on a carpet and surrounded with flowers, rich draperies, and jewels. The subject, of course, is the hackneyed one of the favorite in the harem. There is scarcely any motive which could give play to the imag¬ ination, but there is brilliancy of execution and a strong feeling for color both in the flesh tints and in the textures and draperies and still life, and the work is free in its hand¬ ling. All the parts, as is usual in this school, are equally emphasized and equally brilliant, and all equally call upon the eye and insist on being noticed. Sen. Oarbonaro sent a picture of the impressionist school, representing Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in the blaze of noon on a hillside. The key is so high, the light so in¬ tense, the sky so blue ( morbleu! parbleu /), the figures so dark, and everything so forced as almost to be painful. The picture is exceedingly odd and fantastic; as it is, how¬ ever, it shows talent, and if the artist’s object was to startle the spectator he has certainly succeeded. But, how thor¬ oughly in all such attempts as this the high romantic spirit of Cervantes’ hero disappears, leaving only behind the gro¬ tesque and ridiculous figure for the vulgar world to sneer at! How one would like to see a true representation of that high ideal gentleman, with his perfect chivalry, and his honest faith in a world of dreams! All that we seem to understand is Sancho Panza, the shrewd and practical knave, and we look at his master with his eyes only. )Of all the pictures of this school, those of Sen. Zamacois are the strongest and most agreeable. They are rich and deep in color, low in tone, and full of spirit and character. After the glare and glitter of some of the other pictures we have named, those of Zamacois are grateful as twilight after a burning day. Particularly fine is the “ Checkmate,” in which a jester is mated by a dwarf, who is seated on the table before him, while another dwarf crouches beside him, both highly delighted at the total discomfiture of the other player. In tone, richness, depth of color, expression, and composi¬ tion, this is so masterly, that it leaves little to be desired. The reds are subdued yet brilliant 5 the tapestry and acces¬ sories keep their place and are subordinated to the rest 5 the light is low and concentrated on the main figures; the story is admirably told. Altogether it is a charming picture. Beside it hangs the well-known “King’s Favorite,” which FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 69 has the same qualities and merits. The dwarf-jester is de- bpaik. scending the staircase of a palace, accompanied by a great dog. The courtiers are smiling and saluting him with pro¬ found respect, while he, with an air of supreme importance, passes down the stairs and scarcely deigns to notice them. Zamacois Finished as this picture is ad unguem , there is nothing ob¬ trusive in the details and accessories. The imitation is not forced; the humor is excellent ; the color splendid. This work preceded by several years and undoubtedly sug¬ gested the “ I?Eminence Grise ,” by M. Gerome, but it is greatly superior -to it in all its qualities. I particularly wish to dwell upon this picture as contrasting in general characteristics with the other Spanish pictures of this class, and showing how possible it is to be exact in drawing, minute even in detail, brilliant in color, without glare and over-emphasis of parts, or excess of light and pigments. Here there is no attempt at mere chic of treatment and brush-work. The work is honest and faithful, and the story clearly and admirably expressed. Landscapes. Among the landscapes may be particularized one by Sen. Landscapes. 0. Haes, u Les.Alentours de Vreeland , aux Pays-Bas.” A Haes. storm is coming on, the wind blowing, the sky is gray with gleams of light through broken clouds cast on the turbid troubled river, across which a heron is flying. All the reeds and trees are bending to the stress of the wind. This is a picture full of sentiment and simplicity of treatment. The artist is not consciously and pretentiously striving to exhibit his own cleverness. u Les Lords du Wahl” by Sen. Morera y Galicia, is also a serious landscape, with a smooth c V orora y Gali * river, down which a boat is coming through the wooded banks. Another landscape merits special notice. It is by Seu. Diaque, and is simple and effective in light and dark. Diaque. The ground is somber, with two trees, a pool in front reflect¬ ing the light in the sky, and vague figures moving along in the gathering dark. Mght is coming on, a faint gleam of red still lingers in the west, and a yellowish dying light is in the sky. Altogether this is a reserved and able picture. There was also a landscape by Sen. Veyredee, representing Veyred6e - twilight on the Roman Campagna, with two great carts and oxen silhouetted against the sky, which is effective. Sen. Gonzalvo y Perez sent a u View of the Grand GonzaivoyPc Canal of Venice,” and several interiors of churches; all clever. Two in particular, “San Marco at Venice,” are to be noticed; one with the shadows of night coming on, and 70 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878 SPAIN. the other more illuminated, hut both true to nature, and with the colors kept in reserve, and admirably painted. Historical Paintings. Historical. Among the historical paintings were several of decided Plascensia. merit. “ The Death of Virginia, or the Origin of the Eoman Republic,” by Sen. 0. Plasencia, is seriously designed and shows much talent. The action and grouping are good, and there is honest intention and simplicity of treatment. The color is a little monotonous, however. The size of the can¬ vas and space occupied by the sky detract from the con¬ centration of the scene. Kosales. a The Death of Seneca,” by Sen. Rosales, has also qualities of seriousness and distinction. The four standing figures who gaze at the body of the philosopher as it lies half out of the bath are quiet and without exaggeration. The seated figure which leans on the bath weeping is well composed. The principal light falls on the dead body. The color is somber, with a reddish-brown background. There is an attempt, not without success, to render a serious pathetic subject without clash of colors and over-emphasis. Ferrari. Two other historical pictures, by Sen. Ferrari, are also to be noted as forcible and cleverly painted, particularly “The Burial,” as well as “The Education of Prince Juan,” by Sen. M. Cabells, which has much merit in parts, but is rather confused, voyant of color, and less reserved in treat¬ ment, but with considerable character in the heads. Pradilla. By far the most interesting and impressive of this class of pictures in the Spanish collection was by Sen. Pradilla, en¬ titled “ Dona Juana la Loca. ” This represents Icanne or Juana, the daughter of Ferdinand, and mother of Charles V., accompanying the bier of her husband, Philip the Handsome, to its final resting-place. Twilight is deepening into night, the sky is gray, the cortege has reached a desolate spot, with no house in sight save a convent, which is in the middle distance on the right, and the mad queen will not allow the corpse to be placed in a house where there are women. The coffin, covered with a black and gold pall, embroidered with armorial bearings, and sur¬ rounded with tall torches and candles, which glare and fritter in the wind, is placed upon the ground in the middle front plane. Beside it, the central figure, stands Icanne, clad in purple and black, her hands hanging at her side, who gazes do\vn at the bier, watching for her husband to come to life. Her attendant and court are gathered in groups, some seated and some standing, and Weary of the FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 71 constantly repeated scene, behind, the train of followers; bpaik. bearing torches, stretches into the distance obscured by the coming gloom. Its dramatic interest, truth of character, quiet strength of color, and simplicity of treatment, render this a remarkable picture. It is everywhere thoroughly felt and rendered, without exaggeration or attitudinizing, and well deserves the medal of honor which was accorded to it. The landscape is particularly fine, in harmony with the solemn character of the scene. The sky is gleamy with Pradnia. gray clouds, against which, on one side, rises the convent with its belfry. A fire is burning in the front, near which is seated the main group of attendants, and the heavy smoke rises and drifts away across the picture. The figure of Icanne is profoundly dramatic in its simplicity and touching in its expression. There is no gesticulation. Her body is quite passive. It is only the mind which is work¬ ing in her, and that is astray. She has gone out of herself, forgetful of everything about her, and is communing with visionary thoughts and vague phantasies. One sees at once that she is mad, by her utterly absent, lost look. The weariness of her attendants is also very well expressed. The scene has nothing new to excite them, and they gaze listlessly at her. There is great sobriety and earnestness in the picture. It is solidly painted, well composed and drawn, animated throughout by a single purpose. It is— what so few pictures of the present day are—a creation of the imagination, where technical skill has been employed as a means to embody a noble conception, and not primarily to exhibit itself. It is out of a different world of art from the brilliant bric-a-brac of colors without ideas that is now in vogue, and it is a pleasure to turn from clothes and cos¬ tumes and nudities and chic , that have no higher purpose than to show the skill of the painter, to such a serious and imaginative work. It gives us hope that art has yet a poetic office to fulfill. ITALY. But to turn from Spain to Italy. The modern Italian 1TALY - _ school, as exhibited at Paris, seemed to have little independ¬ ence of character or originality. It follows too much of late the leading of Fortuny, and many of the cleverest productions of its younger artists are after his manner or bred of his influ¬ ence. Undoubtedly there is much talent shown by some of its painters, but there is little seriousness of purpose or imaginative force. The greater part of the pictures ex- Principally hibited are of cabinet and genre subjects, with little that is 72 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. italy. new, and almost nothing which is either striking in char- ~acter or powerful in conception. There is scarcely an at¬ tempt to rise out of the common every-day of life and inci¬ dent, and even in the treatment of these there is a lack of vigorous feeling. The general want of hone and sinew is _ . not compensated for by spirited execution. Out of 191 oil No great liis- A ^ x torieai subjects, paintings, not one is devoted to any great or powerful sub¬ ject, either of character or history. The execution for the most part is weak, and though there are some striking ex¬ ceptions to this statement, there are none which stand prom¬ inently forth out of the ordinary line of accomplishment, none that surprise by their excellence, none that enchant by their depth of feeling. More was to be expected than this from young Italy. How that she has gained her freedom and consolidated herself into a nation, we thought we had a right to look for fresh germs, at least, of national feeling, and an outburst of something vigorous and free in her art. But her friends have been greatly disappointed. There is nothing new; nothing that corresponds to their hopes and her promises; nothing that shows the progress we had looked for; and, as a whole, her exhibition was, to say the best one can, only second class. She not only did not show nahty little origi * oue single great work with a strong stamp of originality or nationality in it, but some of the most striking pictures in her exhibition were inspired by foreign schools, and were the work of expatriated Italians. Undoubtedly the public de¬ mand has much to answer for in all this, but one could not but feel in looking at this exhibition by Italy that most of the pictures were made, not from any true inspiration or any lofty conception of the true functions of art, but rather, like Peter Pindar’s razors, “to sell.” It is sadly true that those who live to please must please to live, but to boil one’s pot is not the best office of art. The most striking of all the pictures exhibited were the Pasmi. series of ten by Signor A. Pasini, all of which are oriental in their subjects. These are carefully drawn, and exhibit a great deal of talent. They are mainly of the school of Gerdme, though touched by the influence of Fortuny. There is not much theme in any of them, nor any high poetic intention, though they are picturesque, well com¬ posed, and carefully studied. They are a little hard and metallic in tone, but they exhibit a strong feeling for color and composition of tints. The backgrounds and architec¬ ture are not forced, but kept subordinate, and there is cer¬ tainly much to praise. With all their cleverness, however, and this is indisputable, they leave us cold. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 73 Sig. de Mttis sent twelve pictures, representing actual street scenes, with figures from London and Paris. One of these, representing “The Eoad to Brindisi,” is so totally different in character from all the rest, that it is with difficulty one can believe it to be by the same artist. It is of the school of Meissonier, and in all its qualities equal if not superior to the master’s work. Hot noon on a burning road, in which is a vettura , could scarcely be better represented. The color is bright and transparent$ the finish is extremely minute and careful, and the feeling of the time and place admira¬ bly rendered. The technique has not killed the spirit, as it too often does in such elaborately minute and accurate works. Altogether this is a remarkable picture. All his other pic¬ tures are of the impressionist school. The color is dull and muddy, the drawing suggestive instead of accurate, and the subjects prosaic. Of all these “Westminster” and “Can¬ non Street Bridge” are the best and most characteristic. The former represents a group of workmen leaning on the parapet of the bridge in the right corner, and all the rest is a vague, blotted, dull gray representation of London in the distance. The figures are well done as far as they go, and in attitude and character are true to common life. They are more or less what anybody might possibly see there any day. The whole attempt has been to represent literally a common-place scene, without any special theme; and to a considerable extent it has been successful. Whether it was worth doing is another question. “Cannon Street’’represents a scene beneath the railway bridge, over which a train is passing and pouring down its clouds of smoke. There is something decidedly striking in this, and it has a poetic touch in it, despite the commonness of the fact. But Sig. de Nittis seems to have a notion that it is the function of art simply to reproduce facts, and to take whatever comes. He scarcely troubles himself even to choose, nor, when he has chosen, to do more than give a general impression. The utmost result to be hoped for from such representations of street scenes would be that given by an instantaneous photograph, with all the figures disposed by chance. If, in addition, the lens of the camera was not quite iu focus, so that it blurred a good deal, one would have something not far removed from what Sig. de Nittis apparently desires. u Le Viatique ” by Sig. J. Gioli, is somewhat of the impres¬ sionist school, but is effective. It represents the Viaticum carried along at twilight, and is serious, and simple in sen¬ timent. ITALY. De Nittis. Gioli. 74 ITALY. J. Induno. D. Induno. Jacovacci. Favretto. Pagliano. Meradel. Bouvier. Mion. Joris. Yanni. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. Sig. J. Induno sent several pictures of considerable merit. u Un Amateur d’Antiquites” is well painted, and has sim¬ plicity and truth of character. It represents an old anti¬ quary examining through a loupe a coin which a peasant has brought him. The figure and expression of the antiquary are particularly good. Another picture representing con¬ scripts before a church showed decided talent. It is well composed, spirited in character, and quiet and agreeable in tone. His picture of “Emigrants” is also specially to be noticed. Sig. D. Induno’s u Victor Emmanuel plagant la premiere Pierre de la Galerie de Milan” is chiefly interesting as con¬ taining the portraits of many of the chief men of modern Italy. There is not much pictorial effect to be obtained out of a crowd of black coats, but the scene is not without in¬ terest, and it is carefully painted. Among the genre pictures by Sig. F. Jacovacci, the u Re¬ turn from the Baptism” and the “ Gondola” may particu¬ larly be mentioned as well drawn and composed, and vivid in color. “The Prescription” by Sig. J. Favretto, is also vigorous and bright in color without being excessive, and the attitudes are natural, and the story is well told. “ La Revue de VHeritage” by Sig. E. Pagliano, has much humor of char¬ acter and incident, and is very freely and quietly painted. It represents girls turning over and examining articles of dress which they have inherited. It is one of the most pleas¬ ing in tone and manner of all the pictures of this class which hang on the Italian walls. Sig. A. Meradel’s “ Comment cela finira-t-il ? ” is rendered with much humor and spirit, and is remarkable for the expression of the heads, though the color is a little fade , and perhaps the innuendo is a little broad. For minuteness of execution Sig. Bouvier’s U V Occasion” sur¬ passed anything in the whole Exposition. It is only about nine inches long, and represents the interior of a studio, with a girl sitting for her portrait to a painter; while he is paint¬ ing, the servant who accompanies her has fallen asleep, and he seizes the moment to declare his passion. The color is deli¬ cate, the textures and still life admirably rendered, the tone agreeable, and the finesse of execution remarkable. Signor L. Mion’s u Lc Colm-Maillard” is pleasing and carefully done. Signor P. Joris also sent a couple of pictures, 66 La Voie Elaminienne” and “ line Bapteme dans VLle d J Ischia” which are pleasant and sunny, but rather too spotted with vivid colors. Signor P. Yannf s “ Mephistopheles and Marguerite ” represents the scene of Marguerite in the Cathedral, with the evil spirit whispering to her. There is a good deal of talent FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 75 and character in this picture, and a higher attempt at seri¬ ousness of subject than usual. Signor Michitti’s two pictures of “ Pr intemps et Amour” and u Le Baiser ” are exceedingly eccentric in color, and seem a little like insane Fortunys. If the intention of the artist was to startle, he has succeeded. Here is certainly, as the shopmen say, u grande nouveaute.” Bit by bit all is picked out with intensity of tints, but there is no relation of parts in “ Spring and Love.” There are naked salmon-colored children lying on bright green grass, with dazzling blue sky and sea, and straggling trees with salmon blossoms, all so vivid and violent that they strain the eye. In u Le Baiser” which represents a peasant trying to kiss a girl, and is not particularly happy in sentiment, there are crude masses of cabbages and greens, and red turkey combs, and trees barely sketched in, and a sky of terrible yellows and reds rumbled strangely together. The total effect of these pictures is, so to speak, noisy and impertinent, and it is a pity to see talent so pretentiously misapplied. There is no reserve, no restraint, but perpetual insistance. . Sig. L. MarchettPs “ Avant le Tournoi” has somewhat of the same defect. It is like a very confused palette of colors. The “ Charge of Cavalry at Monzambano,” by Count Bossi Scotti, is spirited in design, and with much truth of action in both figures and horses. It is drawn and painted with great care, has a great deal of “ go,” and is a very honest piece of work, though a little hard in color and tone. The Chev. BianchPs “ Regarde ! Regarde ! ” is a very pretty theme well rendered. It represents some girls looking eagerly out of a gateway at something passing outside the picture; and Sig. Volpe’s “ UnPretre ” is quiet in tone and character¬ istic in expression. Among the landscapes were particularly to be commended two very pleasing pictures by Sig.' G. Ciardi, “ Idylle ; La- gune de Venise” and “ Tor cello” In both there is much deli¬ cacy and refinement of sentiment and simplicity of execution. u Torcello” is bright andsunny, and the u Idylle ” vaporous and sunny. It represents a fisher-boy standing in a boat fishing on the broad lagunes. The atmosphere is soft and silent, the sea calm, and he stands in his boat alone, the dark center of a soft, luminous haze. Other landscapes particularly to be noted are four, by Chev. A. Vertunni, representing the lonely “Pontine Marshes,” “Psestum,” “The Pyramids,” and “ The Sphinx,” which have the well-known character and style of this artist, though they are not among his happiest achievements ; a “ Coucher de tSoleil” by Chev. B. Giuliano, with girls walking along a pier; another “ Coucher de Soleil” ITALY. Michitti. Marclietti. Rossi Scotti. Bianclii. Volpe. Ciardi. Vertunni. Giuliano. 76 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. by Sig. Poma; and u Aprds V Or age? by Sig. S. Allason, a very effective picture, of a serious character and strong theme. Among the aquarelles there were some which are very bright and clever. Particularly are to be mentioned u Ah! combien je regrette le Temps que rVest plus,” by Sigr. A. Eotta, which is freely and carefully finished, and with good tone, color, and character. It represents a group seated outside a door in Venice at work, with children around them at play, and fruits and vegetables. The “ Bapteme dans Vile $ Ischia” by Sig. P. Joris, previously mentioned, representing a bright landscape with a baptismal party coming down a hill, is also very pleasing, and so are the aquarelles of Sig. J. Gandi, u Au Gareme ” and u Sur la Table? which are careful and character¬ istic studies of peasants. AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. We now come to the Austrian-Hungarian section, which may be taken together. Of the Hungarian pictures, the MunMcsy. most distinguished were those by Herr Michel Munkacsy, representing u Milton dictating 4 Paradise Lost/” and U VAtel¬ ier de VArtiste.” For character, composition, expression, and quality of color the former picture was certainly among the most remarkable of all the pictures in the entire Ex}josition, and well deserves the medal of honor which was accorded to it. It is simple and direct in character, with great truth to nature and to the highest sentiment in the attitudes and expression of all the figures, masterly in its free painting, and striking in the values of color. The tones are a little black, but everything is relatively in its place. Nothing cries out for notice, and the main interest is concentrated, as it should be, in the figures. Milton is seated in a large chair near a window, which gives the light of the whole picture. His three daughters are grouped about a table, one engaged in writing to his dictation, and eagerly reaching forward, in¬ tent to catch his words. The second is sewing. Her atten¬ tion is, for the moment, attracted by what he is saying, and she listens with her hand and thread suspended. The third, who is standing, is also arrested by the poet’s lines, and half turns round to listen. Milton himself, buried in thought, sits sunken in his chair, profoundly immersed in his subject, and utterly forgetful of himself. There is in all the figures a total unconsciousness of any looker-on, an absorption in one single.interest, an absence of posing, and a sincerity and earnest directness of sentiment which are entitled to great praise. The story is told with wonderful truth and sim¬ plicity. The painting is extremely free, and shows a thorough Poma. Allason. Aquarelles. Eotta. Joris. Gandi. AUSTRIA- TTTTNra AUV FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 77 understanding of values of colors, which*are rich, subdued, and solemn. Nothing is improperly insisted upon, and there is no over emphasis of parts. But above all there is the poetic and imaginative spirit. We seem to have had the privilege of looking in unobserved upon a profoundly inter¬ esting and touching scene, which is so thoroughly felt, that it subdues the spectator to its own emotion. This picture, we are happy to know, was purchased by Mr. Lennox for the Lennox Gallery in New York, where all our artists will have an opportunity to study and admire it. The u Atelier WArtiste ” is also a masterly work, less in¬ teresting in its subject, but equally admirable in its treat¬ ment, in its reserve, and quiet. The artist, seated on a table, is asking the advice of his wife as to a canvas turned away from us. Both are looking at it attentively, and se¬ riously considering it. He is not satisfied, but doubtful. She is trying to help him. Behind a screen which shuts oif the left of the picture is a little model which at first we scarcely see, so perfectly is she in relation to the rest. The main interest is concentrated in the two principal figures, who are really and earnestly interested in what they are doing. There is no posing 5 all is simply and perfectly ex¬ pressed. The color is very fine, the touch firm and solid, the values admirable. In eminent contrast with these two pictures is the large canvas by Herr Makart, representing the u Entrance of Charles Y into Antwerp.” Around this picture there was always a crowd of admirers and critics. This is essentially a decorative picture, and treated in a decorative style. The procession is marching through the picture diagonally. The Emperor himself, mounted on a charger and clad in armor, is the central figure. Accompanying him are several nude or nearly nude female figures having flowers; others are dressed richly and looking on, and there is a dense crowd of knights, soldiers, burghers, and nobles, some shouting welcome to the Emperor from windows hung with tapestries and flowers, among whom may be seen the figure of Albert Diirer. There is scarcely any attempt to render character or probability of scene. There is no definite incident or cen¬ tral thought; in a word, the work is purely decorative and without any concentration of interest or personality. The groups are confused and crowded almost impossibly, and there is little proportion observed in the figures, some being gigantic in height while others at their side are of life-size. Considered, therefore, from the point of view of an imagina¬ tive conception or a powerful representation of a historical AUSTRIA- HUNGARY. Munk&csy. Makart. 78 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. AUSTRIA- HUNGARY. Makart. Matejko. L’Allemand. Kurzbauer. incident, there is little to praise; but for dexterity of brush- work, brilliancy of color, dash of execution, noisiness and “tintamarres v of tints, it is remarkable. It is painted with much energy, and in every way shows cleverness, but it has no heart and soul. In color, though brilliant, it is monot¬ onous, in tone the various planes of the picture are confused, and the total effect is rather that of a tapestry. Piece by piece it is spiritedly done, but there is no whole. Each fig¬ ure seems to be posed for itself and by itself, and has little relation to the main purpose. Herr J. Metejko also sent a large historical piece repre¬ senting the u Union conclue a Lublin en 1569, entre la Lith- uanie et la Pologne , w which has much power and character. It is a far more solid and real work than that of Herr Makart, not conceived from the merely decorative point of view, but with a true intention to represent a real scene of history. Many of the heads and figures are vigorously drawn and have great character. Particularly may be men¬ tioned the group around the figure of the aged Pope, who is seated and holds up both hands inclosed in red gloves, and the foreground figure in blue who is rising from his chair. But all of the heads and figures are carefully stud¬ ied, rendered with life and spirit, and have much individu¬ ality. There is a want of massing of parts, and of effect of light and shade, so that at first the picture, though rich in color, has a certain equality and monotony of effect; but here is serious intention, a firm hand, admirable drawing, and truth of character, and the longer one looks at it the more it pleases. Herr Metejko also sent another picture representing u La Cloclie de Segismond a Cracovie , w which is smaller, and crowded with figures of over-brilliant tints, but is clever. Herr L’Allemand’s “Portrait of General Laudon” is a very vigorous work. It represents the general mounted on a dark bay horse in front of his staff. Three attendant offi¬ cers are behind him on his right, a dead soldier is on the left, and behind are other mounted men. The main figure is boldly drawn, and painted in a large, free style, and takes proper prominence over all the other subordinate fig¬ ures, which fitly illustrate the picture. Among the pictures of genre may be specially mentioned u La Maison mortuaire ,” by Herr E. Kurzbauer, which is conceived with much sentiment. The face of the widow is full of feeling, and the central group of persons striving to console her is characteristic and well composed. This forms the central light of the picture. The second light shows FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 79 some children at a table on the left, who, careless of the grief of the main group, are amusing themselves together. Herr Kurzbauer’s other picture, “Les Fugitifs ,” representing a youth and a maiden who have eloped and are discovered by the family in an inn, is also good in character and ex¬ pression and well painted. Herr Defregger’s “Le Jeu du Pouce dans le Tyrol” and u Lc Joueur de Githare are spirited in action, and effective in their composition of light and dark. The former represents two men at a table, each en¬ deavoring to force over the edge the clenched fist of his adversary, while a group of peasants look on with eager interest. The latter represents a young man playing a zithern, while two maidens are standing by him. He is utterly absorbed in the music. Both these pictures show clearness of ideas and strength of character. u Les Pay- sans Tyraliens,” by Chev. C. de Blaas, representing also a somewhat similar game, is rendered with talent. Herr C. Karger’s “Tine Gave de Ghemin de fer” is a study somewhat after the manner of Mr. Frith, and, though prosaic in char¬ acter, is naturalistic and clever. Among other pictures of this class may be specially noted Professor Sclionn’s “Fete Populaire sur le Gote Genoise”; Herr Fux’s “Sacrifice de Pigeons,” which is pleasing in color, and Herr F. ^aczka’s u Tin Accident ,” &n& u Le Tambour,” both very clever, and, espec¬ ially the former, representing an old man alone looking at his violin, one string of which has snapped. Herr Agg- hazy’s “ Tireuse des Gartes,” Herr Brack’s “Le Demenage- ment,” and Herr Ebner’s “Les bons Amis,” should also be mentioned. The late Herr Oerinak’s “ Montenegrin blesse” is a picture of much character, representing an old chieftain carried on a litter down a steep, rocky path, and accompanied by wounded companions, while a group of women stands apart or kneels, as they pass. The foreshortening of the main fig¬ ure is admirable, and the expression noble. Herr Cermak’s other picture, “Retour au Pays,” is even more tragic in sub¬ ject. The scene is a village which has been devasted by Turks, and a party of old men, women, and children, are just returning to it, to find their homes destroyed and the heads of their murdered husbands and fathers stuck on poles. The story is told with much pathos, and both these pictures show mastery of execution, and solidity of painting. Professor Muller’s “Apres la Messe sur les Place de San- Marc cl Venise” is full of vivacity of color, action, and cos¬ tume, which last is of the time of Bellini. t AUSTRIA- \ HUNGARY. Kurzbauer. Defregger. De Blaas. Karger. Scbonn. Dux. Paczka. Aggbazy. Brack. Ebner. <5ermak. Muller. 