NOTES: CRITICAL 
 & BIOGRAPHICAL 
 
EDWARD 
 DEWITT 
 TAYLO 
 
NOTES: CRITICAL & BIOGRAPHICAL 
 
NOTES: CRITICAL 
 & BIOGRAPHICAL 
 BY R-B-GRUELLE 
 
 TT 
 
 W-TMKALTERS 
 
 JMBOWLES EDITOR 
 
 AND PUBLISHER 
 
Copyright, 1895, by J. M. Bowles 
 
ORDER OF CONTENTS 
 
 Introduction 
 
 Millet i 
 
 Rousseau 7 
 
 Corot ii 
 
 Troyon 17 
 
 Dupre 21 
 
 Diaz 27 
 
 Daubigny 33 
 
 Ziem 37 
 
 II 
 
 Delaroche 41 
 
 Gallait 4 6 
 
 Leys 54 
 
 Vernet 5 8 
 
 Jalabert 59 
 
 III 
 
 Gericault 63 
 
 Delacroix 64 
 
 Scheffer 69 
 
 Isabey 7 1 
 
 IV 
 
 Decamps 75 
 
 Fromentin * 77 
 
 Couture 80 
 
 Gleyre 82 
 
V 
 
 Fortuny 84 
 
 Zama9ois 88 
 
 Madrazo go 
 
 Rico 92 
 
 Villegas 94 
 
 Jiminez 97 
 
 VI 
 
 Bonnat 99 
 
 Gerome 104 
 
 Breton 108 
 
 Meissonier in 
 
 Dagnan-Bouveret 114 
 
 De Neuville 116 
 
 Van Marcke 120 
 
 Schreyer 124 
 
 Cabanel 127 
 
 Hebert 128 
 
 Merle 129 
 
 Brandon 130 
 
 VII 
 
 Frere 132 
 
 Knaus 137 
 
 VIII 
 
 Becker I4 1 
 
 Achenbach 142 
 
 Muller 143 
 
 Pettenkofen 145 
 
 IX 
 
 Turner I4 6 
 
 Alma-Tadema 148 
 
 Riviere 153 
 
 Boughton 155 
 
 Millais I5 6 
 
X 
 
 Works in Oil Miscellaneous 158 
 
 XI 
 
 The Water-color Gallery 171 
 
 Bonvin 188 
 
 Bida 193 
 
 XII 
 
 The Barye Collection 196 
 
 XIII 
 
 The Peachbloom Vase 204 
 
 The Oriental Gallery 206 
 
 Japanese and Chinese Bronzes 209 
 
 XIV 
 
 The Head in Wax 211 
 
 Ivories: "Psyche" and "Phryne" 213 
 
 Miniatures 214 
 
 A Final Glance 216 
 
 Index 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 "The city of Baltimore 
 
 possesses an institution 
 
 of which any city 
 
 might well be proud, * * 
 
 a private collection 
 
 which has been 
 
 gradually unfolding 
 
 during the last half 
 
 century until it has 
 
 reached proportions of 
 
 unrivaled magnitude 
 
 and far-reaching 
 
 influence." 
 
 Martha J. Lamb 
 
 URING a visit to Wash- 
 ington in the spring of 1892 
 I had the extreme pleas- 
 ure of spending a day with 
 Mr. Walters' pictures at 
 Baltimore. The first thing 
 that impressed me on en- 
 tering the gallery was the 
 personality of the collec- 
 tion. Another thing I no- 
 ticed was its wide range, both in regard to sub- 
 ject and style. It was confined to no school or 
 nationality, and while there were scores of the 
 greatest paintings ever brought to our country, 
 there was not a bad picture in the room. You 
 v felt that you were surrounded by the works 
 of the strongest painters, and there was noth- 
 ing in the decoration or arrangement of the gal- 
 lery that in any way interrupted or marred 
 their effect. In taking a hurried glance around 
 the room I was attracted to a portrait, a three- 
 quarter length, of a gentleman. The subject 
 was a business man, short and compact, with 
 strong features and healthy color. This pict- 
 ure was painted with such vigor, force and 
 realism that I was startled for the moment and 
 could not get away from it. I found myself 
 continually returning to it and trying to ana- 
 lyze the man, not the picture, for it seemed to 
 me to be a real living Ego. The man appeared 
 to be related to the pictures about him. They 
 
seemed to fit together. As there was no name 
 on the picture save that of the painter, Leon 
 Bonnat, inquiry revealed the fact that it was a 
 portrait of the proprietor, Mr. Walters. Then 
 I saw afonce the relationship between the por- 
 traitandthepicturessurroundingit. They were 
 brought together as a result of his personal 
 taste, and revealed him as a man of broad hu- 
 man sympathy. In the fall of 1892, at the ear- 
 nest request of Mr. J. M. Bowles, the writer was 
 induced toattempt to describe some of thegreat 
 pictures of the collection for "Modern Art," a 
 publication then about to be placed before con- 
 noisseurs. Entirely inexperienced, it was with 
 fear and trembling I approached the sacred 
 spheres of the works of the greatest masters of 
 the century, lest in some way I should mar or 
 do discredit to their matchless beauty by a 
 feeble attempt to translate into words these 
 pictures, born of feeling. Encouraged by the 
 reception given to the articles in "Modern 
 Art," the present publication was determined 
 on. With this enlarged work in view the writ- 
 er has made many pilgrimages to this Mecca of 
 art, gathering the inspiration fromthe pictures 
 that was necessary to its fulfillment. In the 
 arrangement of these papers I am greatly in- 
 debted to Mr. Bowles, who has carefully edit- 
 ed them and whose personal taste is repre- 
 sented in the artistic form of the book. 
 
 Besides the various articles described in this 
 little volume there still remain worlds of beau- 
 ty unmentioned. This household is from gar- 
 ret to cellar a veritable museum, stored with 
 objects of art. To the artist as well as the pub- 
 lic the educational value of the collection can 
 not be overestimated. It is an honor to our 
 country and stands as a beautiful monument 
 of the true use of wealth. Of him whose life 
 
 INTRO- 
 DUCTION 
 
 "The primary 
 consideration in 
 selection has been that 
 of the beauty of a 
 picture beauty, pure 
 and simple. It is 
 because of this fact that 
 the gallery has gained 
 its great celebrity 
 among the truest 
 critics, one of whom 
 says enthusiastically 
 that it comes near 
 being the realization of 
 a connoisseur's dream, 
 and another the 
 eminent authority upon 
 all art matters, 
 M. Durand Greville to 
 exclaim, 'Too much 
 riches and such 
 incomparable riches.' " 
 Alfred Mathews 
 
TNTRO W0f k * s treasured in this residence, words of 
 nilPTTON P raise are unnecessary. The objects them- 
 selves speak with far more eloquence than 
 could the pen of the most accomplished. It is a 
 grand realization of the dreams of his youth, 
 dreams whose fulfillment then was visible only 
 in the boundless possibilities of the great world 
 that lay before him. Like a gardener on the sil- 
 very side of life, who is found among the plants 
 and flowers which he has nurtured and seen 
 grow into the fullness of nature, so has he for 
 years watched the development of this beau- 
 tiful collection, and with loving care constantly 
 added and weeded out until one would linger 
 long ere displacing a single object. Between 
 him and many of the most illustrious of the 
 artists represented bonds of friendship have 
 existed which greatly endear their works to 
 him. In gathering the data from which these 
 articles have been written nothing could have 
 exceeded the kindness shown the writer by Mr. 
 Walters, whose work exemplified in the for- 
 mation of this collection implies a genius as 
 peculiar and distinct in its way as that of any 
 of the masters whose names appear on these 
 pages. To this work and to him who accom- 
 plished it I humbly dedicate this book, brought 
 as a cluster of wild flowers plucked from the 
 wayside. 
 
 Richard B.Gruelle 
 Indianapolis, July, 1894 
 
BAN FRANQOIS MIL- 
 LET *^ Who can over- 
 estimate the value of the 
 life and work of this seri- 
 ous master? Displaying 
 a strong talent for paint- 
 ing, he received a small 
 pension from the munici- 
 _., pal council of Cherbourg 
 "& which enabled him to go 
 
 to Paris, where he entered the studio of Dela- 
 roche. These early years, like his whole career, 
 were marked by a continuous struggle for ex- 
 istence. It was at this period that he became 
 acquainted with those kindred spirits, Corot, 
 Rousseau, Diaz, Dupre and Barye. The latter 
 was strugglingto teach man the grandeur of the 
 animal kingdom, and make him more sensitive 
 to its value and beauty, while he, Millet, was 
 destined to call out a higher appreciation of the 
 men who delve in the fields. At first he con- 
 formed to the prevailing taste of the times and 
 painted popular subjects, and with some suc- 
 cess, but his heart yearned for deeper and bet- 
 ter things. He turned toward the peasants, 
 drawn by the earnestness of his nature, the 
 memory of his kindred and their humble lives, 
 and the deep impressions received from them 
 since his earliest childhood. The burden of hu- 
 manity seemed to lie heavily upon him. It was 
 as if some unseen power had said/'These are 
 
 i 
 
 "The gay side never 
 shows itself to me. I 
 don't know where it is. 
 I have never seen it. 
 The gayest thing 
 I know is the calm, the 
 silence, which is so 
 sweet both in the forest 
 and in the fields." 
 
 Millet 
 
MILLET 
 
 "My programme is 
 
 Work. 'Thou shall gain 
 
 thy bread in the sweat 
 
 of thy brow' was writ- 
 
 ten centuries ag^.-rJ-Jm- 
 
 mutable destinj \yhich 
 
 none may change!" 
 