80 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. C AUSTKIA* l HUNGARY. Landscape. Landscape. Jettel. Von Thoren. This section was not very showy in landscape, hut among the best may be noted those of Herr Jettel, which are Dutch scenes, cleverly rendered; several by Ohev. von Thoren, of which the most striking is “L’Orage,” which represents a thunder storm with wind and rain, which is well drawn and Schaffer. gives the effect of wind on trees, clouds, and figures with great spirit; u Sur la Cote Wlstrief by Herr Schaffer, which is picturesque and striking, and a well-drawn street view Ribarz. by Herr Ribarz, representing u Architecture Hollandaise d Dor tr edit ^ as well as other Dutch landscapes. Portraits. Portraits. Among the portraits are two by Herr Makart, which are Makart. clever and facile, but a little too pinky and decorative, and want interior character; a portait, u Madame la Comtesse Canon. Schonborn by Herr Canon, which is in the style of the older masters, and is admirably painted with force and good keep¬ ing of parts and strong character; a portrait of the painter Griepenkerl. De Angeli. u Rudolf Alt,” by Herr Griepenkerl, and 13 portraits by Herr H. de Angeli, which all show a great talent for likeness, but are generally rather literal and prosaic; one, however, of u Madame* Schwabe” rises far above this, and has a good deal of distinction. On the whole, it is clear that there is much life and excel¬ lence in the art of this section, but it is to be observed that a considerable number of the artists have studied and painted out of their own country, and sought their subjects and acquired, or at least modified, their manner in foreign schools. For instance, of those whom we have mentioned, Herren Munkacsy, Jettel, Cermak, Thoren, live in Paris, and have studied in the French school, while Defregger, Gabl, Karger, Kurzbauer are of the Munich school, and Herr Ribarz is essentially Dutch. Herr Makart, on the contrary, and Herren Metejko, L’Allemand, and Muller are of Vienna, and perhaps more exactly represent the tenden¬ cies of the national art. Aquarelles. Aquarelles. Among the aquarelles and drawings in black and white Passini. Pausinger. are particularly to be noticed three by Herr Passini, ex¬ tremely clever, and seven by Herr de Pausinger, also show¬ ing great spirit and talent. The former has studied in Venice, and his subjects are Italian; the latter at Munich. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 81 GERMANY. Germany. We now come to Germany. Though late in their decision to take part in this Exposition, the Germans with great energy made up for their tardiness, and in arrangement their hall was disposed with great taste, and in its general impression agreeably contrasted with those of all the other nations. In the center were tables covered with engravings and illustrated books exhibiting much talent and invention, which were open to all to turn over. The average of the work was good, and although there were no salient pictures of great force of conception or subject, there were many serious in quality and pleasing of character. Of historic and religious subjects there were few, and these are of not much impor¬ tance or any striking merit. Of domestic scenes there were many, some of great merit. It is scarcely a quarter of a cen¬ tury ago that a revival of art took place in Germany, and ar ?fn Germany!* some of the chief artists of that time endeavored to found a great school, devoted to the development of subjects of high historic interest, of symbolical, legendary, and religious char¬ acter, and of philosophic abstractions. At the head of this School of were Cornelius and Overbeck. The aim was high; but, al- 0 vCTbeck. and though the leaders of this school brought to it great earnest¬ ness of spirit, t^iey were essentially weak in execution and artistic power, and they failed to carry with them the mind of the nation. They cared little for a faithful study of na- Earnest aim, _ . • . v but weak execu- ture, and strove to limit art solely to a representation oftion. ideas, without regard to truth of form and color. Overbeck, indeed, during the latter part of his career, abjured color, declaring it to be averse from the spirit of the religious sub¬ jects he exclusively treated, and devoted himself purely to outlines in charcoal or crayon. No one of this energetic band was a colorist or truly a draughtsman. The reaction Reaction from from this over-legendary and romantic school on the one monastic spirit, side, and the limited and, so to speak, monastic spirit on the other, showed itself soon among a class of artists who sought •their subjects in real and common life. This school, appeal¬ ing as it did to more general sympathies, soon displaced the former, and in the Paris Exposition it was this which took the lead. The difficulty of the Germans in matters of art is that their genius is more theoretical, philosophic, literary, than practical and artistic, and their art oscillates between Oscillation be- i „ ,, , _ tween the com- the common and often even the ugly on the one hand, and a mon and academ- certain academic ideal on the other. It was pleasant, how- 1C ’ ever, in the Paris Exposition, to find a freer spirit manifest¬ ing itself with better drawing and color, and a less hard and literal treatment. What is, however, still lacking is style. 6 p R 82 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. Germany. Every artist knows what is meant by the Diisseldorf school. Dasseidorf Clever as it is in many respects, it lacks the sympathetic quality, and has a sort of mechanical hardness. There were in this Exposition a few works of great excel¬ lence, and among these we must note an exquisite little pic- Kanibach. ture by Fried. August Kaulbach of Munich, called u Une jeune Femme avec son Fils,” which for tone, simplicity, tenderness of sentiment, and delicacy of color is remark¬ able. It is archaic in treatment, thinly painted on a gold ground, and is somewhat after the manner of Holbein, but it has a great charm. u Reverie, ” by the same artist, is also a very finished and delicate picture, representing a girl in a white satin dress seated on a couch against a background of subdued tapestry, and tuning a mandoline. This is very carefully studied, rich in color, and painted with much skill, and the textures well rendered. He also sent two heads which are characterized by the same senti¬ ment. Kuans. Herr L. Knaus, the well-known painter at Berlin, sent five pictures, each of them a master-piece in its way. u Un JEleve plein d J avenir, ” and u Une bonne Affaire,” have genuine humor of a rare quality. The first represents an old Jew seated on a rickety chair with a pipe in his hand, in his u ogh-clo ” warehouse filled with dingy old clothes, instructing a red-haired boy, who may be his grandson, in the mysteries of bargaining. This precocious pupil thoroughly appreciates his lesson, and his teacher’s face beams with approbation at his aptness. It is impossible to look at this picture without laughter, so admirably given are the character and expression of both faces. u Tine bonne Affaire,” represents the same boy putting into prac¬ tice the lesson he has received. He stands alone holding in his hand a piece of money, and chuckling to himself and to you over his own dexterity. The u Fete WFnfants,” which represents a village festival, is full of figures well drawn and clever, but it is inferior in character and expres¬ sion to the other pictures exhibited by Herr Knaus, and poorer in color. u TJn Fnterrement ” represents a scene in a court-yard with the roof and ground covered with snow. A crowd is gathered there, principally women and children, chanting a hymn, and down some steps totters an old man followed by the attendants who are bringing the coffin out at the door. The figure of the old man, who half leans against the house for support, is admirable in drawing and expression. The finest of the whole series is, perhaps, the u Fay sans deliberants,” where six peasants are gathered in FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 83 a little room discussing some matter of village importance. The oldest of them is on his feet speaking and the others are listening. There is great individuality in all the heads and figures; one sees at once the obstinate pig-headed man who means to disagree, the simple peasant who is ready to agree to anything, the fluctuating muddle-head who does not quite understand and never will, and the open-minded man who is anxious to come to a right con¬ clusion. The color of the picture is good. Sunlight comes in to illuminate the room from a side window, a green-tiled stove stands in the right corner, on which are hats and a blue umbrella, and there is a hen with her chickens on the floor in the foreground. The comedy is excellent; nothing is overdone. “Plus WEspoir” by Herr Fagerlin, is another picture of domestic life treated with great pathos. It represents the interior of a cottage, in the background of which a man is dying or dead, while his wife accompanied by an old woman is coming forward out of the room, hopeless and inconsola¬ ble. The intensity of tragic feeling in her face and attitude, and the reflected sympathy in her old companion, who may be the mother or grandmother, are portrayed with true feeling, and altogether the picture is profoundly interesting and affecting.' The painting is very careful and studied. The old brick floor, the green curtains against which the sunlight falls, the textures of the dresses are admirably given. There is perhaps a little too much the sense of painstaking, but the whole work is earnest and skillful and full of feel¬ ing. Herr LeibPs u Des Pay sans though cold and gray in color, and with no tone, is a most careful series of studies from nature of peasants’ heads. The execution is hard and pre¬ cise, but there is strong grasp of character and precision of detail in the heads. It represents five peasants crowded round a table and listening to one who is reading a news¬ paper. Outside the window is a sunny landscape. The heads are evidently careful, minutely careful, portraits, eminently characteristic and well drawn. Herr Menzel sent two oil pictures and four aquarelles , full of character and showing much ability. The largest is “V TJsine which represents the interior of an iron foundry, with workmen drawing out from the furnace an iron shaft at white heat. This forms the chief light of the picture, and against it some of the figures stand in dark relief and some brilliantly touched with a lurid glow. There is vigor and char¬ acter in some of the heads, and the action is well given, but GERMANY. Knaus. Fagerlin. Leibl. Menzel. 84 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. GERMANY. PDz. Defregger. Werner. Meyerheim. Gierymski. Bockelmann. as a whole there is a lack of quality, and a certain hardness of execution. u Fntre deux Bouses ” is a small picture repre¬ senting a saloon with groups of men in diplomatic dresses, and ladies in full ball toilets which exhibits even a superior power of character drawing. The composition is good and the coloring strong. Altogether it is a very clever and characteristic painting. His aquarelles of u Moines dans le Sacristie ” and the u Repas interrompu ” are also clever, but rather cold and hard. u La Legon de Gymnastique'’ by Herr O. Pilz, of Weimar, is clever and well composed and painted. The landscape and sky are particularly worthy of note. It represents a master standing before a double row of boys giving them a lesson in gymnastics. Herr Defregger’s u Benedicite” and u La Visite” are also very clever representations of purely domestic scenes. The lattter represents two peasant girls on a visit to their married sister, to whose baby they are pre¬ senting a pear; all are happy and pleased. The girls are pretty in their quaint costumes and the baby is all smiles. The u Benedicite ” represents a woman who is teaching the smallest of a group of children who are seated round a table to say grace. The expressions are simple and natural and the composition good, but the execution though careful is hard. Herr Werner’s u TJne Conversation ” has considerable humor of expression. It represents five of Frederic’s gren¬ adiers standing on the further side of a railing and joking with two nursery maids on this side with babies; all are laughing, and the jest seems to find favor in the ears of those who hear and those who make it. The effect is bright and the execution precise. Another picture of a humorous character is Herr Meyerheim’s u Bes Zoulon ,— Caffres d la Foire .” The scene is in a booth at a country fair. On the stage are a couple of Zulus executing a war dance, while the audience are divided between terror, aston¬ ishment, and delight. There is considerable freedom in the manner of the iiainting, and the scene is amusing. The u Chasse d courre au XVIIIme Siecle ,” by the late Herr Gierymski, is a very clever picture by a young painter who lately died. There is capital drawing, good action, and careful study; but it is very voyant in color and hard of texture. u Une Banque populaire en Faillite ,” by Herr Bockelmann, of Dusseldorf, represents a crowd in the costume of to-day outside a bank which has just failed. The painting is lit¬ eral, and the color is clean, cold, and gray. There is little FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 85 intensity of character and no great vividness of expression, but some of the figures are well done. Among the other domestic scenes of this class to be noted are the u Bapteme de VOrphelin” by Herr Hoff, representing a baptism, with costumes of the time of Louis XIY, which is pleasing in sentiment and arrangement; the u Heure dAn- goissef by Herr Hildebraudt, where a mother and father are at the bedside of their sick child, in which there is a good deal of earnest feeling; u La Lecture interessante” by Herr Scheureuberg, of Diisseldorf, which is capital in ex¬ pression and well painted. Religious and Historical Paintings. Eeligious and historical subjects were not ably repre- sented. There were few of them, and they were not of high merit. The best pictures are those which represent homely and domestic scenes of common life. Herr von Piloty’s “ Wallenstein se rendant d Eger” is one of the largest history pieces, but it is scarcely worthy the high reputation of the artist, and is academic and conventional. Herr Becker sent two pictures, “ Albert Dilrer a Venise” and u Ulrich von Hutton regoit de VEmpereur Maximilien la Couronne de Poete;” Herr 0. Kuille, u Plato avecses Disciples ;” and Herr Baur, u St. Paul , Prisonnier a Rome ,” which is archmologi- cally studied, but without much vitality. u La Fille de Jdir us” by Herr Gabriel Max, is weak and fade , and on the arm of the apparently dead child he has painted with care a fly, which will indicate the spirit in which the work is conceived. Herr von Gebhardt, of Diisseldorf, sent a “Crucifixion” and a “Last Supper,” the latter good in color, but without great life in character. It is treated somewhat in the early German manner, and the types of the apostles are taken from the lower classes of common life. It may be claimed that this was the fact, but the religious and poetic sense is none the less unsatisfied by such a repre¬ sentation. What all these pictures lack is spontaneity and poetic character. Portraits. In portraiture, the heads of Herr Lenbach, of Munich, though thinly painted, are full of character and individu¬ ality. The portrait of the “Princess of Oarolath-Beuthen,” by Herr Eichter, also should be noted, as well as those by Herr Kaulbach, which are fresh and charming, and the “Portrait dune Vielle Damef by Herr Gussow, of Berlin, GERMANY. Hoff. Hildebraudt. Scbeurenberg. Religious and Historical. Von Piloty. Becker. Kuille. Baur. Max. Von Gebhardt. Portraits. Lenbach. Eichter. Kaulbach. Gussow. 86 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. Germany, the head of which is pure in color and carefully studied, but the dress and details very hard, bright, and absolute. Gussow. Herr Gussow had also two pictures of still life and figures, one called U H Atelier? and one u Nature Morte? which are painted with wonderful chic and freedom of touch. One is the interior of a studio, with an old woman washing with a piece of wash-leather a reduced cast of the Venus of Milo. The other is a study of an interior with various objects— half-finished pictures on the wall, a bust in the middle of a table, etc. These are a little hard and voyant in colors, but the imitation of still life is very remarkable. Landscapes. Landscapes. There was a considerable number of landscapes, among the Diicker best of which are to be noted those by Herr Diicker, of Dus- seldorf, u Lords de la Mer Baltique? with the sun setting red along a tranquil sea, and long stretch of shore, and the u Pay- sage du Harz ,” both of which are freer in style than the gen- Baisch. eral run of this school. Herr Baisch, of Munich, sent u Tine grande Route en Hollande? which is a rainy scene, with a herd of cows going over the wet road, and breaks of light through a gray sky, and a windmill in the distance, a river and boat, and a woman with an umbrella. This is decidedly a clever inner. picture. Herr 0. Irmer’s u Lac en Holstein ” is a very good specimen of the Diisseldorf school, though it has its defects Kroner. of hardness. Herr Kroner’s u tangliers dans la Neige” is a well-rendered winter landscape with wild boars huddling through the snow in a wood. The tones of the snow are good, Lier. and the picture interesting. Herr Adolph Tier’s “ Soiree dJAutomne aux Bords de Vlsar ,” and U HInundation? by Herr Sciierres. Scherres, are also specially to be noted as among the best in Oeder. this department. Herr Oeder’s u Pay sage” is also j)leasing, Keubers. and we must also note another u Pay sage” by Herr Neubers, of Munich, and u Le Moulin a Vent dans la Prise? by Herr scbcenieber. Schoenleber. The two Herren Achenbach, whose reputation is so well established in Diisseldorf, also sent a number of landscapes. The best of all is Herr A. Achenbach’s u Vlissingue? with a batii & °' Achen ' stormy sea breaking over a pier, a castle wall on the right, and a steamer laboring in the distance. This is clever, but somewhat cold and conventional in character. His other pictures are more mechanically felt and rendered^ though they all exhibit talent. There is cleverness, but a lack of real feeling. On the whole, it cannot be said that the German school, despite all the cleverness it exhibited, manifested any very FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 87 high tendencies, or any great achievement in the highest line Germany. of art, nothing to correspond to the lofty purpose of its great composers in what is essentially its natural art—music. In Itsmu3ica i com . poetry, sculpture, and painting it has no names to be placed beside the great ones in that most ideal of arts. Even tists£md P° ets - Goethe is tame and mechanical beside Beethoven, and for the last quarter of a century, poetry has had no great exponent in Germany. Still there is a good table-ground of excellence in painting, though there are no high peaks. RUSSIA. The Russian department rather surprised us as giving Russia. evidence of a distinct nationality of character and subject, with considerable originality of treatment. It is not that there are any very high flights, but there is in many of the pictures a quality different from what is seen elsewhere, and 0rlsinaliLy - a freedom from bondage to other schools which is note¬ worthy. Landscapes. The landscapes were particularly striking, and were mostly Landscapes. of natural scenes. Among these must be specially noted — the works of M. Kou'indji. His u Pay sage en Finlande” noumdji, represents a sluggish river rolling out of a dark distance, with two birds flying over it. In the foreground are reeds on one side, and on the other a shelf of sloping rock, above which are three tall trees ; a thunder-storm is rising and covering with its dark, threatening shadow, the middle ground and distance, while a white metallic light gleams upon the trees in the foreground, forcing them out with that strange promi¬ nence so characteristic of such moments. Here is great sen¬ timent and truth to nature. The scene is lonely, desolate, silent, the sky heavy, lowering, and slaty—everything dreary, threatening, and wild. His u Clair de Lune en Ukraine” is also a most striking, original, and effective picture. Here is a group of lone houses on a high plateau in the middle dis¬ tance, with a windmill and two cypresses; at its base flows a stream into the foreground; a strange, mysterious green tone pervades the picture. The moonlight gleams upon the sides of the houses, and in one window burns a candle, while the river catches a faint reflection of light as it flows down through its dark, vaguely-shadowed banks. The cypresses stand dark and solemn against the sky, which is a deep dark blue. The chiaro■ oscuro of his picture is striking. The paint¬ ing is careful, and the tones remarkable. It is a solemn, seri ous, silent picture, very peculiar, but very interesting and 88 RUSSIA. Lindholm. Mcchtcherski. Dobrovolski. Volkoff. Klever. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. original. u Pdturage en Finlande? by B. Lindholm, of Hel¬ singfors, is a charming study of nature. It represents a slope of rising ground stretching into the distance, and down this at intervals are coming groups of milk-maids with pails, while along a road that climbs it on one side in the mid-dis¬ tance a cart is going. The tones and gradations of light and color are given with great delicacy and truth; there is no over-insistance of anything. The foreground of broken soil and plants is faithful and perfectly rendered, and over the whole is a sentiment and refinement which is rare. The space and perspective have almost nothing to be desired. u Foret en River? by M. Mechtcherski, is also a charming picture, with great sentiment and truth to nature. In the middle and foreground of the picture is a dark pool, out of which blue blocks of ice have been cut; around this rise wooded banks, inclosing it as in an amphitheater, with tall, thin, serried trees tipped with snow, and rising against a dim, vague, gray sky, in which snow is gathering. The tone is pale gray and white, and there is a hush of silence over all. Altogether this is a charming picture. No. 35—which was omitted from the catalogues, and, therefore, I cannot give the author’s name—is also a very clever picture. It represents a sea scene from the shore, on which a stranded vessel lies which workmen are calking. On the right is a cliff. The sky is gloomy, and flaky, and gray, with light on the horizon—the sea dark, except where it breaks toward the shore. u La grande Route? by M. Do¬ brovolski, represents a grass-grown road with deep ruts filled with water, along either side of which, as it stretches straight off into the distance through the center of the pic¬ ture, are sparsely-scattered trees, and in the mid-distance a carriage is coming down. The pools and spots of water re¬ flect the sky, and a pink light is in the edge of the horizon and touches the clouds above. There is admirable quality on this picture and the scene has much character. Yolk off’s u Foret a la Fonte des Neiges , effet du Soir ” is a winter wood-scene, with snow on the ground and a sunset effect through tall trees. The snow is particularly good in tone, cold without being painty, and the whole scene well drawn and rendered. M. Klever had also a u Coucher du Soleil en Hirer,” which, though it has rather a scenic and sought effect, also shows talent. His u Parc abandonne d Marien- bourg , en Livonie” is a better picture and has some charac¬ ter. It represents an old decaying park with groves of trees, and steps leading down into sluggish calm water, over which a scum has gathered and in which two swans are FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 89 swimming. M. Schichkine’s four pictures are also to be noted for their merit. One is a secluded wood-scene with a brook running through it; another the interior of a prime¬ val forest, with tall, slender trees. In both the sentiment is admirable and the drawing and color excellent. They are serious and lonely, and no living person is there to dis¬ turb their solitude. It will be seen that a certain silence, loneliness, and seri¬ ousness are characteristic of many of these pictures. None of these we have mentioned are pretentious or self-con¬ scious, or noisy in character. They do not aim at showing off the skill of the artist, but have a better object, to re¬ produce the interior feeling and character of the place. The same remarks cannot be made of the landscapes by M. Aivazovski, which are ambitious and vague. u Nfuit dans VArchipel , pres du Mont Athos ” represents a moonlight-scene with light misty blue sea. u La Tempete aux Bords de la Mer Noire” is of the same character of misty blue color. Both show talent, but they miss their aim. M. Orlovskies pictures show much ability. 44 Les Faucheurs ” is painted with great care; the perspective of the immense plain is admirably rendered; the details are all studied, and the general effect bright and sunny; a little more concen¬ tration and suppression of parts would have made it far more effective, and taken from it a certain monotony of brightness. Another landscape of much merit represents a heavy sea rolling in to shore, with one great green surf- wave lifting in the foreground and on the point of breaking. The sky is gray with broken yellowish white clouds towards the horizon, and grayish white ducks are descending into the sea. Genre. Among the cabinet and genre pictures were several of im¬ portance. 44 Excavations at Rome,” by M. Kovalevski, is an admirably drawn and carefully studied picture, full of truth and nature, and fidelity ol execution. The figured horses are capital in their action and expression, and ren¬ dered simply and without affectation. The color is subdued, without glare or spottiness, the tone harmonious, the sky grey under a clouded sirocco, the composition and charac¬ ter excellent. It represents a group of workmen excavating at the 44 Monte de Giustizia ” at Rome, and carting away the rubbish and debris. Mr. Savitzki also sent a picture of the same class, representing ‘ 4 Travaux de Terrassement sur une Ligne de Cliemin de Fer ,” which, though inferior to that just described, is full of animation and nature and cleverness RUSSIA. Schickkino. Aivazovski. Orlovski. Genre. Kovalevski. Savitski. 90 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. RUSSIA . W. G. Makovski. Jouravleff. Kramskoi'. Meunier. C. G. Makovski. Korzoukhine. Maximoff. Baron Klodt. Dmitriefi’. Paroff. Kramskoi et al. Siemiradski. of drawing. The pictures of M. W. G. Makovski are also spirited in character and simply and genially executed. His u Amateurs de Bossignols,” is particularly to he noted. It represents three old men in a low room lit by a small window. They are looking at a bird in a cage which hangs above them, and endeavoring to induce it to sing. An¬ other is u Utile dulci,” in which an old comple is engaged in preparing raspberries for preserving. The subject is sim¬ ple, but the spirit which is put into it make it noteworthy. u Benediction de la Fiancee ,” by M. Jouravleff, is executed with spirit and is dramatic in feeling. The bride is on her knees covering her face. The father stands erect looking down on her coldly. There is a good deal of character in the expressions of the figures, and the still life is painted with skill. M. Kramskoi’s u Les Nymphes, sujet tire de la ballade de Gogol: une Nuit de Mai ” is of the legendary type and shows talent. M. Meunier also should be noted. His u Mary Mother listening to the last Words of her dying Child” is the work of a young artist and has much promise. M. C. G. Makovski’s u Martyres Bulgares ,” and u Procession du tapis du Prophete au Caire are works of more importance of subject. They are cleverly painted, with much talent, but they are of a character which simply repels us and shocks us. Why select scenes which can only cause horror and pain? There are also to be mentioned, as showing talent, M. Korzoukhilie’s u Devant le Confessional” ; M. Maximoff’s u Arrivee (Tun Devin a une Noce Villageoise,” which has great vigor and naturality of character; u Le Banc Now,” of Baron Klodt; u Dix minutes d’ arret,” of M. Dmitrieff’s, which is somewhat of the same manner as Mr. Frith, and a number of excellent portraits. Among the latter may be particular¬ ized some striking portraits by M. Kramskoi, by M. Paroff, M. Frenz, M. Lehman, and M. Hartamoff. We have left to the last the largest and most ambitious picture of the whole Kussian department, u Les Torches Vivantes de Neron ,” by M. Siemiradski. This picture ob¬ tained for its author the distinction of a medal of honor, and, therefore, deserves a careful consideration. The scene which it attempts to represent is the historic legend of the burning of Christian martyrs by Kero. On a high terrace are seated, in a golden palanquin which has just been placed there by negro bearers, the Emperor and his wife Poppaea. Architectural constructions cover two-thirds of the back¬ ground of the picture, and the loggie and balconies are filled with spectators and attendants. The foreground is thronged FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 91 with a crowd of figures, courtesans, guards, and senators, gaming, drinking, and lounging, and playing on musical in¬ struments. On the right, attached to high stakes against a background of sky, are the figures of the martyrs envel¬ oped in combustible stuffs, to which the executioners are seating fire. There is certainly something in the selection of such an incident which shows an imaginative desire at least. It'was a bold conception, which demanded power and a strong dramatic capacity fully to carry out. But it is not enough to have selected a great subject; the artist must be pushed by the imaginative and executive force which he has brought to its development. As far as the hand is concerned M. Siemiradski has shown a remarkable talent. His touch is bold and free, his imitation of stuffs and objects, his paint¬ ing of flesh and costumes, are masterly. His drawing is gen¬ erally good. There is nothing niggled and timid in his handling, and, as mere painting, there are parts which could scarcely be too highly praised. He has all the facility and brilliancy of Herr Makart, with much more solid qualities of execution. In technique there is very much to praise and little fault to find. It is not here that he fails, but in the total want of imaginative grasp of the scene. The picture is full of splendid parts, but it is nothing but parts, and there is no relation between them. There is no whole, either in composition or conception, no historic truth or even prob ability. It is a mass of jumbled archaeology and history, never quite correct, of well-drawn figures having nothing to do with the tragedy which is enacting, of groups disen¬ gaged from all the main interest, and often in violent oppo¬ sition to it. The burning of the martyrs becomes a subsid¬ iary and unimportant incident which scarcely attracts the observer, and which interests scarcely one of the figures in the picture. It is an impossible bacchanalian scene, and is without any central dominating idea. The first great and fatal fault is that the two halves of the picture are totally different in the time and hour. The main mass of the picture is in the broad light of noon, in which all the personages and details of architecture are highly sparkling. The other half is dull, and towards twilight. The burning torches of human beings which should have given the chief light, as they were the chief protagonists of the scene responding to Nero, are feeble, ineffective and secondary in light. In the incidental groups the main effect is placid; they occupy all the foreground and the principal part of the ificture. Even Nero and Poppma KUSSIA. Siemiradski. 92 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. KUSSIA. Siemiraski. are insignificant beside them. They are far off and small. The others are near and large. The next fault is the want of proper perspective. It is difficult if not impossible, to understand the planes or to see how or in what manner the figures are standing. It is equally a mystery how Nero and Poppsea were carried to the positions they occupy, as there seems to be no clear way leading to it. One above the other, ihe heads and figures are piled up, but what supports them is doubtful at least. In the next place, historical truth and individual charac¬ ter are violated. Poppsea never was there. She opposed Nero in all these violences and endeavored to dissuade him from them, and in fact her opposition was the cause of her death. However, setting aside this, and the artist may claim that he was not to be bound by facts, how does this feeble, bloated, and languidly effeminate figure of Nero lounging uninterested in his litter correspond to the character of the mad emperor, whose great boast it was that he was the most powerful athlete in Eome, and who descended into the arena to try conclusions with trained gladiators, and always took pride in exhibiting himself as the prominent figure of all games and spectacles. How do this heavy and common face and figure of Poppaea correspond to her’s who was the most beautiful and graceful woman of her day, who affected reserve and modesty of bearing, and avoided public meetings and crowds, and how is it that the emperor, at whose com¬ mand this fearful tragedy was enacted, seems to take so total a want of interest in it? It seems rather as if he were going to sleep. And how, again, is it that no deference is shown to him by any of the crowd, who, careless both of him and of the place of the great scene, riot and revel in the im¬ perial courts? But deeper than all this is the want of imaginative con¬ ception of the tragedy. Conceive for a moment the scene, and say if this in any way represents it. Conceive the dark¬ ness of night coming on or already enshrouding the world, which is to be illuminated by these living torches—the excited crowd that have gathered as spectators of this brutal scene, some indignant, some sympathizing with the wretched victims, some bloodthirsty and rejoicing in this novel spectacle, some loving, some hating, all fearing the em¬ peror, and all profoundly interested in the tragedy to be en¬ acted. Over the darkness and half-illumination of the crowd that seethes below rises that of the athletic