 ' 
 
 "The aim of a great 
 
 painter is not to fly 
 
 away toward the moon 
 
 and the stars; it is to 
 
 walk with a firm step 
 
 and a feeling heart 
 
 in the path which he 
 
 choses, always sincere 
 
 toward himself, 
 
 toward men, and toward 
 
 nature. This aim 
 
 Millet had; and it was 
 
 that which made 
 
 him incomparable and 
 
 immortal." 
 
 Theophile Silvestre 
 
 my children, go paint them;"teachingthe world 
 that underneath their coarse and unpolished 
 exteriors there were living souls striving for 
 something better. To the serious, religious na- 
 ture of Millet the path of duty lay plainly be- 
 fore him, and without regard to circumstances 
 o'r external conditions he walked therein. He 
 was a-ptfet whose heart beat in perfect uni- 
 son- with the life about him. He sang the songs 
 of the peasants' joys and sorrows with such 
 earnestness that the heart of humanity has 
 been touched and quickened into a higher ap- 
 preciation of their beauty and worth. In fact, 
 Millet's art has entered largely into the civil- 
 ization of our time, teaching in its silent way 
 the brotherhood of man. The clouds of adver- 
 sity which had hung over him for thirty years 
 were just breakingwhenhefelljtiredand weary 
 with the struggle. He alone of all his compan- 
 ions was destined to go without reaping the re- 
 wards of his life's work. To him, honors, like 
 flowers, were strewn upon his bier. 
 
 Millet was one of the most original painters 
 of the century and unlike any of his predeces- 
 sors. His soul was completely absorbed in his 
 work, notwithstanding the poverty and want 
 that constantly stalked beside him. With the 
 exception of Frere and Breton, no one else has 
 truly painted the peasant, before or since ; save 
 perhaps in those bits of home life painted ear- 
 ly in the century by Chardin and Fortin. Hun- 
 dreds have tried to paint them, but few have 
 gone beyond the picturesque; the outer or ob- 
 jectiveside. Millet,being a peasant, painted the 
 true conditions of the life which he humbly 
 shared. Save in one or two instances, hope is 
 always found associated with his peasants. 
 They are ever concerned in and preparing for 
 the morrow. Whether digging or gleaning they 
 
are never despondent,though their condition is MILLET 
 expressed with pathos. There are three grand 
 examples of hispowers inthemaingalleryhere, 
 beautiful, original and distinct in style, while in 
 the water color room there are several match- 
 less drawings. No - ** 1 
 One of Millet's most poetic pictures is -The 
 
 - _ , - ,, TT * - * ., . . . -MOONLIGHT 
 
 Sheepfold. Here you have silence painted, 
 perhaps as never expressed before. In this lit- 
 tle moonlight is seen a simple flat plain such as 
 Millet has painted in most of his pictures. On 
 the left there is a pen or sheepfold, made of 
 slender poles. At the gate stands the shepherd; 
 beside him his faithful dogs. Moving around 
 and from you, toward the fold, is a herd of sheep 
 huddled closely together, while just above the 
 horizon hangs the moon. Into this little picture 
 there is painted such a great sense of vastness 
 that you lose all thought of dimensions and feel 
 the real depthand breadthof nature. Thewhole 
 scene is pervaded with an air of repose, a still- 
 ness that is filled with mystery, heightened by 
 the manner in which the sheep huddle togeth- 
 er as if some awful sound might break the still- 
 ness. That they sense the feeling of solitude, 
 you can not help but feel. As you look at the 
 sky you are seeing into endless space. The 
 moon is so luminous and surrounded with such 
 a wonderful light that you fall into the prevail- 
 ing sentiment of the picture and are transport- 
 ed to the place, to become a part of the scene. 
 You feel the moon coming forward in full re- 
 lief and then gradually sinking back into the far 
 distance, so softly, so tenderly, so lovingly that 
 you are entranced with its beauty. It is a real- 
 ly luminous light-giving orb, and for the first 
 time in my life I find a moon painted so that 
 you would never mistake it for a wafer. The 
 tone of the picture is of a bluish, silvery, pur- 
 
 3 
 
MILLET 
 
 "It was in the full 
 bloom of that 
 commanding style that 
 Millet came forward 
 with his veritable 
 peasantry, in their 
 energetic attitudes, and 
 with their clothes that 
 little by little had 
 taken the earth color, 
 so completely had man 
 assimilated himself 
 with the soil. 'This 
 lacks poetry,' people 
 said; in other words, 
 this lacked falsehood. 
 There was no arrange- 
 ment for dazzling the 
 eye; in this style 
 everything addressed 
 itself to the thought. 
 It was not on the 
 surface of the canvas 
 that the poetry lay 
 it was the essence of 
 those creations." 
 Albert Wolff 
 
 plish hue. The outlines are very indefinitely, 
 very tenderly, let into the background, yet ev- 
 erything has a firmness and solidity that could 
 not be surpassed. The light from the moon 
 throws long, mysterious shadows across the 
 ground, indescribable in effect. There is al- 
 ways something wonderful in the color of the 
 little touches of shadow that you find in Millet's 
 landscapes a mouldy purple, but a very sub- 
 dued one. This, too, is a picture that speaks to 
 the inner senses as well as to the material sight. 
 Millet was essentially a religious painter. He 
 saw and felt the beauty that existed unappre- 
 ciated in the humble life about him. Many art- 
 ists had painted pictures of peasant life, but no 
 one had attempted to paint them save as boors 
 engaged in drinkingor havinga good time. But 
 to Millet their humble life was full of the grand 
 poetry of humanity. To paint this and compel 
 the world to acknowledge it was his mission. 
 Thathe would sufferwhiledoingthisgreat work 
 he undoubtedly realized, but the inner forces of 
 nature working out the development of man 
 pushed him forward, and without turningtothe 
 right or left he worked with this one great object 
 in view. The struggles and suffering that came 
 to him only unfolded the real, tender, loving 
 spirit within him. While "singing the songs of 
 thelowly"hewasunconsciouslydevelopinghis 
 own nature and gaining for himself a name, an 
 imm ortality that should mark an epoch in the 
 evolution, not only of art, but of all that is good, 
 true and beautiful. In his work breathes the 
 sentiment of the religion of the future, the re- 
 ligion of humanity; live, vigorous and based on 
 the universal brotherhood of man. In this pict- 
 ure you feel the relationship of all things ; in 
 fact, you feel inlall Millet's pictures that he had 
 not simply a passing acquaintance, but a ten- 
 
 4 
 
1N/TTT T P*T* 
 
 der, loving sympathy for all things. Hence, we 
 call his art sympathetic and we love to think of 
 him as "the brother,"because hegavehis lifefor 
 the benefit of those about him. THE POTATO 
 
 "The Potato Harvest" is a very characteris- HARVEST" 
 tic Millet and full of his best inspiration. All 
 the distinguished beauties of his art are found 
 here and it is undoubtedly one of his noblest 
 pictures. The coloring is of a rich, deep, glow- 
 ing kind that appeals to the emotions. A ten- 
 der olive tone runs through the entire picture, 
 and while it is quiet and restful, yet there is 
 a strength of both color and drawing that is 
 powerful in effect. There is a great sense of 
 largeness, a characteristic that is found in all 
 of Millet's work. Every touch on the canvas 
 is the result of careful, serious plodding, as it 
 were, to attain the desired end. He worked 
 and dug until he reached the full realization of 
 his subject. In this picture you feel the vital 
 forces of the man. 
 
 In the immediate foreground a peasant wo- 
 man holds a sack into which a man is emp- 
 tying potatoes. These figures are round and 
 statuesque. They have the movement of liv- 
 ing realities, the real ponderosity of life. Size 
 and vitality are felt at once. The costumes 
 are somber and in harmony with the sentiment 
 of the nature about them, a thing Millet nev- 
 er missed. Just back of the figures are sacks 
 filled with potatoes. They are stacked, ready 
 to be loaded into a picturesque and awkward 
 cart which stands beside them. The left side 
 of the picture is dark and sober in color. A 
 shower is passing by and the dark purple gray 
 of the rain as it falls from the clouds is mar- 
 velously realistic. There is a truth about the 
 painting of this shower that has rarely been 
 attained by any one. You can see the passing 
 
 5 
 
MILLET of the clouds, and the effect of movement in 
 the falling rain is remarkable. You almost 
 hear it roar as it pelts upon the ground, and feel 
 the balmy breeze blowing across the plain. 
 The right distance is flooded with rich golden 
 sunlight which, seen through the pelting rain, is 
 glorious in its glowing. The horizon stretches 
 out into infinitude, a horizon in which you feel 
 the roundness of the earth. Its wondrous beau- 
 ty creates an indescribable feeling of longing, 
 the sensation felt when looking at such a sky 
 in nature. Against this wonderful horizon a 
 group of peasants is dimly seen. They are 
 back a short distance from the group in the 
 foreground and are digging potatoes; near them 
 is a woman picking them up. The intentness 
 with which they do their work, the seriousness 
 of the entire picture, show the devotedness with 
 which this master painted the conditions of 
 peasant life, just as he found them. 
 
 What glorious colors ! They come from the 
 twilight of the soul, those sympathetic, uni- 
 versal chords that emanated from Millet's har- 
 monious nature. It is a coloring that is found 
 in no other artist's work and that goes deeply 
 into one's sympathies and there abides. You 
 can never get away from the tones Millet in- 
 troduced into his paintings. They are vital ; 
 they were born of a deep, sensitive soul that 
 had but one thought, the realization of the 
 work he had set out to accomplish. 
 