madman and player who has given the signal for the torches to be fired, and, standing erect and prominent before his guards that FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 93 attend him, catches the full glow of the torches as they glare up against the dark abyss of the sky and flicker over the cornices and edges of the architecture and leave vast hollows of empty shadow. The lurid glare of the light shows the great protagonists in opposition to each other— the tyrant in this world in his mad and momentary triumph, the victims inspired with religious zeal and looking forward to eternal glory beyond the reach of man. What a tre¬ mendous contrast! In the picture itself but one or two figures seem in the least degree observant or interested in the spectacle. The mass drink and play at dice and amuse themselves as if they were there for any other purpose than to see the burning of these martyrs. The emperor and the Christians who are tied to the stake are alike accessories. The palanquin is splendid, the mother-of-pearl veneering beautifully ren¬ dered, but so massive and important as to overwhelm the occupants, and in itself, arch geologically considered, totally without justification of fact. Some of the spectators are in furs and rich, heavy robes, some nearly nude. There is no keeping in the feeling nor in the composition. It is a work of great decorative merit, showing much cleverness of hand¬ icraft, but as an imaginative conception it can only be con¬ sidered as a complete failure. u La Coupe ou la Femme, v by the same painter, has similar merit as technical work. It represents an ancient voluptu¬ ary and antiquary in a room filled with objets de vertu and bric-a-brac , hesitating between the purchase of a nude slave and a rich cup. The theme is banale and scarcely worthy of so large a canvas. It is a colossal piece of genre , which would be more acceptable on a very much diminished scale of size. M. Siemiradski is a young man, we believe, and with such executive talent it is to be hoped that he will brace his mind to achieve results of deeper significance and more earnest thought than these two pictures display, and take to heart those true words of Goethe, u In der Besclirank- ung zeiget sich erst der MeisterP M. Jacoby’s u Noce dans le Falais de Glace construit sur la Neva pendant VRiver de 1741,” represents a chamber cut in the ice, and on a couch placed in an alcove are seated a strange, half-idiotic couple who have there passed their bridal night, while a crowd of revelers are entering the chamber and a dwarf is presenting a fan to the bride. The picture has something strangely fantastic and grotesque in its effect. The sunlight gleaming on the transparent ice, the cold, RUSSIA. Siemiradski. Jacoby. 94 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. RUSSIA. Jacoby. BogolubofF. Grerson. G-u6. Edelfeltlt. BELGIUM. shivering glow of the icy room, the boisterous figures of the revelers, and the stupid, vacant expression of the unhappy couple make up a contrast which is singularly striking. The incident of which it is an illustration is narrated in the novel of Lagechnikoff, entitled u The Palace of Ice,” and represents the marriage of the idiot Galitzun, the protege of the Empress Anne, with another unfortunate of Oalmuck origin. The picture displays as much talent as oddity of conception, character, costume, and color. It shows a great deal of study, and is drawn with spirit. Among other pictures which must be noted are several by M. Bogoluboif, representing a u Combat naval , lime par Pierre le Grand , pres de VIsle d’Oesel (a. 1719),” u Passage des Galeres de Pierre le Grand sur la pointe de Hangd- JJdd ,” u Vue de JSTijni-Novgorod ,” and “St. Petersbourg, JVuit dPEtef all of which show a decided ability; M. Gerson’s u Nicolas Copernic demontrant le Systeme du Monde aux Jlommes illustres de son Temps? M. Gud’s “ Pierre le Grand fait subir un In¬ terrogators au Tzarevitch Alexis , a Peterhof ;” and M. Edel- feldt’s u Blanche de Namur , Peine de Suede , et le Prince Ha- quin .” BELGIUM. 'We now come to Belgium, which sent no less than 300 oil- paintings, among which there were some which were strik¬ ing, but on the whole there was a general lack of great vital force and individuality, though there was certainly a good level of fair work. Historical Paintings. Of the historical pictures there were two by M. Wauters, which show a great deal of character and feeling. u La Folie de Hugues Van der Goes ” represents the mad painter seated in the foreground, to whom a choir of youths are sing ing. His expression as he catches the familiar strain that seems to recall the past and to clear up the present is admir¬ able. So also is that of the black cowled monk who is guid¬ ing the singers and looking over the back of the chair to observe the effect of the music on the painter, as well as of the figures in shadow who are watching him with the same intent. The work is serious and careful, the light and dark well disposed, and the composition good. There is a com¬ mon center of interest, and the story is well told without exaggeration and attitudinizing. It is a pity that he has introduced the two players in the left behind the boys in white who are chanting; they add nothing to the interest, FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 95 and detract from the concentration of the group. 11 Marie de Bourgogne implorant des Bchevins de Gand la Grace de ses Gonseillers Hugonet et Humber court' 1 ' 1 has not the same force and individuality, but is interesting, well composed, and expressive, without affectation. These two pictures obtained for M. Wauters the medal of honor for Belgium, and they justly deserved it. There is also a good deal of character in M. Cluysenaar’s “ Canossa , Van 1077,” which represents Henry IY humbling himself before Gregory VII. It is boldly painted and well drawn and composed, but a little tame in general effect. The figure of Henry is a little too cringing to be true to his character. He submitted at last, but reluctantly and an¬ grily. Gregory is better, but hardly up to the mark of that imperious and overbearing Pontifex, and there is a lack of intensity in the queen and the attendants. But the picture is serious in purpose, and executed with ability. M. Cluy- senaar has also a portrait of a little boy lounging in a great gray fauteuil, which is admirable in character, expression, and color, and full of nature. u Charles V a Yustef by M. A. de Vriendt, represents the emperor seated and looking at a picture held up by two monks. It is well painted, but a little academic in treatment. All the pictures of this artist deserve to be* commended, as well as those of M. J. de Vriendt, and particularly u La Justice de Baudouin d la Rachel by the latter. M. Verlatfs u Nous voulons Bar abbas ! n is a striking and also a disagreeable picture. There is a good deal of force, both of character and impasto , in many of the heads, but they are all vulgar and repulsive. This, of course, he in¬ tends they should be, but he has carried this to an extreme, and there is nothing in the picture to counterbalance this vulgarity. The composition is not fortunate, and the color is criarde. His other pictures of animal subjects are coarse but clever, and certainly do not lack vigor and individuality. Among the other historical pictures should be also noted u Messaline sortant de Rome et insueltee par la Populace ,” by M. Hennebicq; u La Mort de Didon” and u Le dernier Com¬ bat du Gladiateur” by M. Stallaert; u Baudoin V appelant le Peuple aux Armes pour le Defense de la Villef by M. Oarlier. Genre. Of the cabinet and genre pictures, there were some which. deserve special commendation. u Un Concours de Chant (le Jury)” by M. D. Col, is very clever, well disposed in light and dark, and carefully painted, and exhibits much hu- BELGIUM. Cluysenaar. A. de Vriendt. J. de Vriendt. Verlat. Hennebicq. Stallaert. Carlier. Genre. Col. 96 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. BELGIUM. mor. Hundreds of cages with canaries line the walls. The judges sit on a platform attentively examining them placed on a table below them. u La Sortie du Restaurant ,” by M. Hermann. Hermann, is, for size and character, one of the most impor¬ tant. It represents two men overcome by drink, and com¬ ing out of a restaurant after an orgie, accompanied by two cocottes. There is certainly considerable cleverness and ex- Yerlat. pression in this picture, but the subject is unworthy the talent and labor bestowed upon it. u Secours an temps” by M. Yerlat, represents a child attacked and overthrown by J. Verhas. F. Verb as. a wolf, which in turn is seized by a dog. The color is hard, but the attitude and expression of the child are very good, and the story is well told. The u Inondation ,” by M. J. Ver¬ has, and u La Fete de Papa ,” by M. F. Yerhas, are agreeable Verbaert. in color and composition. Among other pictures which should be mentioned were four small canvases by M. Ver- haert, U E Esprit Vaincu ,” u La Soubrette Intriguee” u La Gonvalescente ,” and u La Bibliotheque” which are well paint¬ ed and good in color; some clever and original little pic¬ lmpens. Lagye. tures by M. lmpens; several by M. Lagye, after the manner of Leys, particularly u Les Bohemiens ” and u Statuaire ”; Robie. Madou. J. Stevens. some flowers and fruits by M. Bobie; several clever pictures by the late M. Madou; u Chien regardant une Mouche,” by M. J. Stevens, which is natural and amusing; u Rhetoriciens Markeibacii. d'Anvers,” by M. Markelbach; and a characteristic figure of i>eBraekeieer. «The Geographer” by M. de Braekeleer, which represents a Willems. man in his shirt-sleeves studying an atlas. M. Willems sent ten pictures, all of the same class and character, which is clearly indicated by the titles, u La ; Visite,” u Le Baise-main,” u La Toilette,” U E Off re de la Bague” u La Presentation du Futur ” etc. The still life, furniture, vases, stuffs, and dresses are all executed with great elaboration and skill. The personages are mere models or lay figures to show off their costumes and laces and silks and satins A. Stevens. and velvets. They have little to interest us in character. M. Alfred Stevens sent no less than sixteen pictures, and to his admirers these form one of the attractions of the Belgian department. One regrets to find them, for the most part, inferior to his former work; and though they have a certain distinction of sobriety in color, they have little to say which interests or affects us. Among the eriarde , hard, and noisy pictures which abound, it is grateful at least to find in these a subdued quality of gray tones which soothes us almost like silence. But they err even in this direction, and, seen together, have a monotony of effaced color which is not satisfactory. There is a good deal of trickery, too, of FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 97 half-lights and reflected lights, and they lack substance and quality. The subjects are not striking. They represent generally a lady in her boudoir alone or with a friend, with dim candle-light or shrouded day, and it is nearly always the same lady. There is little emotion or character, no force, and scarcely any incident. The most striking of all M. Stevens’s pictures here was a portrait of a boy in a gray vel¬ vet dress, and a greyhound at his side. This is admirable in quality and character and delicate in tone, and altogether a masterly work that justifies his high reputation. The velvet dress is charmingly painted. Landscapes. Some of the landscapes were clever, but there were none of any very high rank. Among the best may be mentioned three by M. Cooseraans, and particularly one of a dark, marshy ground filled with pools and high grasses, with dark, pollarded trees with ravens perched on them and fluttering about them, and a dull, slaty sky, with a gleam on the hori¬ zon. This is strongly painted, and is gloomy, solitary, and effective. M. Van Luppen’s u La Flandre ” and u Avant V Or age ” are also effective. M. Tscharner’s u Apres VHirer ” several by Mile. Marie Collart, M. F. Lamorinikre, M. de Knyff, and M. Boulenger, among others, must be noted. M. Clays sent seven landscapes, all representing seaports and ships with brown and white sails and blue and white skies with mixed clouds. These are clever, but mannered. When we have seen one we have seen all. They are repeti¬ tions of the same subject with the same treatment. Among the portraits was one by M. Winne which is very lifelike in the expression of the eyes, that seem to follow one about. His other portraits also are clever. SWITZERLAND. Genre. In the Swiss department there was little to detain us of distinguished merit. One of the largest was u Les Zephyrs du Soir, v by M. L. P. Robert, which is legendary in theme and represents a number of nude and wild female figures float¬ ing over a green slope covered with low trees. This picture received a medal from the Salon in 1877. Though well drawn, it is feeble in tone and character. M. B. Yautier’s u Le Diner de GirConstance ” represents a company of bour¬ geois and functionaries gathered around a dinner-table. 7 p R BELGIUM. A. Stevens. Landscapes. Coosemans. Van Luppen. Mile. Collart. Lamoriniere. De Knyff. Boulenger. Clays. Portraits. Winne. SWITZERLAND. Oenre. Robert. Vautier. 98 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. SWITZERLAND. Durand. Sttickelberg. Ravel. Burnand. Landscapes. Koller. Jeanneret. Rudisubli. Better. sGirardet. Pata. Castan. Robert. NETHERLANDS. The color is rather dry and monotonous, but it shows much careful study of character, and conscientious work. The heads are expressive, and are evidently portraits, and the action and scene are true to life. M. Durand’s u Le Mariage a la Mairie ,” u TJn bout de Conduite ,” and u Le Marche” are all spirited. The first represents a scene at the Mairie, where a bridal party has been waiting with impatience for the arrival of the bridegroom. The u Bout de Conduite ” is a file of Bohemians and bear-leaders walking through the snow escorted by gendarmes. These are brightly painted and the comic element is well expressed. M. Stuckelberg’s “ -Disease de Bonne Aventure ” has much merit, and is out of the common. It represents two girls with a donkey, and an old woman on a wall looking at them to tell their fortune. M. Ravel’s u Ilpleut ,” which is spirited, represents a party of tourists detained in a mountain inn by a storm of rain. M. Burnand’s u Fournee au Village ” is also clever, and re¬ alistic in the heads of the peasants. Landscapes. Of the landscapes, there were few which were national, and these are not of the best. The landscape painters seem rather to have caught their inspiration in other countries. Of those who have been faithful 1 o their own may be noted M. Roller’s u Or age sur les hautes Alpes M. Jeanneret’s u Gorge de VAreuse ,” and M. Rudisuhli’s u La Source ” and 11 La Solitude .” Of those who have devoted their talent to foreign scenes, M. A. Better’s views from Camargue are specially to be noted. Of these the u Etangs de Vmares ( Ca¬ margue) ” was the strongest and most original in this depart¬ ment. It represents jutting points of dark land pushing out into flat Avater. Heavy clouds lower over the scene, and the sense of loneliness and desolation is well felt. M. Girar- det’s u Plage de Tanger” is a bright and sunny sea, with figures and donkeys moving along the shallow shore, and the waves breaking in along its curve. M. Pata sent some marine views on the coast of Normandy; and M. Castan u L > Interieur de Bois dans le Berri” and u Les Bords de la Creuse a Gargilesse.” Fifteen drawings of birds, by M. Robert, are executed with great delicacy and elaboration, and should also be noticed. NETHERLANDS. The Netherlands did not sustain the great reputation of their olden days when their art was illustrated by great names, and in the light of these great works the modern FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY 99 products of tlieir school strike one with disappointment. Netherlands. Clever as some of their artists show themselves to he, they do not strongly impress one, overshadowed as they are by our memories of Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Cuyp, Hobbema, Ostade, Metzu, Wouvermans, Paul Potter, Berghem, Ruys- dael, and Van der Velde. The passion for light and dark, the hurry, spirit, the finesse, the sharp originality which charac¬ terized the early school are wanting in the present day, and the Netherlands, like Italy, suffers by comparison with its great ancestry in art. In place of this vivacity and pungent sense of reality we s J; m jf essional have a school of Impressionists. Unable to reproduce the vivid character of the early school, they have sought to create an effect by loose and vague, though often vigorous, brush-work. There is as much affectation in over-sketchi- over-sketckmess ness as in over-elaboration, but the modern over-done and over-eSoration. over-elaborated schools of genre have provoked a reaction in quite the other direction. The Impressionist school is a protest against our finish of parts, and though there is jus¬ tice in its aim, it is at times carried so far as to be equally false on the other side. If this tendency is to be observed in the schools of other nations it is specially to be seen here. Undoubtedly what is needed in art more than stuffs, however cleverly imitated, is stuff of the mind and imagina¬ tion, and the overstudy of technique has tended to degrade the higher spirit of art. We have fine words and phrases, not poems. We have too much of Euphues and the Ar¬ cadia, too little Hamlet and Lear. Of this school of Impress¬ ionists there are some eminent masters in landscape, such as Messrs. Jovels, Mesdag, Maris, Verveer, Artz, and Bak- huyzen. All of these have, despite their individual differ¬ ences, a similarity of treatment. Their pictures are loosely pain ted, suggested rather than finished, and seek for scarcely anything beyond general effect. There are, however, great vigor and character in some of their works, and often bold ness of execution, and sentiment. Landscapes. Two of the most remarkable and poetic landscapes Were Landscape». by M. Mesdag, u Bateau de Sauvetage de Scheveningue sor- Mesdag. taut pour porter Assistance d VEquipage du Bdtiment Anglais le Hopewell 11 Novembre , 1809, ” and “ Retour de ce Bateau. v These are coarse and carelessly free in execution, painted with a heavy brush, and merely dashed in upon the canvas without detail or finish$ but they are eminently dramatic, spirited, and affecting. The soul of the incident is seized, 100 NETHERLANDS. Mesdag. Bakhuyzen. Bilders. Maris. Israels. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. and the work has been done in the fervor of feeling. The first represents the launching of the life-boat. The horses and carriage, which have brought it, stand there with a flagstaff and a flag blown out by the.gale. It is a wild day, toward sundown. Gray whitening clouds cover the sky, the boat is laboring in the mid-distance on the turbulent waves that break heavily in turbid and confused masses of billows, and a crowd is on the shore massed together darkly and watching its progress. One or two dark birds hover in the wild sky. The vessel that is to be succored lies far off in the horizon. The second picture represents the return of the same boat. There is the same gray, tur¬ bulent, rolling sea. The sky is broken and wild, and a red gleam breaks cut along the horizon, against which the wreck is seen; The dark crowd is still there on the shore bringing in the crew that has been rescued. Altogether both of these pictures are gloomy, wild, and impressive in their character. The grouping of the figures is well man¬ aged, and all that one regrets is that they are such mere sketches which can only be seen at a distance and to a certain extent with the eve of faith. Nothing is really completed. It is as if they had been dashed hurriedly in on the spot under the influence of a powerful emotion, and then left. u La Levee de VAncre? by the same artist, is in the same style. The sky is blue, the water wild, the wind blowing. M. Bakhuy zen’s u Pay sage pres de Leide ” is also of the Impressionist school, but very clever, vigorous in its draw¬ ing, and full of life and color. The town with red-tiled roofs, and a windmill beyond the river, rises against a blue sky with great gray clouds. The river is gray, with bluish reflections. The composition is good; there is a great deal of air and light in the picture, and the painting is free and strong. It is made out solely in masses and values, with no details, and must be seen at a distance. Again, in u Paysage en Gueldre? by M. Bilders, there is the same treatment, and much vigor. It represents a meadow of broken sandy soil with large trees, under which cows are feeding. M. Maris’s u Sur la Plage v and a Pay sage Holland ais” have similar characteristics. The flrst represents a cold, gray sea, which is merely scratched in, and a sloop riding on it, darkly against the sea and sky. M. Israels sent four pictures, u Seal an Monde? u Les Pauvres du Village? u Le Diner des Savetiers? and u L > Anni- versaire. v All of these are of a gray, effaced, and somber tone. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 101 with no vivacity of color, as if the artist had desired to accent¬ uate the seriousness of the subject by the dreariness of his color. They are all scenes of humble life, and all have an accent of sincerity in feeling and intention. In texture, they are wooly, in execution they are intentionally sketchy and impressionist. But the values are well kept, there is no exaggeration, and they interest from their depth of feeling and simplicity. The mind has been at work. If he does not perfectly achieve, he has ideas and sentiment, and does not pin his faith on to the mere technique and mechanics of his art. M. Poggenbeck’s “ Pay sage Hollandais ” represents a land¬ scape with a smooth river running diagonally through the picture through deep green banks on which willows are grow¬ ing, while cows are standing in the still water. The sky is gray, the effect clear and sunny, and there is a good deal of life and feeling for nature. In execution it is far more fin¬ ished than those which have been mentioned. M, Mauve’s u Pay sage avec des Moutons ” represents sheep in a snowy, wide, flat landscape, with a man in the center, who is the only dark spot in the picture. This is rough, but clever. M. Artz sentAwo pictures, u Sur les Dunes” and u Contre Vent.” The latter represents three peasants, a mother and two children, returning home through a gray, dull coun¬ try, and with an overcast sky. It is a little in the manner of Millet, and not without sentiment. M. Boelofs’s three landscapes are all worthy of special note, “Paysage pres Vreeland ,” “Foret en Automne ,” “ Vue pres Abcoude” One of these represents a pool of water with scum on the surface, reedy grass on both sides, and trees beyond, reflecting darkly in the water. It is bold, effective, and full of light. M. Burger’s u Pendant la Guerre” is clever and vigorous. All the able-bodied men of the place have gone to the war, and two young girls and a boy have taken upon themselves the duties of plowing. It is a broad field with a gray sky, through which dark birds are flying zigzag. Among the other landscapes which should be noticed, are “Paysage pres dhme Ville de Hollande” and “En plaine ,” by M. Apol; u Foret” and u Paysage stir les bords de VYssel” by M. Bor- selen 5 “La Matinee dans les Polders de la Hollande” and u TJn temps de Bourrasque” by M. Gabriel, rich in color; u Dans le bois ,” of M. Bock; and “Le Coin de Ferme by M. Kuyper. .NETHERLANDS. Poggenbeck. Mauve. Artz. Roelofs. Burger. Apol. Borselen. Gabriel. Bock. Kuyper. 102 NETHERLANDS. Genre. Haanen. Boks. Dame Konner. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. It will be seen that the painters in the Netherlands have drawn their subjects chiefly from their own country and national life, and not from foreign lands. There wms, in con¬ sequence, a certain character of nationality in their work which was attractive, and in their landscapes especially they showed vigor and originality. Genre. Among the cabinet and genre pictures there were some which were striking. Particularly are to be noticed the ex¬ tremely clever pictures by M. Haanen, u Ouvrieres en Perles a Venise ” and u Meneghina, type Venitien .” The first is a very spirited picture, representing a number of girls and women in a factory-room stringing and sorting the pearls of Venice. They are chiefly young girls, who are seated and ranged along a wall, with an old woman in the center, who is superintending their labors and working herself. The girls are extremely pretty, and their heads and action are very easy, characteristic, and natural. The painting is good, the spirit lively, the color gay without being excessive, the composition and attitudes excellent. One would like to hear what they are talking about, they are so simple and bright and pleasant to look at. There is a remarkable sense of grace and couleur locale in all the figures. There is great humor of character and incident in the u Corpus Delicti ,” of M. Boks. The u corpus delicti v is a soldier’s cap which has been discovered, and the maid has been called on to account for it to the family. The old gen¬ tleman, who is seated, points impressively to the cap, and the maid, who stands before him, shrugs her shoulders and pre¬ tends to know nothing about it. Three other servants are in the room who have been summoned for explanation, and the wife is just about to ring the bell. There is a great deal of spirit in the rendering of this scene. The characters are well portrayed and the touches are humorous without cari¬ cature. u L > Dcole dePeinture ,” by Dame H. Konner, is also spirited and cleverly rendered. It represents an old cat with her four kittens, which are rummaging about in a painter’s studio. The old mother quietly reposes on the top of the frame of a picture, while her kittens are in all sorts of mis¬ chief, one staining;her paws with the paint on the palette, one peeping over a canvas. The character of the animals is very well given. They are painted with great truth to nature, and the humor is quiet and amusing. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 103 u Hiver en FriseJ ’ by M. Bisscliop, lias a good deal that is interesting in subject and is well painted. It represents the interior of a hut of fishermen, where a young lady is having her skates sharpened by another girl. The costumes are pleasing, and the details all carefully rendered, and with taste. M. Metis’s u Sois Sage! ” which is of the same school as M. Israel’s, is worthy of special notice, as are also the two pleasing compositions by M. Ten Kate, u Les Maratideurs ” and u La Boule inattendue ,” and M. Verveer’s two pictures, u Deux Meres , (poissardes de Scheveningue ”) and u La Veuve etsa Consolation .” All of these are of the same school, and all subjects of humble life in the Netherlands. DENMARK. Passing from the Netherlands into Denmark, we find lit¬ tle that is very striking or original. The style is generally that of smooth, flat elaboration. The landscapes are thin and without much character, but a few have a pleasant dis¬ tribution of parts and of lights. Among the best may be noted the u Bevage de Vile Moen ,” by M. 0. A. Koelle, which represents a yellow sand bank with weeds and shrubs sloping diagonally down the picture, and a fresh blue sea rolling in on a pebbly beach, which is pleasing. u Paysage des Landes ,” by M. Y. Groth, is in some respects an effective picture. It represents the Landes in mid-day in summer. The marsh, flecked with spots of light, is well rendered, the water is transparent, and the distance good. The sky, which is poor and map-like, detracts from the value of the picture. M. Kyhn’s u Au Coucher du Soleil v is a winter sunset in Denmark. The sky is lowering and slaty, with a lurid red break on tbc horizon seen across a stretch of overshadowed snow. There is considerable feel¬ ing in this. M. Aagaard’s u Buisseau dans tin Bois de Hetres ” is an exceedingly elaborate river running through green banks in a forest of trees. It is rather weak, but is pleas¬ ant in its distribution of light, and the water is transparent. The historic and religious pictures were tame, and had no special qualities to call for extended examination. Cabinet Pictures. Of cabinet pictures, the most effective was the U lnterieur dVun Forge ,” by M. Kroeyer, which shows strength and talent. It represents figures beating a hot bar of iron, the reflected light all coming from the forge. M. Bosenstand’s NETHERLANDS. Bisscliop. Melis. Ten Kate. Verveer. DENMARK. Koelle. Groth. Kyhn. Aagaard. Cabinet. Kroeyer. Eosenstand. 104 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. DENMARK. Bache. J emdorf. Dalsgaard. NORWAY. Gude. Thulow. Normann. u Italicns jouant a la Morra ” is spirited in action and de¬ sign. M. O. Baclie sent four pictures, u Apr es la Chasse au Sanglierf Sur Knippelsbro ,” u Elans Tuesf u Dans la Cour fflun Moulin a EauP u Sur Knippelsbro ” represents a dray with two horses coming breast forward into the foot plane of the picture. u Dans la Cour d?un Moulin ” is also a picture of horses and figures, and in both these pictures these are well drawn and good in action. The portrait of “M. Mattkison-Hansen,” playing on the organ, by M. Jerndorf, though hard and clean in texture, is drawn and painted with great fidelity, and is evidently a good likeness $ u La jeune Fille qui ecrit une Lettre ,” by M. Dalsgaard, has also a good deal of sentiment and gentle character. NORWAY. The Norwegian department was, with some exceptions, ex¬ clusively composed of landscapes, and these show remark¬ able originality, verve , and strength. They are peculiarly national, not only in their subjects, but in their character and sentiment, and their manner is quite different from that which is elsewhere seen. One of the most remarkable landscapes in the whole Exposition was to be found here. It is the u Pay sage Ecossais ” of M. Gude. It is painted with a masterly freedom and truth. The water gushes, and daz¬ zles, and dances, in the broad sunlit path of light that flashes across it, and in the light fresh breeze the little sail¬ boat seems almost to move along the waves. A transparent shadow envelops a dark ridge of land that thrusts forward in the mid-distance, rich with verdure. The manner in which the water is painted is quite peculiar. Seen very near, it seems composed of accidental spots and dabs of singular color, but at its proper point of sight it is full of motion and life; and here it may be observed that, through¬ out all this section great skill is shown in the rendering of Avater, as, for instance, in the u Plage de Lister ,” by M. Thulow, the u Crepuscule ,” by M. Nielsen, and the u Fjord Korwegien ,” by M. Normann, Avhich is a dead-still oily sea, with no reflections, that just feels the swell, and is glassed over with a misty smoothness. M. Noun ami’s u Minuit a Lofoten ” is also a striking, poetic, and peculiar picture, rep¬ resenting the midnight sun in Nonvay. A tall cliff stands out into the sea, catching the full glow of the light, which is repeated on a sail in the mid-distance. The low purple-blue sea rolls in upon the beach, where lies the wreck of an old hulk. M. Nielsen’s u Crepuscule, Vue de Cote ” is very tran- Nielsen. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 105 quil and pleasing in color and composition. In the gray embayed sea that washes along the curved coast is a large dark sloop rising against the sky, and along the shore stands a cottage, with nets hung out to dry. Men are row¬ ing along a dark boat with furled sails; a ship lies motion¬ less in the offing 5 above is a misty gray sky with breaks of thunderous light. M. Schanche’s U 8ur le Cote ouest de la Norwege ; clair le Lune v is also a very clever landscape, as are also the two u Fay sages? by M. Jacobson, one of which represents a path through woods with tall, dark trunks, with gleams of sunshine seen behind them. u Le Soir d’Automne (interieur d?un Village) ,” by M. Grimeland, has also much merit. It represents a road leading oft* from the foreground straight through the picture and passing under a mid¬ distance arch flanked by houses, over which a cool, trans¬ parent shadow is cast. M. Sinding’s u Perdu! n represents a heavy sea breaking in at the base of a tall, black, iron- rusted cliff*, where the dead body of a sailor is lying. There is a great deal of truth in the movement of the greenish water that wallows in, and altogether the picture shows power. M. Smith-Hald’s u De la, Cote meridionale de la Nor¬ te eg e v is remarkable for its truth and realism. It represents a pier, on which is a house v/ith snow-covered roof, and at the farther end a steamer is pouring forth a column of dark smoke, while a crowd of passengers is landing and coming down the snow-covered road, already trampled in places into mud. Along one side of the pier is ice and snow, adhering to the beams and posts, and encumbering the water. M. Bennetter’s “ Vikings en Mer ,” though a little hard, has a good poetic sentiment. There is also something striking in M. Baade’s u Nuit orageuse stir la Cote de Nomvege ,” and “I?lie de Hestmand (Soleil de Minuit.”) M. Muntke’s u Paysage d?Hiver v represents a snow-covered fishing village 011 the borders of the sea. Nothing could be sadder than the leaden, sombre sky, the wretched huts huddled together, the unpity¬ ing snow, the bleak despair of everything in this striking and pathetic landscape. But to turn to a totally different scene, M. Dahl in his u Trop tard ,” which is a landscape and figures, gives us a bright sunny day and flashing green water, all gay and bril¬ liant. A couple of peasants are in a boat, which has just put off from shore, and are laughing at their companion, who has arrived just too late. There is a good deal of bris in this pictilre, and, though it is crude and voyant in color, it is amusing. The green reflections of the sunny water under the boat, though a little showy, are well given. NORWAY. Schanche. Jacobson. Grimeland. Sinding. Smitli-Hald. Bennetter. Baade. Muntbe. Dahl. 106 NORWAY. Askevold. Arbo. Lerche. Portraits. Kusten. Patterson. Heyerdahl. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1876. M. Askevold’s u En route pour le Chalet ” represents a great barge laden with cattle, which is pushing off from shore, with another barge farther away. This is well drawn, and spirited in movement and composition, and the cattle are excellent. The sky and distance are scarcely up to the mark of the rest. It is of the Diisseldorf school, and, though a little over-accentuated, shows much talent. U E Asgaar dried (Legende Norwegienne )” by M. Arbo, illustrates a Norwegian legend that the Asgaardried (a troop of Norsemen on their way to the dwelling of Ases, in the Walhalla) is composed of the dead who have not done sufficient good on earth to deserve heaven, nor sufficient evil to merit hell, and their punishment is to gallop continually through the air to the end of the world. As long as order reigns they are quiet, but whenever there is war, their laughter and the dashing of their arms is heard overhead. M. Arbo in his picture rep¬ resents a crowd of these wild and visionary horsemen with flashing eyes, that rush through the sky, and he has made a powerful and effective picture. M. Lerche’s u La Befectoire” and u Chronique Scandaleuse v must also be noted for their cleverness. Portraits. Among the portraits may be mentioned that by M. Eusten, which is clever and photographic, and one, by M. Patterson, of a woman with folded arms seated at a table covered with a red cloth, on which there are flowers. This has considera¬ ble originality of treatment and tranquility of character. There is something very peculiar in M. Heyerdahl’s “Adam et Eve chasses du Paradis .” He has not sought for beauty or charm. The figures are on the contrary ugly and grace¬ less, and the types of form and face low, but he has managed to put a certain savage character into their expression and attitudes as of aborigines, and there is something striking and uncommon in the motive which he has sought to work out. They are not our original parents in the perfection of humanity, but rather naked gypsies passionately rebelling against their decree of expulsion. The idea is certainly novel, but it is not without force. There is another 16 Adam and Eve”—not in the catalogue, in the Scandanavian section, and therefore I cannot give the name of the painter—which is wholly from another point of view. M. Heyerdahl’s is gloomy and rebellious; this is sunny and indolent—a fruit- loving Southern couple in a bower. FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 107 SWEDEN. SWEDEN. . There was not much very characteristic in the Swedish section, or of any high achievement. An exception must be made, however, to this statement in favor of the strik¬ ing historical picture by Baron Cederstrom, representing ^Baron ceder- u Le Corps de Charles XII porte par ses Officiers a travers la Frontiere Xorwegienne (1718).” This is a serious work, exhibiting a good deal of character and originality. It is winter; the ground is covered with snow; the sad proces¬ sion winds solemnly down a steep declivity around a pro¬ jecting turn in the cliff that hangs over the way. The sol¬ diers in blue and drab march sternly on in serried ranks, bearing on a litter the exposed body of the dead king. The group forms the right side of the picture, the left is open country, and a peasant, dragging at his side a dead eagle, stands uncovered and watches the procession as it files along. The character of the heads is earnest and strong, and the whole effective. There is nothing common about it in treat¬ ment, composition, or feeling. u Les Saltimbanques; avant la loi Tallon ,” by M. N. Forsberg, Forsberg. is a distressing episode of human life and heartlessness. It represents a master saltimbanque privately exhibiting his pupils and their dexterity to a debauched looking man, apparently an impresario , who is seated and languidly look¬ ing on at the exhibition with a cigar in his mouth. Two or three thin children clothed in the tumbler’s dress are stand¬ ing by, waiting their turn, while one is thrown backwards on his hands and feet with his poor little body strained into a curve. There is a great deal of character and truth in this scene. The figures are well drawn and expressive, and altogether, distressing as it is, it shows power. M. Hagborg’s U L > Attente” represents a woman with un- Hagborg. covered head, a child in her arms, who is standing on a pier which juts out into the sea. It is fresh in color, well drawn, and has a good deal of nature, sentiment, and unconscious¬ ness. The cool breeze blows her hair and garments, and she stands looking out on the sea in expectation. M. Hellqvist’s u Marguerite” is a large picture representing Heiiqvist. the interior of a Swedish house in Avhich Gretchen is seated with her spinning-wheel. Her figure is rather cold and thin in character, but the still life is well given. The can¬ vas is, however, too large for the subject, which has little dramatic interest, and could better be represented in a far smaller size. 108 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. SWEDEN. Mile. Borjesson. Borg et al. Wablberg. Gegerfelt. Among the other noteworthy pictures of genre were u Moines jouant a la Boccia 77 by Mile. A. Borjesson, u I?j$tat d 7 Inno¬ cence” by M. Borg, and u Souvenir de la Bicar die 77 by M. Salmson, u Genre 77 by M. Fagerlin, and the pictures by M. Jernberg. M. Wahlberg sent a number of landscapes, two of which are night scenes. Of these the best are “Mare sous Bois a Smoland 77 and u Mois de Mai, 77 which show a deal of talent. They are bright in effect and picturesque. In the moon¬ light scenes the skies have an extraordinary effect as of colored marbles. There should also be noted, as worthy of praise, the interesting landscapes by M. de Gegerfelt, and skiinberg. M. Skanberg. PORTUGAL. Portugal. Portugal need not detain us a moment. She sent but sev¬ enteen pictures and these were of no peculiar importance. GREECE. GREECE. Itallis. Gyzis. Nikiforos. Pantazis. Altaniura. Mile. Genodios. Greece sent forty-four pictures in oil, among which are to be noted specially the three by M. Ballis, of “Soubrette, sous Louis XIV, arrosant des Fleurs, 77 “Ayres VFnterrement — souvenir de Megare, 77 and “Fsclave jouant de la Guitare, 77 and three by M. Gyzis u Fiangailles en Grece, 77 u Fete d 7 Arabe, 77 “F Art jouant 77 The first of these by M. Gyzis, in jiarticular, has much that is characteristic and pleasing and national. Nikiforos’ u Ganaris 77 is also to be noted, as are some of the works of M. Pericles Pantazis, and two canvases by M. Alta- rnura, u Flncendie de la premiere Fregate Ottomane a Erissos 77 ' and u Un Combat naval, 77 and some portraits by Mile. Geno¬ dios, in aquarelle. Unfortunately neither Xeuxis, Apelles, nor Polygnotos, have contributed anything. UNITED STATES. united states. We have thus far given precedence to the foreign schools “of painting, for such is naturally the rule of politeness to strangers, and we now come to the consideration of our own paintings. We regret to say that, with all the talent here exhibited, there is no nationality of style, purpose, or senti- webavenona-ment. We have no American school, distinguished in its tionality of style. . . . _ Our artists foi- characteristics irom those ot foreign nations. Our artists, lowtoreignmetb- ^nt rare exceptions, have followed in the train of for¬ eign masters, adopted their methods, studied in their studios, and thought after them. We have some from Munich, some from Diisseldorf, some from Paris, some from Borne; and FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 109 one’s'first impression on entering our department was that UXTTRP states. we were in a cosmopolitan society, where many manners and peoples are represented, and where we look in vain for America. Here and there on examination we found a national subject, inspired by the life of our country; but they were few and far between. When I speak of nationality of sub¬ ject and style, I do not mean that the perpetual Indian—the Monsieur Tonson of our art, the Marquis de Carabas of popular ideas—should reappear. We have already been sufficiently bored by him and all connected with him. But Our artistic . . . sense not up to there is nothing m our art which answers to the new life our originality in and thought, the freshness and vigor, the refined speculation, the hearty self-reliance, independence, and originality that is seen and felt in onr country. No matter what the subject is, a nation should be able to stamp on its work the impress of its own originality, to distinguish itself by national char¬ acteristics. It is not, for instance, because the subjects of Emerson’s, Longfellow’s, and Lowell’s poems are drawn from American life that we feel they are truly American poets, or because the works of Alston are illustrations of our own his- Alston an ex- tory, that we recognize him as the greatest painter our ceptlon ‘ country ever produced. It is because, whatever be the sub¬ ject, there is som:thing peculiar in the style, character, and thought that we recognize as born and bred out of that which is eminently American. The refinement, the grace, the sub¬ tlety, the incisive penetration are different from what is seen in the literature of other nations. Is Hawthorne less Haw- Literature. • thorne because he writes “The Romance of Monte Boni,” and wanders through the gardens and amid the ruins of Italy ? Can lie not throw over Rome the same enchantment of mystery and subtlety that envelops the scenes of early Puritan life in New England ? Does it matter whether Long¬ fellow writes of the “Belfry of Bruges” or the “Village Poetry. Blacksmith” at Cambridge? Is he not equally Longfel¬ low? Are not Mr. James and Mr. Howells as much Ameri¬ cans in Paris and Venice as in Boston? Is not Mr. Mark Twain the same humorist abroad that he is at home ? In numor. our literature we have already reached nationality. The peculiar flavor of our life and thought is there exhibited. But in art we are what we were three-quarters of a century ago—essentially imitative; and this is not because we have not originality, talent, even genius, if you will; but we are like pupils that follow the beck of their masters, and dare not trust our own inspirations. Undoubtedly what we want is training of the strictest Need of traia . kind. Every youth that can daub a canvas or scratch to- in =- 110 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. Need of govern¬ mental recogni¬ tion. tjnitkd states, gether a bust is lauded to the skies and told he is a genius. Common people love the common. Uneducated people love the literal and uneducated, and the mass of our people are uneducated in art. To be able to discriminate truly requires knowledge as well as natural feeling. We have the last. We have not the first. The artist is seduced and flattered at first to his injury, and then he is dropped and neglected. But how should there be any great national development in art when the nation does nothing to foster it; when we are wanting in national schools, academies, and galleries; when there are no prizes for high achievement, no honors to bestow, no fit recognition of excellence, no proper means TheartistiOver- of study; when the artist is, to a certain extent, considered of politics. a trifler, outside the great current of serious life, the main course of which sets strongly along the great bed of politics and business, while art is but a side pool of dead water for holiday loungers ? Out of such elements as this where did In the best days of Greece the artist was In the Renaissance he was a In ancient ar t ever flourish ? Greece the artist was in front, in the front of its civilization. And in the Re- . naissance. glory and a power, recognized by the nation, honored by the Embassies were confided Rubens, the am- him. bassador. Our artists ex¬ patriated. world, and courted by the great. Honors were poured upon him. W T hen Kubens was selected out of all the world to be sent to England on his embassy, one of the foreign ambassadors, entering his room, found him engaged at his easel. “Ah!” he exclaimed, “ your excellence, I see, amuses yourself with painting.” u No,” an¬ swered Bubens, “ I amuse myself with diplomacy.” In consequence of the present state of things in America the artist, as I have already said—but it will bear repeating— is forced to expatriate himself in order to find the means of No national gai- study and the development of his powers. We have no leries for study. great national galleries for study. And when he returns to his country he must rely on private patronage in order to live, and on private collections of pictures for study. And what is that patronage ? Is it calculated to foster in him a Our patronage strong national feeling ? Unfortunately, our connoisseurs go of foieign ait. ^ p ar i s f or their pictures, as our ladies go there for their dresses. They pay enormous prices for genre pictures of mere temporary fashion by distinguished names, while their own countrymen in the next street are treated with neglect and indifference. True, there are exceptions to this rule, but To what kind of there are always exceptions to all rules. As for the nation, artists are gov- . ernment commis- when it lias commissions to give, can it be pretended that they are given as they should be; that the ablest of our artists ordinarily obtain them; that a high and educated FINE ARTS: 'COMMISSIONER STORY. Ill judgment, founded on knowledge, is exercised in their dis- united states. tributiou, and that fair play is given to the artist? I glance at these considerations as accounting for the un¬ doubted want of national character seen at our exhibition in Paris. I think I am safe in saying that this absence of A Foreign tone of . American pic- nationality was universally felt by all persons who visited tures. our department, and was commented upon largely. Our painters, for the most part, paint—as they speak,—the lan¬ guages of the countries where they study, some badly, some well, some even very well, but always with a foreign accent. It is unpleasant to say this, but the truth must be told. In landscape, where one would naturally expect to find Landscapes. many characteristic reports of our country, there were Limited Tange scarcely a dozen American scenes; and there were but few of subject8 ' attempts at anything historical, religious, powerful, or of the highest class of subject. The great proportion of the pictures were of genre subjects, with a considerable number of landscapes of foreign countries, and a few portraits. Mr. Dana, to whom a third-class medal was awarded, ex- Dana, hibited three pictures u La Plage de Dinar $,” u Solitude,” and “A Gale of Wind.” All these pictures are strong and em¬ phatic, and executed with vigor and freedom. The gale of wind on the shore with a group of men, horses, and carts, hurrying before a rising storm, is spiritedly rendered and good in color. The u Shore at Dinard,” with men gathering sea-weed, is also clever. But the most important of his pictures is u Solitude,” which is a view of mid-ocean at night, with heavy warring blue billows, and a broken stormy sky through which the struggling moon casts its flash upon the dark and turbulent waters; not a sail or boat or vestige of humanity is there. It is the lonely, desolate, hungry solitude of ocean. There is a great deal of simple strong feeling in this dreary scene, and it is rendered with masterly and poetic sensibility. On the opposite wall hung a striking picture, bj T Mr. Bridgman. Bridgman, representing the u Funeral of a Mummy.” The center of the composition is occupied by a barge on which is carried a catafalque bearing a mummy case, at the side of which are figures of mourners. In the prow of the barge is an altar with priests and musicians, and at the stern a group of women lamenting. The barge is towed by a boat with rowers, and another barge beyond heads the procession. These are seen dark against a clear sunset sky and rocky hills on which the red reflection of the light is 112 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878, united state s, ca st, glowing. This was one of the most serious and impor¬ tant pictures in the American section, and obtained for its author a medal of the second class. It is carefully painted with much study in all its details. The composition is good and the sentiment well felt. Particularly are to be com- Bridgman. mended the clear translucent sky, the sun-tinged hills, and the pure reflections of the water. It is entirely of the school of M. Gerome. Interesting and full of merit as it is one cannot but help wishing that it had more of Mr. Bridg¬ man’s own individuality and less of M. Gerome’s. When Mr. Bridgman shall have emancipated himself completely from the over-influence of his master, there is evidence in this picture that he has ability to achieve even more admi¬ rable results. The only fault that we find in it is that, spirited and clever as it is, it has not yet brokei) free from the tram¬ mels of its school. shiriaw. Mr. W. Shirlaw’s u Sheep Shearing in Bavaria” is a clever picture of the Munich school representing the interior of a barn with men and women shearing sheep. The execution is entirely of the character of the school in which he has studied and has its merits and its deficiencies. The faces are well studied, and there is considerable vigor of touch and brush work, but the composition is confused, and there is a little too much attempt at bravura of style, without the previous study to justify it. Lafarge. Mr. Lafarge’s u Valley of Paradise at Newport” is some¬ what in the style of some of the English landscapes. It represents a long stretch of simple unaccentuated plain reaching out to the distant and dimly seen sea. The grada¬ tions are very delicately rendered, and the w r ork is simple, almost native, and without trickery or pretence of execution. With a lower horizon it would be more effective, for there is scarcely interest enough to sustain the long perspective of grassy plain, but the picture is pleasing and honestly rendered, and has much that is attractive. Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton’s “ Cerise ” as mere technique is eminently clever—one of the cleverest in all this section. It is of the French school of execution, and of the worst French school in sentiment. It is irredeemably vulgar. It represents a cocotte lolling back in her chair, with her legs exposed, laughing with a dreadful leer, showing her teeth and play¬ ing with a green parrot. On the floor at her feet lies a copy of the u Journal pour rire ,” admirably imitated with a half- colored caricature, and champagne bottles. There was noth¬ ing in the whole Exhibition so daringly low and vulgar as this, and which ventured so far in innuendo. It is to be FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 113 hoped that the talent displayed in this picture will be for UKITED STATES - the future devoted to better purpose. Mr. Yedder sent three pictures. “The Ancient Ma- vedder. donna” representing a lady looking at an early Italian panel, which is carefully finished, rich in color, and pleasing. “Young Marsyas” is represented seated on the ground, which is covered with snow, and playing his pipes, while a group of rabbits is gathered round him and listening.* This picture is idyllic in sentiment and agreeably composed, but as yet it is only finished in parts and deserves to be carefully worked out. His third picture, of the “Cumaean Sibyl,” is original in conception and striking in character. The Sibyl, a brown wild figure of a gypsy character, with her hair and garments blown by the wind is seen striding across the campagna clasping her book to her breast. A fire burns behind her, the smoke of w hich streams across the picture, and hills with snow peaks stretch off in the dis¬ tance, flecked with spits of sunshine and rising into the sky, that is strewn with massive clouds. Mr. Bacon’s “Land! Land!” represents a scene on board Bacon, a steamer when land is descried, and the passengers, among whom is a pretty girl, are starting up to catch a glimpse of it. The incidents are well given, and the scene is natural. It is somewhat of the character of subject and execution of the English pictures of the same class. Among the few pictures representing American life and character, were those of Mr. Winslow Homer, which from Winslow Hom ' 0P this very circumstance had an attraction. They were “The Country School House,” “The Visit of the Old Mistress,” “Snapping the Whip,” and “Sunday Morning in Virginia.” The last represents a group of little negroes reading the bible. “Snapping the Whip” is a game of school boys on the green. The other titles explain themselves. These are all small, and though there is a certain amount of char¬ acter, they have much to be desired in execution. Mr. Church’s two pictures, “TheParthenon” and “Morn- Church, ing in the Tropics,” are not good specimens of his talent, and one cannot but regret that he should not have been better represented. Those who remember his striking rep¬ resentations of “Niagara” and of the “Northern Seas” will be disappointed. His “Morning in the Tropics” is luxuri¬ ant but feeble in its idealism, and the “Parthenon” some- * An admirable wood engraving of this picture may be found in “Scribner’s Magazine” for June, 1879, which gives the true quality and feeling of this picture, and is in itself an ample answer to the criticism on it in “L’Art.” 8 P R 114 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. united states. w hat dry and thin. Neither has the vigor that we should Richards. expect from Mr. Church’s brush. Mr. W. T. Richards’s landscapes were “In the Woods,” “The Forest,” and “ Spring.” The first shows talent and is carefully studied, with almost painful care in all its de¬ tails. It has a good deal of merit, but the feeling as well as the execution is a little dry and mechanical. Johnson. Mr. Johnson’s “Corn-Shucking” has something spirited and is fresh in treatment. It is an American scene and rep¬ resents long lines of laborers seated in a field and husking corn. Graham. Mr. Graham’s “View in a Cemetery in California” has a good deal of merit. It is unpretending in character and has good work in it. Weir. Mr. Weir’s “Forging the Shaft” has a good deal of force and character and is cleverly rendered. The “ Scene on the Hudson ” is a very clever study after the French school. Gray shelving rocks topped with large trees, with a blue sky and white clouds, rise over a pool of water at their feet. The composition is good, and there is Jones. spirit in the execution. Mr. Jones’s “ Return of the Cows” is also a careful study from nature of a landscape in Bre¬ Colman. tagne with considerable vigor and truth. Mr. C. G. Colman’s “Ancient and Modern Venice,” representing a black steamer on the lagunes against a dim misty view of Venice, is pleas¬ ing in sentiment and tone, and his “Panel Decorated with Flowers” very graceful in composition and decorative in Bunce. color. The “ Entrance to Venice,” by Mr. Bunce, is in imi¬ tation of the manner of Turner, the color thickly laid on and smoothed over as with a palette knife. It represents fishing boats with colored sails on a still sea against a misty sky, and though a little vague and undecided in touch is Baton. sunny and pleasant in tone. Mr. W. Eaton’s “ Harvesters in Repose” is a reminiscence in style and intention of Jules Breton, and agreeable in composition and sentiment. The field is half reaped, a man and woman are under a haystack, Williams. and the mother is nursing her child. Mr. F. D. Williams’s Ward. u La Marne ” is a French landscape by a clever student in the manner of his master. Mr. E. M. Ward’s “Venetian Ye w ell. Water Carriers” is carefully studied and shows talent. It is a little too much, however, on the same plane and in the same tone, and the absence of shadows weakens its effect. His “Sabotier ” also has merit. Mr. Yewell also sent some * Quartley. careful and picturesque characteristic Oriental scenes, rep¬ resenting the “Mosque of Kait-Bey” and the “Carpet Ba¬ zaar at Cairo,” very faithfully executed. Mr. Quartley’s FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 115 “ Morning Effect in the Port of New York 7 ’ is a vigorous rendering of the actual scene. Mr. Tiffany’s “ Duane Street in New York ” represents a group of old houses, shops, and booths of the previous century, and is a very clever stud}", executed with vigor and feeling. Mr. Wylie’s “ Mort dHun Chef Vendeen ” is of a higher grade of subject, and has strong character and expression, the promise of which unfortunately has been cut off by the recent death of the artist. Mr. Loomis’s u Un Delit de Chasse en 1500” is also clever, but has more happy reminiscences than originality. Mr. Hovenden’s “ Interior in Brittany in 1793” is spirited, well drawn, and carefully painted. It represents an old work¬ man seated on a table, surrounded by his family, and exam¬ ining a sword and glancing down along the edge of the blade to see if it is sharp and even. There is a good deal of character in his head and action. Mr. Kensett’s “ White Mountains ” is not a good specimen of his work, and looked poor and thin on these walls. Mr. Howland’s u Le Gue dans la Vallee v is vague and obliterated, and somewhat of a reminiscence of Corot’s manner. Mr. McEntee’s “Autumn Idyll” and “The Fall of the Leaves” are slight and sketchy, but pleasing, and give the sentiment of this season. “A Cat,” by Mr. # G. B. Butler, is remarkably well painted and true to nature. Mr. Beckwith’s “ Falconer” is bright and good in color, and recalls a similar subject by Couture. “ Hasheesh Smokers,” by Mr. E. Benson, is an Eastern room with great arches and pillars, misty with blue smoke, through which a shaft of light piercing the roof is cast upon the floor, while the hasheesh smokers in picturesque costume are lying about or seated cross-legged in groups. The dim smoky atmosphere and the Oriental costume and dreamy luxury of the scene are well given. Mr. S. Colman’s “ Train of Emi¬ grants crossing a Torrent” is a bit of Western life and scenery which is interesting in subject and characteristic, but a little monotonous in color and hard in execution. Mr. Vinton’s u Fete fflun Paysan Breton' 1 '’ is fresh in color, and though sketchy, is spirited; and Mr. Wilmath’s “Ingrati¬ tude ” is clever. Among other pictures must also be specially noted Mr. S. B. Gifford’s “San Giorgio at Venice;” “My Daily Visitor” and “A Page,” by Mr. Shade, which are clever and careful; u Aux Courses ,” by Mr. E. L. Henry, represent¬ ing a drag before an old gable-roofed country house in England; Mr. B. S. Gifford’s “New England Cedars”; Mr. Inness’s “ St. Peter’s in Borne,” in which the sky is particu¬ larly good; and “The Passing Show,” by Mr. J. B. Brown. UNITED STATES. Tiffany. Wylie. Loomis. Hovenden. Kensett. Howland. McEntee. Butler. Beckwith. Benson. Colman. Vinton. Wilmath S. R. Gifford. Shade. Henry. R. S. Gifford. Inness. Brown. UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. 116 UNITED STATES. Brown. Boit. Portraits. Healy. Porter. May. Vinton. Le Clear. Schonborn. Sargent. Aquarelles. Abbey. Robbins. Tiffany. G-reenough. Richards. This last has a good deal of humor and expression. It rep¬ resents a row of boys looking out of the picture at some¬ thing passing which excites their curiosity and merriment. The action and expression of the different faces is good, but they all seem studies from the same boy, which is to be re¬ gretted. We must not omit also to mention a clever and conscientious landscape of “The Beach at Villiers,” by Mr. Boit. Portraits. There were a dozen portraits, among which are to be noted Mr. Healy’s “Lord Lyons,” which may rank among his best works, a striking portrait of a lady, by Mr. Porter, and Mr. May’s clever head of “General Tevis,” and a vigorous head by Mr. Vinton, a portrait of “Mr. Parke Godwin,” by Mr. T. LeOlear, a portrait by Mr. Shonborn, and a portrait by Mr. Sargent, showing much promise. Aquarelles . Among the water colors and drawings in black and white may be mentioned a very clever aquarelle by Mr. Abbey, of a “ Bureau des Diligences ,” which is gray and subdued in tone, and has a good deal of quaintness and character. The figure of the woman in black, with a large straw bonnet and brown shawl, is admirable. The “Farm-house in New England,” by Mr. H. W. Robbins, is a capital rendering of a homely country house. Mr. Tiffany’s two aquarelles are strong and clever, particularly that of the “ Steps of the Cathedral of St. Melaire on Market-day at Morlaix.” The crayon por¬ trait, by Mr. Greenough, is also to be noted as drawn with care and feeling. The “ Shore at Connecticut,” by Mr. Richards, in aquarelle , is also a clever work. SCULPTURE. FRANCE. sculpture. Having concluded all that I have to say about the paintings, France. the remaining countries having sent nothing which demands ‘ any special consideration, I therefore pass to the consid¬ eration of sculpture; and in this department of the fine arts, the palm is to be given to France. Faint as the reflex is of the great schools of ancient sculpture, there is still a striving here after some at least of their qualities. Their essays are more serious, on the whole, than those of other countries; their subjects less corrupted by the sentiment of genre ; FINE ARTS: COMMISSIONER STORY. 117 there is often careful modeling from nature, and although fk^ce ._ there are no works which are great, there are many re¬ spectable—some, indeed, which are excellent. It must be confessed, however, that there is a want of dignity and careful modei- high purpose almost everywhere visible, as well in France as iS|h purpose.* ° f in Italy and other countries. Attitudinizing, affectation, and excess of action are but too commonly confounded with grace and power, and there is a general absence of that repose which is the great quality of all the best work of Excess 0 f ac- the ancients. On the other hand, there is careful study of W£mt of re ' the model, and often a good deal of finesse of execution. The technique is good, as a rule. It is the higher excellences Good technique. which are lacking. Sculpture in the highest sense is a serious art, and demands simplicity, concentration, and style. It is also a limited art, and abides in strict domains. It disdains the merely pic- t ®° e mamofscul P turesque; it is degraded by the contact of genre . The charms of color, the illusions of life are denied to it. Its province is restricted to form, and its dealings should be with the ideal. No imitations of the common and the actual, however well done, will satisfy its requisitions ; no mere copying of the model will suffice; no mere excellences of execution will com¬ pensate for the*want of ideas. It cannot pass beyond its limits without a loss of character. It must accept its restric¬ tions, and by its dignity, its grace, its simplicity, its power, justify its right to exist. The least touch of affectation or conscious posing, the least corruption of sentiment, debases it. With its feet planted on the real, it must lift its head above the common into the ideal. Far more restricted than More restricted painting in its means, in its demands it is higher, and what is often charming on the canvas would be intolerable in the marble. Its aspect is calm and serious; it is forbidden it to laugh, and almost even to smile. Its spirit is tragical and not comical. It has to do with character, not anecdote. It must bear itself with dignity, or it becomes contemptible. Its sentiment must be pure, its feeling deep, and its bounda¬ ries are power on the one side, grace and beauty on the other. This, at least, is sculpture in its highest sense. In our own day it has been forced to other service, and often to a humble sphere, but always with a loss of character. It Triviality really has nothing to do with the trivial things of common life, and when it enters the field of genre it abdicates its highest office, and must necessarily certainly fall below painting. In the highest class of sculpture there was scarcely an at- Absence of high clo.&s sculpture tempt in the Paris Exposition. There was not one single than painting. and inadmissi- 118 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AT PARIS, 1878. work of a great purpose, or a great subject, not one salient statue embodying a grand idea, and showing the high water mark of its powers. But again there were, especially in the French department, several which are sincere, earnest, clever, and pleasing. The most serious fault to be found with French sculpture Attitudinizing. j s almost invariable attitudinizing, consciousness, and ti