 Now let us look at another wonderful ex- 
 ample of his art, the -Breaking Flax." This 
 woman with her back turned toward you is 
 stooping over a strange looking device with 
 which flax is broken. She is dressed in light 
 blue homespun and as she bends, the drapery, 
 striking the salient points of her figure, lends 
 itself to the lines of her form and reveals its 
 6 
 
beauty, a robust beauty that belongs to rustic 
 life. It has a charm like that of a flower of the 
 field compared to the cultured ones of the hot- 
 house, and is none the less beautiful because 
 of its humbleness. The elements of this little 
 painting are so simple, so quiet, that many pass 
 it by, failing to at once see its charm; in doing 
 so they lose one of the delights of the collec- 
 tion. There is something so wonderful about 
 it. In the first place, the realization of form in 
 this picture is as fine as Millet, or any other 
 painter, ever executed. It is genuine, solid flesh 
 and bone that is in its way worthy of Michael 
 Angelo. There is the same intentness on what 
 is being done that you always find in Millet's 
 peasants. They need no explanation; they 
 speak for themselves. The background is dark, 
 transparent and olive in tone. There are no 
 bright colors nor anything on which the eye 
 can satisfy the decorative sense. But instead 
 there is a subtle beauty that is so wonderful 
 that you can always come to it and linger. This 
 is great art. It touches the soul and^at the same 
 time gratifies the artistic sense. On these 
 qualities this picture rests its claim. It is a 
 beautiful example of the power of a man who 
 possessed deep feeling and the capacity for 
 expressing himself beautifully and in perfect 
 harmony with nature. 
 
 IHEODORE ROUS- 
 ISEA U *% No artist ever 
 delveddeeperintothepro- 
 found mysteries of nature 
 than Rousseau. There 
 was something deeply se- 
 rious and sensitive in his 
 isoul which made him a fit 
 instrument for the render- 
 ing of those grand melan- 
 7 
 
 MILLET 
 
 "Do you know that they 
 are terrible, Millet and 
 Rousseau? They are 
 like rocks; their ideas 
 are immovable. They 
 are just like two fakirs, 
 and nothing can make 
 them modify one 
 of their opinions." 
 Thore 
 
ROUSSEAU 
 
 "One can see that 
 nature spoke very di- 
 rectly to you, and that 
 you saw with your 
 own eyes. It is yours 
 and not some other's." 
 From a letter to 
 Rousseau from Millet 
 
 No. 103 
 
 "LE GIVRE 
 WINTER SOLITUDE' 
 
 choly harmonies of her more dramatic side. 
 The struggles through which he passed turned 
 his sympathies toward the solitude of nature. 
 Here alone he found solace. The subjective 
 beauty and character of deep shadowy land- 
 scapes studded with trees never had a more 
 serious interpreter. The gathering gloom of 
 evening, the velvety shadows of massive oaks, 
 the glorious coloring of sunset, all found in him 
 a master who was not content with a passing 
 glance but entered deeply into the spirit of it 
 all. But he was combated by the artists of his 
 day, save the few kindred souls who dared to 
 express that which they felt. Two especially 
 true ones were Dupre and Millet. Dupre 
 forced the dealers to a recognition of Rous- 
 seau's merits, and Rousseau, when fortune 
 smiled just a little, turned to poor Millet and 
 out of his scanty means bought some of his 
 pictures, pretending they were for an Ameri- 
 can collector. In the forest of Fontainebleau, 
 whose primitive grandeur has never been dis- 
 turbed by the ravages of modern civilization, 
 Rousseau drew his inspiration from the eter- 
 nal source of beauty. At times, while under the 
 influence of some powerful mood, he reached 
 a climax in his work, a dramatic expression 
 that is unparalleled in art. Strange as it may 
 seem, his native countryfailed to recognize his 
 greatness untilother nations had paid himtrib- 
 ute. By the power of his genius he finally tri- 
 umphed, but the neglect he had suffered left 
 its sting, and at last, broken in spirit, the great 
 soul took its flight. 
 
 This collection is rich in his works, as it con- 
 tainsthe grandest product of his genius, "Win- 
 ter Solitude," a landscape that stands alone, 
 unsurpassed in any age or epoch of art. What 
 a strange picture! with its weird color some- 
 8 
 
thing so different from anything you ever saw 
 before. It has a curious effect on you. You 
 think of Liszt's arrangement of the "Erl King;" 
 such a strange, greenish -whitish gray, such in- 
 describable coloring. 
 
 A simple plain, slightly undulating toward 
 the front of the picture. There are patches of 
 half melted snow, with here and there some 
 tufts of grass and weeds, and earth and rocks 
 creeping out. The sky is heavy with leaden 
 gray clouds stretching away into space. Near 
 the horizon a shaft of sunlight tears its way 
 through the cloudsandlights their ragged edges 
 with gold and red. This bit of light is so real 
 that you can almost see it changing from gold 
 to vermilion. You feel that if you wait a mo- 
 ment it will change to crimson and then grad- 
 ually fade away until only the faintest traces 
 of color can beseen; as awave of melodypasses 
 farther and farther away until the sound dies 
 into perfect stillness. This light does not touch 
 any part of the landscape, but the whole earth 
 is shrouded with a strong greenish tone of such 
 indescribable color that you can not think of 
 anything with which to compare it, unless it is 
 the dull greenish phosphorescent light of the 
 glow-worm. It is a picture that you feel you 
 can not coolly analyze. Its existence is the re- 
 sult of a mood, an influence that the artist was 
 trying to rid himself of. He had made a prom- 
 ise, to another artist, that disturbed him. Feel- 
 ing that he must get away from its influence, 
 he took a canvas and painted this wonderful 
 picture in just eight days. That he saw what 
 he painted no one will doubt. That those gray 
 clouds did cover the sky and that the light did 
 break through with its bright hopeful color, is 
 true, yet you feel that he put into the picture 
 those emotions that were constantly pressing 
 
 9 
 
 ROUSSEAU 
 
 "This admirable picture 
 was but another sad 
 trial in Rousseau's 
 life. No one desired 
 this pathetic drama. It 
 required twenty years 
 to make it understood." 
 Alfred Sensier 
 
ROUSSEAU 
 
 No. 93 
 
 "EARLY SUMMER 
 AFTERNOON" 
 
 "The grand aspect of 
 
 landscape and its 
 
 tenderness are equally 
 
 familiar to him. He 
 
 renders with the same 
 
 mastery the smile of 
 
 creation and its terrors." 
 
 Wolff 
 
 his inmost nature and demanding an expres- 
 sion. Under these conditions he painted one 
 of the saddest yet one of the most beautiful 
 picturesthat ever came from the geniusof man, 
 and thus the vital forces of Rousseau's great 
 nature made an imprint on canvas that will 
 live as long as man is sensitive to beauty and 
 the human heart can feel. 
 
 An entirely different phase of Rousseau's art 
 is shown in the "Early Summer Afternoon." 
 It is nature, beautiful and supreme. A feeling 
 of calmness steals over you as you gaze on it, 
 and there is a sense of silence that you feel is 
 only broken by the twittering of birds or the 
 droning of insects. It is a joyous, cheerful 
 picture, full of hope and promise. Here is 
 painted the real velvety texture of trees in 
 luxuriant foliage, a foliage full of rich, juicy 
 sap and so luminous as it receives the warm 
 summer sun bath that it seems to refract both 
 color and heat. A shower has just passed; ev- 
 erything is bathed in a warm light. You scent 
 the spicy verdure, you almost feel the deep cool 
 shadows and hear the varied sounds that ex- 
 press the gladness of nature. All seem to join 
 in one grand chorus that finds an echo in the 
 colors with which nature is clothed. The up- 
 per sky is of a soft tender gray which merges 
 into beautiful pure blue. The lower part is lu- 
 minous with a light through which cumulous 
 clouds drift. On the right is a grove of mag- 
 nificent oaks; their broad, friendly branches, 
 reachingout, are freighted withmassesof green 
 foliage. These oaks are studied with a truth 
 that is refreshing in these days when a smudge 
 of green and a splash of violet pass for trees. 
 They are real living monarchs of the forest that 
 have withstood the storms of centuries. To 
 Rousseau's serious nature all life had apurpose, 
 10 
 

 a meaning. Nature was something to look up 
 to and he was responsible for the report he gave 
 of her. On a point of land extending out into 
 the river a glimpse is caught of the red roof of 
 a cottage imbedded in a dark mass of foliage. 
 There is so much beauty in the mysterious, 
 shadowy, uncertain way in which it is painted 
 that it sets the imagination to work. You would 
 like to know more of the place. From a land- 
 ing near the cottage a man is seen in a boat, 
 pushing out into the stream. The water which 
 makes up the larger part of the picture extends 
 into the foreground and is wonderfully paint- 
 ed. It lies like a mirror, reflecting trees, sky 
 and all charmingly. This is one of Rousseau's 
 best pictures, painted in a joyous mood,yet pos- 
 sessing all the serious qualities that distin- 
 guish his art. It is distinct, and very different 
 from the "Winter Solitude," which was the re- 
 sult of asublime inspiration, grand and terrible 
 in its expression, while the "Summer After- 
 noon" is the direct opposite. It is calm, peace- 
 ful; filled with repose and contentment. 
 
 BAN BAPTISTE CA- 
 MILLE COROT^JC^C 
 One of the most beautiful 
 characters among the 
 revolutionists of iSsowas 
 Corot, a man of marvel- 
 ous gifts. Thoroughly 
 saturated with a love for 
 art, he abandoned the 
 mercantile business, for 
 which he was unfitted, and entered the studio 
 of Victor Bertin, a painter of classic landscapes 
 wherein nature was carefully revised to suit 
 the requirements of so-called true art. But en- 
 dowed with a positive and original genius, with 
 an intense love of nature and a sensitiveness 
 
 ii 
 
 ROUSSEAU 
 
 "He emancipated the 
 landscape painters 
 as Moses liberated the 
 Hebrews. * * The young 
 landscapists forced 
 an entrance to the Salon, 
 and it was Theodore 
 Rousseau who broke 
 down the door. He led 
 them into a land of 
 promise, where the trees 
 had leaves, where 
 the rivers were liquid, 
 where the men and 
 animals were not 
 of wood." 
 
 Edmond About 
 
COROT 
 
 'I dream my pictures; 
 
 later, I shall paint 
 
 my dreams." 
 
 Corot 
 
 "To surprise nature, to 
 
 express it on the wing 
 
 amid the eternal 
 
 movement of things, and 
 
 to that end confine 
 
 himself to leading traits; 
 
 to insist on these and 
 
 sacrifice the rest 
 
 this is Corot." 
 
 Rousseau 
 
 to her more delicate beauty, Corot was not the 
 kind of man out of whom Bertin could con- 
 struct a painter. Returning from a trip to Italy, 
 he found the great artistic revolution well on. 
 Joining forces with the band of artists clus- 
 tered around Barbizon, Corot went directly to 
 the fields, giving up his enthusiastic nature en- 
 tirely to her wondrous charms and reveling in 
 her joyousness. Thus he began to develop the 
 art that was to be the delight of future gener- 
 ations. One by one nature unfolded to him 
 beauties that through his interpretation have 
 given humanity these poems of life, light, and 
 joyousness. Without regard for external cir- 
 cumstances or conditions, with never failing 
 enthusiasm, earnestness andenergy,he worked 
 always with the same careful self-examination, 
 striving to reach his ideal. Happy and joyous 
 in childhood, old age found him singing the 
 same gladsome songs. In his heart there was 
 no dross, no envy nor guile; only the purest 
 gold was there. Life to him was but a devel- 
 opment. All nature was grand, and revealed 
 to him her most poetic side. To surprise her 
 and catch her tender vibrating harmonies, to 
 express them with a spirit jubilant with glad- 
 ness, was his supreme gift. Like the dawning 
 of the glorious mornings which he loved to 
 paint was the coming of his art, a revelation 
 of light and airiness. Serene, calm and joyous, 
 he painted the beauty about him with deep de- 
 votion to nature, to whom he was thoroughly 
 attuned. It is said of him that his art was a 
 window open to nature. The essence of it was 
 to express hergladness. As joyous as the songs 
 of birds, as light and airy as the gossamer, with 
 all the beauty that is found amid fields and 
 flowers, his pictures came on the art world like 
 a ray of sunshine falling in some dark, dingy 
 
 12 
 
place from whence all light had been carefully 
 excluded. After years of struggle, always min- 
 gled on his part with songs and joyousness, 
 Paris awoke to the knowledge of his greatness. 
 The reaction was the extreme opposite to the 
 neglect of years. Fortune smiled on him almost 
 too freely. With loving hands this great gen- 
 erous soul dealt out to his less fortunate broth- 
 ers in art the gold for which he cared little. 
 Offended by the neglect of this great genius, 
 his companions had awarded him a medal, giv- 
 ing him the name of "Father" Corot. He in 
 return, from the fullness of his heart, called 
 them "his children." His love was broad and 
 universal, as his pictures show; they but reflect 
 the beauty of his own nature. M. Wolff said 
 of him, "His grand passion outside of art was 
 music. On Sunday he could always be seen at 
 the popular concerts thoughtful, softened 
 touched sometimes to tears when they played 
 an adagio of Mozart, his favorite master, the 
 brother soul of the grand artist, who was him- 
 self the Mozart of painting." At the announce- 
 ment of his death, Dupre exclaimed, "It will 
 be hard to fill the place of the painter; it will 
 be impossible to fill the place of the man." 
 
 In this collection is "The Martyrdom of St. 
 Sebastian, "one of Corot's most celebrated pict- 
 ures. It is painted on a large canvas, upright 
 in shape. To the right is a group of large trees 
 full of rich, dark, somber greens, much darker 
 than this painter usually affects. Underneath 
 and between the trunks of the trees you get a 
 glimpse of banks of earth of a rich, brownish 
 color. On the left are three or four tall and 
 slender trees; so delicately painted, so tenderly 
 touched with that tremulous, quivering move- 
 ment that only Corot could get. Their slender 
 branches reach up and across the top of the 
 
 13 
 
 COROT 
 
 No. 13 
 
 "THE MARTYRDOM 
 OF ST. SEBASTIAN" 
 
"Water, which he 
 
 loves next to light, 
 
 glimmers and sparkles 
 
 under its rays. Shadows 
 
 and reflections are alive 
 
 with it. The densest 
 
 vegetation opens before 
 
 it. Every-where light 
 
 penetrates without a 
 
 reminder of either 
 
 brush or pigment. Corot 
 
 is the painter of air." 
 
 Jarves 
 
 COROT^ canvas, forming an arch with the tope of the 
 trees on the other side. Nothing could be more 
 beautiful than this group of trees and their del- 
 icate treatment, coming up so gently against 
 the sky. Between the two groups of trees is a 
 patch of warm, tender, creamy light. The fore- 
 ground is bathed in deep, mysterious shadows, 
 wonderful in their depth and richness of color. 
 Lying on the ground, in the center of the pic- 
 ture, is the form of St. Sebastian, with two 
 women stooping over him and drawing the 
 arrows from his wounds. Just over them and 
 near the top of the picture are two angels de- 
 scending, bearing in their hands a wreath and 
 a crown. These are the elements of this great 
 picture. 
 
 Why any one like Corot should want to in- 
 troduce this tragedy into the beautiful picture 
 is a mystery to me, but as a landscape it is one 
 of the masterpieces of modern art. The whole 
 feeling of the canvas is so somber and grand 
 in sentiment that you are completely carried 
 away. There is something in it so deep, so 
 beautiful, that you never think of St. Sebastian 
 and his suffering, but feel rather the grandeur 
 and reality of a wonderful vision of nature in 
 one of her finest moods. The painting of the 
 two angels surpasses anything of the kind I 
 have ever seen. You feel that they are really 
 denizens of the air. The somber tones of the 
 picture, dull green, brown, purple brown, sil- 
 very gray, are pitched in a key that takes hold 
 of you and lingers always in the memory. You 
 can not forget, because it becomes a part of 
 you. That is one of the qualities of good pict- 
 ures like this; though you never see them again 
 they still cling to you. They come into your na- 
 ture and lift you up. And thus the artist be- 
 comes a factor in the civilization of his time. 
 
 14 
 
"The Fisherman's Cottage" is a little picture 
 which contains all the gladness of Corot's 
 art. It is painted in his lightest and most po- 
 etic manner and possesses all those qualities 
 which make his art supreme in its way. It is 
 dream-like, full of delicate refinement, rich yet 
 chaste in color. Filled with the tenderest of 
 sentiment, fairly shimmering in brightness of 
 light,it is charming in its simplicityand beauty. 
 On the left of the canvas are some trees whose 
 leaves and slender branches quiver against the 
 sky. They are beautifully painted, with that 
 wonderful tremulous movement which was a 
 distinct characteristic of Corot. In the far dis- 
 tance you catch a glimpse of the sea, calm and 
 blue in color. Crowning a little rise of ground 
 is a fisherman's cottage whose white wall is in 
 sunlight, giving an accented touch that con- 
 trasts beautifully against the blue of the sea. 
 Near it the masts of a small boat rise up against 
 the horizon. Extending down to the fore- 
 ground is a flat plain with slight patches of 
 weeds and sand. House, masts and beach, 
 are all bathed in a dazzling sunlight that almost 
 dances and quivers as you gaze at it. The en- 
 tire picture is pitched in a high key and has 
 the essence of Corot's best art expressed in his 
 most poetic manner. Silvery in color, delicate- 
 ly painted, dreamy but happy in sentiment, 
 it is one of the most delightful of his pictures. 
 The sky is charmingly painted, wonderful in 
 its light and rendered with all the marvelous 
 atmosphere that was his delight. 
 
 "The Evening Star" is a picture of rare 
 beauty. A clear sky full of bright, glowing, 
 pale yellowish color shades down to a horizon 
 full of mystery which merges into the low hills 
 that form the distance. Against this is a group 
 of trees and houses of great depth of color; 
 
 15 
 
 COROT 
 
 No. 159 
 
 "THE FISHERMAN'S 
 COTTAGE" 
 
 No. 26 
 
 'THE EVENING 
 STAR" 
 
COROT 
 
 "Alfred de Musset, in 
 
 the Revue des Deux 
 
 Mondes, noticed (?) to 
 
 this extent 'Corot, 
 
 whose "Campagna de 
 
 Rome" finds admirers.' 
 
 That was all, but 
 
 Corot, to whom, at the 
 
 age of forty, this was 
 
 the first very small 
 
 taste of success, was 
 
 elated and grateful that 
 
 his name should even 
 
 have been written by so 
 
 great a poet, and 
 
 painted a picture at 
 
 once on the subject of 
 
 De Mussel's stanzas to 
 
 the 'Evening Star.' " 
 
 From Mollett's 
 
 "Corot, Daubigny and 
 
 Dupre" 
 
 No. 56 
 
 'VERY EARLY 
 SPRING" 
 
 sharply cut and strongly defined. In the cen- 
 ter of the picture is a stream. Along its bank 
 a shepherd drives home his flock, and in the 
 near foreground weeds and grasses grow along 
 the water's edge. A snag of a dead tree, dark 
 and sharp against the sky, leans across toward 
 the right. Against this tree a woman is seen 
 with upturned face and arms. High up in the 
 luminous, glowing sky is a single star which is 
 reflected in the water. In this picture the sen- 
 timent of evening is beautifully expressed in 
 colors rich and clear. There is a sense of still- 
 ness that is a triumph in itself; you can almost 
 hear yourself thinking as you penetrate its 
 depth. In the first glance at this canvas, one 
 is liable to view it carelessly, so accustomed 
 are we to the more poetic or generalized treat- 
 ment of nature that is the essence of Corot's 
 art. The handling of the picture shows that 
 Corot could and did paint with precision and 
 sharpness when nature appealed to him in 
 that way. The quick incisive touch with 
 which it is painted strikes you as being a little 
 hard as compared with his usual manner, but 
 you return, and it weaves a web about you 
 whose spell can never be broken. When you 
 come under the influence of the twilight hour, 
 when a death-like mystery seems to hover over 
 the entire world, then will the memory of this 
 picture arise and you will see this dead and 
 leafless tree leaning against the sky, and the 
 form of the woman with upturned face and 
 outstretched hands, as if imploring the Gods. 
 "Very Early Spring," the season when the 
 buds are just bursting, the time when every- 
 thing takes on a wonderful, delicate sentiment, 
 Corot has rendered here with all the refine- 
 ment that was characteristic of his nature. On 
 the left of the picture a picturesque row of wil- 
 16 
 
lows, whose tops have been cut out, stretch 
 away into the perspective. On the right is a 
 long line of slender poplars whose forms are 
 in graceful contrast to the bunchy, ragged 
 sproutings of the willows. The delicate ten- 
 der coloring of early spring is charmingly felt 
 in both. Between the rows of trees a pathway 
 extends into the distance. Coming down it are 
 a man and a woman with a child. The limbs 
 of the trees fall daintily across the upper part 
 of the picture, crossing the sky with their 
 delicate leafage in the most beautiful manner. 
 The atmosphere, always one of Corot's strong 
 points, is here rendered with especial charm. 
 So masterly is his skill that it seems as though 
 one might walk around and amongskevery one 
 of the trees. Tenderness and refinement are 
 the qualities of this little picture, with the sense 
 of joy and promise of the coming season beau- 
 tifully and poetically expressed. It is a charm- 
 ing example of Corot's art. 
 
 CONSTANT TROYON 
 i There is something in the 
 (very name of Constant 
 iTroyon that is suggestive 
 iof gentleness and refine- 
 'ment. It is doubtful if any 
 [one ever painted cattle 
 ;with a more tender love 
 than he. There is a calm 
 [repose, a peacefulness, a 
 certain largeness that is the height of truth. 
 Troyon was a poet, and gave a poetical inter- 
 pretation of them; not poetry of a vague uncer- 
 tain kind, but solid throughout. There is some- 
 thing about his cattle which appeals to all 
 classes; they are indeed of the field. Like Diaz 
 and Dupre, he started his career as a porce- 
 lain painter,following it until the age of twenty- 
 
 17 
 
 COROT 
 
 "Like all true artists, 
 Corot assimilates all he 
 sees to his inward 
 dream, and the varied 
 aspects of nature 
 uniformly appear 
 to him under the same 
 poetic vision." 
 
 Ren Menard 
 
TROYON 
 
 "Fancy the astonish- 
 - ment at the sight of 
 Troyon's animals, 
 with their large life, and 
 their broad brush-work 
 in deep, pure colors, 
 studied with a discrim- 
 inating sympathy for 
 every race and species, 
 and moving through 
 landscapes of a 
 master's creation. 
 These were not the 
 fashionable stuffed 
 beasts, but living, mov- 
 ing herds, stretching 
 themselves luxuriously 
 in the sun, breathing 
 the breezes cool 
 with morning, or hud- 
 dling close together 
 at the approach of 
 the storm." 
 Wolff 
 
 No. 58 
 "CATTLE DRINKING' 
 
 seven, when he began his struggle as an artist. 
 He worked incessantly from nature, devoting 
 his time to painting landscape. He would work 
 at his landscapes until his scanty means were 
 exhausted, then repair to some pottery, and 
 labor there until his accumulation would en- 
 able him to go to nature again. This period of 
 his life was full of struggles and disappoint- 
 ments. A visit to Holland at this time gave 
 him new inspiration, and he began the serious 
 study of cattle as he found them in field and 
 meadow. This was the turning point in Tro- 
 yon's life, one that gave the world one of the 
 greatest painters in this field that has ever 
 lived. Howbeautifullyand with what awkward 
 gracefulness are his cows painted, as they 
 graze amid sunny fields or lazily stand in water 
 while quenching their thirst, or as they amble 
 homeward at evening-time. There never was 
 a truer interpretation of the poetry, the pas- 
 toral beauty and the motion of this picturesque 
 animal. Like the peasants of Millet, his cows 
 fit their surroundings. They belong to the 
 landscape in a way that preserves the true 
 harmony and relationship of nature. Although 
 he was finally rewarded with success, Troyon 
 was very much embittered by the early strug- 
 gle and neglect which saddened his youth. 
 Late in life, with the memories of this period 
 pressing on him, he conceived a plan whereby 
 a medal bearing his name should be awarded 
 in competition to the most successful young 
 animal painter in the Paris schools, a reward 
 assuring the winner the advantages of unin- 
 terrupted study for a period of years. 
 
 The coloring of Troyon is as beautiful as his 
 
 drawing and composition, refined and of a 
 
 high order. They merge into each other with 
 
 poetic feeling. There are two beautiful paint- 
 
 18 
 
ings by him in this collection, one, the "Cat- TROYON 
 tie Drinking," being one of the One Hundred 
 Masterpieces of French art, selected and ex- 
 hibited in Paris in 1883, an exhibit unparal- 
 leled in the annals of art. It is a wonderful 
 little canvas, so full of life, so tender in its color, 
 so simply painted; with such love, with so 
 much sympathy, with such a hopeful spirit 
 that you would linger with it always and never 
 tire. Here you have a picture that sings. It 
 is a dream of amber light, a light that pervades 
 everything; even the deepest shadows are yet 
 a part of the light. There are no strong con- 
 trasts, no violent juxtapositions of color, but 
 rather a tender merging of one tone into an- 
 other like a wonderfully executed chromatic 
 scale played on the 'cello. One can not help 
 a feeling of love for the man who could paint 
 such a picture. That he must have been a beau- 
 tiful spirit, the picture proves; it is evident 
 that he had the deepest reverence for nature, 
 and you feel that he knew and loved the tender 
 relations of the elements of the nature about 
 him. Like the great soul that he must have 
 been, he went to mother nature as a little child; 
 breathing in her inspirations, he placed upon 
 his canvas the tenderest emanations that could 
 come from any one. 
 
 The composition is very simple. The pict- 
 ure is upright. Rising from toward you and 
 flowing to the right is a little stream. Back of 
 the foreground stands a group of trees, among 
 which the stream is lost. To the left is a bit of 
 plain running off into the distance. You are 
 looking away from the light, which throws a . 
 golden amber tone over everything. The very 
 air seems to be filled with a perfect web of 
 gossamer which the sun catches and turns in- 
 to gleams of gold, sending out vibration after 
 
TROYON 
 
 No. 37 
 'REPOSE' 
 
 vibration of strange dreamy light. Standing in 
 the water, drinking, is a group of cows lighted 
 with this wonderful glow and painted with 
 the same simplicity that characterizes the 
 whole picture. Peace, repose, light and love 
 are breathed into every touch on this little can- 
 vas. Let us lay this triumph of human genius 
 away carefully in memory's store-house and 
 when the sky becomes leaden and gloom hangs 
 like a pall over everything,then let us go within 
 ourselves and bring out this little dream of 
 hope and beauty. When that which seems 
 dark and gloomy shall have passed away and 
 the golden light of this little picture steals into 
 our nature, then shall we bless the name of 
 Constant Troyon. 
 
 The elements of the picture named "Repose" 
 are so simple and quiet that you are charmed 
 by its restful sentiment. There is no striving 
 after effect, but a calm and serene spirit is 
 breathed throughout. The picture as a whole 
 is dignified and poetical, and possesses the 
 largeness of nature to a marked degree. You 
 seem to be looking into real space. The same 
 simplicity is found in the coloring. A warm 
 greenish blue tone, charming in effect, runs 
 through the entire canvas. It is a calm sunny 
 summer day, when all nature seems indolent. 
 You feel its spell as you gaze at the picture; 
 you can almost hear the droning of the bees 
 as they busily ply their trade of culling sweets. 
 The sky, calm and serene, with scarcely a 
 cloud to mar its ethereal blue, is beautiful in 
 the extreme. An undulating plain stretches 
 out into the far-away distance, until lost in the 
 tender atmosphere hovering there, and the 
 whole scene is bathed in a glow of summer 
 sunlight. To the left is a body of water whose 
 surface lies calm and unbroken. Near the 
 20 
 
edge a number of cows are seen lying on the 
 ground, a white cow standing being the prin- 
 cipal interest of the nearest group. The paint- 
 ing of these cows is so simple, so refined, that 
 the group is a vision of beauty. Every touch, 
 every color, every line bespeaks the sentiment 
 of the picture expressed in the title, "Repose." 
 It is a dignified and noble composition, yet as 
 simple as could be imagined. It was bought 
 from the artist before fame had crowned him, 
 and some doubted the wisdom of the purchase, 
 but the prophecy thus made as to the artist's 
 worth, by the appreciation of the simple beau- 
 ties of this work, has proven the wisdom of its 
 owner. Many decades will come and go ere 
 another shall appear who can paint the "low- 
 ing kine " as did the poet-painter called Con- 
 stant Troyon. 
 
 ULES DUPRE^^C 
 Jules Dupre was the first 
 to attack the traditions of 
 the past in landscape 
 painting, which at the 
 time of his coming was 
 reduced to so low an ebb 
 that it was scarcely rec- 
 ognized as an art. Those 
 whoessayedtopaintsuch 
 subjects simply produced grotesque imitations 
 of Poussin. The artist, shut within the four 
 walls of his studio, knew nothing of the great 
 throbbing, sympathetic world of nature. At 
 this time came Dupre without the traditions 
 or dogmas of any school clinging to him. Of 
 his youth M. Wolff says, "It was in the con- 
 templation of nature, in his desolation amidst 
 her influences, that the mind of the lad was 
 opened to her beauty and that her mysteries 
 were sounded. Thus was the nature of Dupre 
 
 21 
 
 TROYON 
 
 He had a more 
 poetic mind than 
 any other artist of the 
 same class, and the 
 poetry of the fields has 
 never been more 
 feelingly interpreted 
 than by him." 
 
 Hamerton 
 
DUPRE 
 
 "The young generation, 
 who did not see the 
 splendid putting 
 forth of art which 
 followed the revolution 
 of July, is astonished 
 before the pictures 
 of Jules >upre; by this 
 boldness, this zeal, 
 and this brilliancy. 
 We are not accustomed 
 to these superb ex- 
 tremes, to this excess 
 of strength, to this 
 overflowing of power, to 
 these full-faced 
 struggles with nature." 
 Theophile Gautier 
 
 developed and fitted for the mission of his life, 
 the turning of the beautiful art of landscape 
 painting from the vain affectation of his time to 
 the soulful contemplation of nature. With him 
 came this new thought, that it would be a good 
 thing to produce a picture entirely in the pres- 
 ence of nature, in order that he might catch the 
 stamp of feeling and sincerity." M.Wolff again 
 says, "The day when he hit upon this profes- 
 sion of faith, Jules Dupre indicated the road to 
 follow; he was the pathfinder of modern land- 
 scape art." Thus thoroughly trained in the 
 great school of nature, with an emotional soul 
 which was like an ^Eolian harp, sensitive to 
 all the vibrations that come from a contempla- 
 tion of her, he was indeed fitted to lead in the 
 great revolution in art, whose triumph should 
 be the glory of France and whose light should 
 never dim as the ages roll by. With his face 
 ever turned to nature, with a communion that 
 led him deeply into her mysteries, Jules Dupre 
 fought and conquered all difficulties that clog- 
 ged his path, never ceasing in his work save to 
 help those great menwhojoined forces with him 
 in placing the art of painting on a higher and 
 more human plane than it had ever occupied 
 before. We find him compelling the dealers to 
 recognize Rousseau, and we see him peddling 
 among the amateurs whom he knew the pict- 
 ures of the despised Millet, thus helping this 
 great painter in his struggles. He was also the 
 discoverer and protector of Troyon. Thus Du- 
 pre worked. He developed not only his own 
 grand powers, but those of the men about him. 
 His art is strong, independent and original. 
 No man ever painted who was hampered less 
 by his materials. The emotions of his soul in 
 the presence of nature dictated the way and all 
 difficulties succumbed to its powers. The first 
 
 22 
 
to lead in the revolution of 1830, and followed 
 by a perfect galaxy of genius, he lived to see 
 each lay aside the implements of his art. Corot, 
 who lovingly had called him "the Beethoven 
 of landscape," passed away, tracing with his 
 fingers upon the wall "the most beautiful land- 
 scapes he had ever seen." Daubigny had gone 
 out declaring he was going to see if Corot had 
 found any new subjects to paint up there. Thus 
 one by one these great men triumphed and 
 went to their reward, Dupre alone remaining. 
 Surrounded by many of their beautiful works, 
 he loved to tell the story of their struggles, 
 their sorrows, and their love for one another. 
 As he started, so Dupre left painting, with the 
 same devotion for nature, the basis of his art 
 and his sole inspiration. Late in his career he 
 became enamored of the sea, and with an ardor 
 that characterized his whole life he painted the 
 vast expanse of waters with an originality and 
 power that places his name high among the 
 interpreters of her grandeur. The great emo- 
 tional nature he possessed seemed to blend 
 with the moods of the tireless ocean and to give 
 him a strength that is grand and serious in its 
 expression. 
 
 "The Old Oak" is a small canvas, yet full of 
 the grandeur and the largeness of nature. In 
 it Dupre has presented her in an exalted mood. 
 The sky is one of the most remarkable ever 
 painted. Here is the pure ethereal blue with all 
 its richness, depth and beauty. Across this 
 wonderful sky are bits of clouds, touched by a 
 pale golden light that clings as though it would 
 linger always. The approaching autumn, the 
 lateness of the hour, the massing of the shad- 
 ows, make a composition that gave full sway 
 to the marvelous powers of the artist as a color- 
 ist. In the mid-distance are the trees, coming 
 
 23 
 
 DUPRE 
 
 "Jules Dupre became, 
 almost from his debut, 
 one of the favorites 
 in public opinion; his 
 farms, his cottages, his 
 old oaks on the borders 
 of pools with cows 
 ruminating about, his 
 plentiful pastures 
 where horses run with 
 flowing manes, his mills 
 which profile their 
 silhouettes on a stormy 
 sky, have a simple 
 and truthful side which 
 captivates all the 
 world." 
 
 Rene Menard 
 
 No. 102 
 'THE OLD OAK 1 
 
DUPRE 
 
 "The day when Dupre 
 
 should open his 
 
 studio without a thrill 
 
 and leave it without 
 
 discouragement he 
 
 would consider that he 
 
 had arrived at the end 
 
 of what he could do 
 
 and he would be right." 
 
 Wolff 
 
 against the sky in somber purple, russet and 
 russet green, and in whose shadowy masses 
 you see but dimly a peasant cottage. The col- 
 oring of the foreground is strong and rich in its 
 purity. Brown, russet, yellow, violet, deep 
 blues, with dark and luscious greens make up 
 an harmonious whole that baffles description. 
 A small pool of water from which some cows 
 are drinking, and a bit of clay bank on which 
 the light falls, are turned into burnished gold. 
 Starting up from the center of the picture, 
 and leaning slightly to one side, is an old oak. 
 Spreading out its friendly branches, it stands 
 a silent sentinel of the past. Dupre's wonderful 
 charm of color is perhaps displayed in this pict- 
 ure as completely as in anything of his in ex- 
 istence. The mystery of shadow, the wonder- 
 ful lingering light, the indistinctness yet great 
 power and force with which everything is 
 painted make it a picture from which great 
 inspiration may be drawn. 
 
 A number of artists met together were com- 
 paring the merits of Rousseau and Dupr6. It 
 was agreed that each should be asked to paint a 
 picture and they would then decide who pos- 
 sessed the greatest power. This picture was 
 the result. Dupre won the honor. From him 
 dates everything that finally ripened into the 
 greatest school of landscape painters of modern 
 times yes, any time the Barbizon school. 
 Linked together by a golden thread, these men 
 were like bees that fly from thistle to rose, 
 gathering the pollen, then distributing it from 
 one to the other, bringing them all into closer 
 relationship. Likewise this brotherhood of 
 painters, sensitive to all the varied moods of 
 nature, touches the human heart and brings 
 lessons from the fields, "making the world 
 more akin." 
 24 
 
"At Sea" is charming in its simplicity. A 
 strangely beautiful light is found in this pict- 
 ure that is of itself a pleasure. A cool greenish, 
 amber tone pervades everything; the light is 
 diffused, and there is nothing that suggests the 
 artificial. The clouds are piled up in dome-like 
 form on top of one another. Their formation 
 and character are painted with a power rarely 
 equaled. They are lighted with the glow of a 
 dreamy, lazy summer day. At the top of the 
 canvas you get a glimpse of ethereal blue. The 
 line of water forming the distance is bathed in 
 a deep, transparent, shadowy color of a dark 
 blue-greenish, inky hue wonderful in its depths 
 and effect. This tone shades out into the lighter 
 tints of the foreground by perfect gradations, 
 wherein the artist has reveled in coloring that 
 is indescribably beautiful. Greenish, whitish, 
 yeasty hues, warm and semi-transparent, vie 
 with each other for supremacy. In the center 
 of the foreground a small boat in full sail is 
 painted in rich brownish tones. In fact the 
 tone of the entire picture is fine, and the light 
 is painted with great power. In this, as in all 
 of Dupre's canvases, there is a certain strength 
 that came from a strong will power which en- 
 abled him to work with perfect confidence, 
 and yet with a sympathy that is rare and beau- 
 tiful. You feel the balmy breezes as they chase 
 one another across the mighty deep; you sense 
 the fragrance of the waters as they roll and toss 
 in their sportive glee, hopping, skipping, tum- 
 bling, laughing, moaning, sobbing, in never 
 ceasing motion. The technique of the picture 
 is wonderful. The skill displayed by the artist 
 places this canvas among the first of modern 
 paintings. 
 
 In "Sunset on the Coast" Dupre has left us 
 the grandeur of a gorgeous sunset whose sky 
 
 25 
 
 DUPRE 
 
 No. 69 
 "AT SEA" 
 
 No. 135 
 
 "SUNSET 
 
 ON THE COAST' 
 
DUPRE coloring is repeated with wondrous charm in 
 the tints of the water. A simple bit of sea-shore, 
 a small boat on the right of the canvas coming 
 against the distance with fine effect the set- 
 ting sun, seen half buried in clouds, revels 
 and melts in a lusciousness of color. Torn, 
 ragged clouds hang in the upper sky, their 
 edges lighted by the glow of the dying sun. 
 Purple, gold, greenish gray, mingle every- 
 where. You are looking out over the vast 
 ocean. You see the sun slowly sinking. You 
 are transported to the spot and feel the senti- 
 ment of evening and the greatness of nature. 
 It is indeed filled with the glory of a departing 
 day whose colors mingle in a beautiful har- 
 mony. 
 
 NO. 121 A Bright Day" is the smallest of the Dupres 
 
 DAY in the collection, yet not the least important, 
 for in this small frame is painted all the large- 
 ness of the outdoor landscape. It is indeed a 
 beautiful transcript of nature in a quiet, pas- 
 sive mood. Against a pure gray sky, broken by 
 lighter tints, luminous and silvery, is a won- 
 derful group of trees. Beautifully painted, they 
 come up against the sky with almost sharp- 
 ness, yet they round out and take form in a 
 manner that speaks of the skill of the painter. 
 The texture of the foliage, the drawing of the 
 trunks and limbs, are as graceful and free 
 as nature; and the outlines of the masses of 
 leaves as they meet the sky have rarely been 
 equaled, being firm, yet tenderly drawn. This 
 foliage is delightful, being of a rich somber col- 
 oring, wherein warm olive tones prevail. The 
 landscape is of the same quiet character. 
 "While gray in tone, it is yet rich and full of 
 light. Touches of more positive color are in a 
 group of cows grazing on the'plain. The paint- 
 ing of this little gem is simple,honest,and beau- 
 26 
 
tifully studied. It is a quiet, modest little pict- 
 ure, with all the beauty of a bright yet gray day. 
 
 |ARCISSE DIAZ^^K 
 Intherealmsof color Diaz 
 Iranks as one of the first. 
 'Herein lies his greatest 
 strength. Few ever lived 
 *who could lay rich, deep, 
 sober colors with a more 
 charming relationship 
 than he. They are analo- 
 gous to the mellow tones 
 of the pipe organ. He was of a peculiar tempera- 
 ment which at once entered into the spirit of na- 
 ture. He was sympathetic in the extreme and a 
 friend indeed, many times turning the house 
 of his faithful Millet from an abode of almost 
 hopeless despair into a place of tearful smiles. 
 The approaching sound of his peg leg was to 
 them a harbinger of better conditions. Diaz 
 could shed tears with his friends but through 
 them there always gleamed a ray of hope. This 
 sympathy is felt in hisbeautiful coloring, which 
 is of the most affectionate kind. When quite 
 an old man Diaz visited the house of M.Wolff. 
 Attracted to a small panel on the wall, he stood 
 in front of it. He seemed deeply interested and 
 was seen to wipe tears from his eyes. Turning 
 to M. Wolff he asked, "Would you be good 
 enough to sell me this picture? It belongs to a 
 part of my youth." "I can not sell it to you," 
 was the reply,"but since you value it, allow me 
 to offer it to you." Diaz took the little gem from 
 the wall and with a face radiant with joy car- 
 ried it away without loss of time. The subject 
 was his wife and child. The baby lay in a 
 cradle and the mother, while rocking it, had 
 fallen asleep. The artist was struck with the 
 beauty of the incident, and painted it while 
 
 27 
 
 DUPRE 
 
 "When October comes, 
 go to the heights of 
 the valley of the Salle, 
 or in the thickets 
 of Bas-Breau; wander 
 in the midst of this 
 superb and lusty vegeta- 
 tion, under the trees, 
 species of immense 
 bouquets glittering with 
 a thousand colors, 
 where play all shades, 
 the dark green, the 
 brown, the golden 
 yellow, the bright scar- 
 let; and, seeing this 
 magnificent twinkling 
 of autumn tints, 
 you will surprise your- 
 self by saying, 'Behold 
 Diaz!' " 
 
 Roger Ballu 
 
DIAZ they slumbered. The picture hung over the 
 artist's bed for years and was greatly treas- 
 ured, but one day, when the clouds were more 
 than heavy, a dealer came. Seeing the little 
 picture, he at once desired to possess it and 
 named a sum. Diaz wished to keep it and of- 
 fered anything he possessed for a like amount. 
 Nothing but this picture would answer. The 
 rent was due the following day and there was 
 nothing with which to meet it. Diaz gave him 
 a receipt for his money, but the man never real- 
 ized that he was carrying away with him a 
 piece of the artist's heart. In comparison with 
 his contemporaries Diaz does not strike you 
 with as much force as some of the others, who 
 were more positive in their assertions, but in 
 his pictures you always find a quiet charm 
 which appeals with such tenderness that their 
 beauty seems to blend with your own nature 
 and more than compensates for their lack of 
 strength of handling. 
 
 NO. 97 There are many pictures by Diaz in this col- 
 
 THE STORM" lection,both landscape and figure. The largest, 
 "The Storm," is a wonderful rendition of one 
 of nature's most sullen moods. Dark gray 
 clouds, twisting and tumbling in myriads of 
 fantastic forms, envelop the sky. Gloom settles 
 over everything like a pall. The upper sky is 
 light, and over it bits of wild dark clouds fly. 
 Along the horizon is a line of light that is won- 
 derfully true in value, keeping back in the far 
 distance and of that strange w^eird color thatis a 
 peculiarity of a storm swept sky. The distance 
 is somber, vague and indistinct, and of a sub- 
 dued purplish, blue-gray tone, grading off into 
 the warmer colors of the mid-distance, which 
 become more positive under the half light. 
 Near the front of the picture a ray of sunlight 
 falls gently on the ground, giving it a warm, 
 28 
 
ochre, yellow-green hue; the edges, melting 
 into the shadow tints by tender gradations, 
 merge into the deep somber color of the fore- 
 ground. A peasant passing over the plains is 
 bent by the velocity of the winds. Farther back 
 slender young trees reach out from among 
 some rocks that break up the surface of the 
 plain, while here and there small pools of 
 water, catching bits of reflected color from the 
 sky, give beautiful accented notes to the fore- 
 ground. Underneath and through this great 
 picture there is a warm brownish-red tone, and 
 in it gray, russet, green, olive, purplish-brown 
 are thrown togetherwith charming sympathy, 
 making up a medley of color that is delightful. 
 It is a realization of one of Nature's most sub- 
 blime moods and while you do not find the con- 
 fidence of Dupre or Rousseau, you see the 
 same deep feeling that you find in Millet. 
 
 Diaz loved the grand old forest of Fontaine- 
 bleau. This love was so intense that he peo- 
 pled it with imaginary beings, and in her 
 haunts he found his grandest inspirations. 
 His "Forest of Fontainebleau Autumn," is 
 a wonderful piece of coloring, rich, glowing 
 and transparent. It is like a bouquet of freshly 
 garnered autumn flowers. Nothing could sur- 
 pass the luxuriousness of the tones that are 
 here thrown together in the most abandoned 
 manner. It is in the golden autumn time, when 
 the vegetation is robed in the glory of the 
 changing season. In the left foreground stands 
 a grand old tree, its trunk patched with vari- 
 ous colored mosses and lichens, brown, green, 
 silvery gray and pinkish white. This tree is 
 studied with the carefulness of a portrait; the 
 character, the wonderful rendering of the limbs 
 are marvelous. A large branch has been broken 
 off the top and lies on the ground. The foliage 
 
 29 
 
 DIAZ 
 
 No. 105 
 
 "FOREST OF 
 
 FONTAINEBLEAU 
 
 AUTUMN" 
 
 "He renders the 
 enchantments of the 
 landscape flooded with 
 sunshine or the 
 forest plunged in 
 luminous twilight, with 
 beams filtering through 
 the thick leafage; he 
 dazzles the eye 
 with all the seductions 
 of a grand colorist." 
 
 Wolff 
 
DIAZ 
 
 "His career was a long 
 
 dream, in which he 
 
 perceived an imaginary 
 
 world beside the 
 
 actualities of earthly 
 
 landscapes; it was 
 
 something like a fairy 
 
 spectacle, streaming 
 
 with silks, velvet and 
 
 gold. Under the groves 
 
 he called forth pages 
 
 holding greyhounds in 
 
 leash. Sometimes 
 
 under his magic pencil 
 
 these improvisations 
 
 took a more lofty flight 
 
 toward grand art, as 
 
 in his famous 'Diana,' 
 
 who seems to have 
 
 escaped from the works 
 
 of the old masters." 
 
 Wolff 
 
 No. 117 
 'EFFECT OF 
 AUTUMN" 
 
 is of deep yellow, and a ray from the sun, which 
 is low in the horizon, turns the top of the 
 tree into russet gold. At its foot lies a crystal- 
 like pool imbedded in a beautiful matting of 
 ferns, grasses and weeds, whose color would 
 baffle the most deft hands of Oriental art. Bits 
 of rock jut out and give additional variety to 
 the foreground. Back of the pool you get a 
 glimpse of the forest, filled with mysterious 
 shadows whose depths you fain would fathom. 
 A second ray of light penetrates into these 
 parts,lingering beautifully on trunk and bough. 
 In the rich, deep-toned sky the clouds are of a 
 purple-gray color, save where the light strik- 
 ing them turns them into golden tones. In the 
 center of the sky a patch of deep clear blue is 
 seen, while down near the horizon a cumulous 
 cloud drifts lazily, lighted by the full rays of 
 the sun. 
 
 The coloring of the picture is marvelous. It 
 is a harmony of yellow-brown, russet, purple, 
 brown, olive and citron-green; their expression 
 deep, rich and glowing. It has all of Diaz's 
 wizard-like magic of color, and the spirit of the 
 grand old forest is caught 'with great skill. 
 
 The "Effect of Autumn" is, a charming ex- 
 ample of landscape painting, with a supreme 
 sense of beauty and refinement in it. Nature 
 is robed in her mellow garb of chaste yellow 
 tones. A warm gray sky, full of glowing light 
 and atmosphere, hangs over the scene. Against 
 this some graceful young trees are relieved. 
 They are painted with exquisite beauty and 
 character,their coloring being in warm yellow- 
 ish olives. Underneath these trees cattle are 
 seen grazing. In the foreground pools of water 
 lie, calm and beautiful, repeating the colors 
 of the sky. Around them are patches of tall 
 grasses and weeds, varied in color, while rocks 
 30 
 
are scattered here and there, all joined into a 
 beautiful harmony. Back and toward the left 
 mid-distance a peasant woman is seen carry- 
 ing a bundle on her back. A flat plain extends 
 beyond and meets the horizon. A tender re- 
 fined appreciation of beauty beams from every 
 touch. 
 
 The little canvas, "The Assumption," is one 
 of the most charming of the subject ever paint- 
 ed. And while it is a theme that has been 
 treated by the great religious painters of vari- 
 ous epochs, under the patronage of the church 
 which enabled them to develop their highest 
 ideals of sacred art, yet the greatest of them, 
 had he painted this little picture, would have 
 added to his fame. It would be difficult to find 
 anything possessing more refined beauty of 
 color than this picture. 
 
 The canvas is small, and upright in shape, 
 the figure of the Virgin occupying the greater 
 part of it. Her face is beautiful and full of spirit- 
 uality, as upturned it seems to realize the Di- 
 vine mission she is to fulfill. Soft brown hair 
 falls back from her forehead and floats in 
 waves. Her dress, whose lines are remarka- 
 bly graceful, is of a beautiful blue color. Her 
 form, slender and spiritual, seems to float on 
 the air. Twined around her waist and float- 
 ing away gracefully is a bit of rose-red dra- 
 pery; about her neck is some soft filmy stuff 
 which mingles with the red and blue. Her 
 arms are stretched out and downward, which 
 suggests the idea that she is speaking ; an im- 
 pression which the slightly parted lips seem to 
 confirm. Just above her left shoulder, and 
 partly concealed by the clouds, are two beau- 
 tiful cherubs. To the right of the Virgin is an- 
 other cherub whose hands are clasped in devo- 
 tion, and below her are two wonderful little 
 
 DIAZ 
 
 No. 133 
 'THE ASSUMPTION" 
 
 "Diaz appeared at an 
 epoch when some 
 radiant stars shone in 
 the artistic sky; their 
 radiance diminished not 
 his brightness. He 
 knew how to make 
 himself a place apart, 
 and that place he will 
 keep with posterity." 
 
 Roger Ballu 
 
DIAZ figures, their forms and flesh as tender as the 
 petals of a freshly blown rose. Just above these, 
 and almost concealed in the shadows of the 
 drapery which falls from the Virgin, you see 
 a child. Looking out from the surrounding 
 shadows it suggests the Divine Child whose 
 face was to beam from the darkness of a man- 
 ger. 
 
 The entire picture is beautiful and tenderly 
 poetical. It has all the gracefulness that the 
 subject would suggest. If the name of Raphael 
 or Murillo were signed to it, it would be among 
 the sacred treasures of religious art. Aside 
 from the subject, to any one sensitive to beauty 
 this little picture needs no name. It is signed 
 by the touch of genius. 
 
 NO. 54 The student of art will find in "Cupid Dis- 
 
 armed" a remarkable piece of flesh painting, 
 warm, tender and luminous. There is aglow 
 in the light that it would be difficult to surpass. 
 It merges into bluish half tones by beautiful 
 gradations, and then into the depth of shadow 
 like a chromatic chord played with delicate 
 touch on some stringed instrument in which 
 one tone melts into another. You feel that this 
 is real flesh, the shadows of which are rich, 
 deep and transparent ; even in their depths the 
 form is finely rendered. The canvas is up- 
 right in shape. On it is painted the almost nude 
 figure of a woman of large proportions, blonde 
 in type and of pleasing face. Her hair is of 
 that golden bronze hue which has found favor 
 among all the great colorists. She stands facing 
 you, leaning lightly on her right elbow. In 
 her left hand she holds an arrow teasingly 
 above her head. The pose is easy, and the 
 weight of the body is thrown to one side, ren- 
 dering the lines graceful and undulating. The 
 arrangement of light on the figure forms a 
 32 
 
mass that is worthy of that master of breadth, 
 Correggio. Nothing could be more beautiful 
 than the effect of this light as it falls on the 
 tender flesh. 
 
 On the woman's right stands Young Love 
 reaching on tiptoes for his arrow, pleading 
 vainly for the instrument of both joy and sor- 
 row. His form is beautifully rounded, and is 
 charming in its proportions, especially so in 
 the back and hips. The background is dark, 
 warm, rich and shadowy. As a painting this 
 will hold its own beside the best figure pictures 
 of modern art, and it possesses many qualities 
 that belong to the best work of the old masters. 
 
 [RARLES FRANQOIS 
 
 DIAZ 
 
 No painter of modern 
 times went to nature with 
 more trusting, loving ten- 
 derness than Daubigny. 
 Heabsorbed the beauty of 
 all her many moods, and, 
 with a devotion that was 
 never surpassed, gave his 
 life to the placing upon canvas the lessons 
 learned from her. He did not try to make her 
 conform to a preconceived idea of what art 
 should be, but painted the beautiful impression 
 that the subject gave him. There is always the 
 freshness of nature in his pictures, and there 
 never was a painter whose devotion to her was 
 of a more religious fervor. She was a vast store- 
 house from whence he drew inspiration. He 
 lived with her,gave himself up to her influence, 
 and to paint her was the single purpose of his . 
 life. It mattered not to him what the subject 
 might be, he treated everything with the same 
 sense of devotion and reverence. On his little 
 raft, floating up and down the streams of his 
 
 33 
 
 "Queen of the Fays, 
 Destiny often reserves 
 her richest surprises for 
 the artist; but her 
 last endowment, and 
 the best of them all, is 
 in conferring on the 
 painter the power of 
 keeping to the close the 
 illusions of his youth. 
 Charles Francois 
 Daubigny was one of 
 these fairies' nurse- 
 lings. At the age of 
 sixty years he was 
 as young in spirit as 
 when he dipped into the 
 simplest elements 
 of his art." 
 
 Wolff 
 
DAUBIGNY 
 
 "Arrived at maturity of 
 
 age, admired by all 
 
 * the artists, solicited by 
 
 collectors, overrun 
 
 by dealers, this 
 
 exquisite artist remained 
 
 pure and simple." 
 
 Albert Wolff 
 
 No. 51 
 "TWILIGHT" 
 
 native country, Charles Fra^ois Daubigny 
 lived and filled a world of his own. Blessed 
 and loved by the great men about him, he pur- 
 sued his happy calling, contented with the in- 
 spiration of the familiar scenes, and grasping 
 their individuality in a way that was never 
 done before. The grandeur of the storm, the 
 slanting light of a late afternoon, the warm 
 tender glow of a noonday sun, were all his; but 
 the crowning glory of his art was in his render- 
 ing of the quiet, passive hour of twilight. Into 
 this hour he painted a beautiful hope; for, as 
 you look into the twilight sky of Daubigny,you 
 feel that these gathering shadows only precede 
 the coming of a more glorious day. The going 
 out of this child of nature was like one of his 
 own beautiful pictures, when, after a long life 
 devoted to art, his twilight came. M.Wolff 
 said: "Death seemed to the great artist the 
 great liberation; he died with a smile in the 
 hope of a new life where, among his famous 
 friends, he could finally realize the dream of 
 his ambition and paint the pictures that never 
 should be sold." 
 
 Of all the hours of the day twilight appeals 
 with the most loving sentiment. It is a time 
 which brings us nearer to our better selves and 
 in closer relationship with the subtle influen- 
 ces that are about us. It fills us with the deep- 
 est emotions, and causes the divine harmonies 
 that are within us all to go out and become a 
 part of the great universal harmony that goes 
 on and on into infinitude. When the feeling 
 of the hour is truly painted, it brings up those 
 sentiments, and such a picture becomes atreas- 
 ure. The canvas, "Twilight," possesses these 
 qualities and is one of the best Daubignys in 
 the country. It is a gem of subjective beauty, 
 full of soft, tender, subdued color that appeals 
 
 34 
 
at once to the sympathies. The upper sky is 
 a warm yellow gray, increasing in richness as 
 it approaches the horizon, where it becomes 
 a murky yellowish mass, the mingling, strug- 
 gling light of the fast fading day. Against this 
 glowing luminous horizon, wherein a touch of 
 cloud charms the eye, the distant objects are 
 painted in a vague, misty, uncertain way that 
 is very fine in effect. High up in the sky on 
 the left, a crescent moon is seen, reflected gem- 
 like in the water below. Everything is so filled 
 with mystery that an attempt to describe this 
 picture literally would destroy its charm. All 
 the trees on the left, the calm water is painted 
 with a tenderness that shows a genuine affec- 
 tion for the hour. It is a canvas full of beau- 
 tiful harmonies analogous to the harmonies of 
 music; it appeals to onelike some melodyborne 
 on balmy breezes across the waters, falling on 
 the ear in tremulous waves and bringing a calm 
 passive peace into the soul. 
 
 "The Coming Storm" is beautiful in every 
 respect. The time is early spring, when the 
 tender green is always delightful. Gathering 
 clouds, through which you catch glimpses of 
 blue sky, hang in the upper part of the can- 
 vas. Soft, creamy, whitish clouds drift along 
 the horizon. Away in the distance, far beyond 
 the plain, are low hills bathed in dark bluish 
 shadows which merge into the tender half- 
 light of the mid-distance. Across this plain, 
 which extends to the front of the picture, cloud- 
 shadows chase each other playfully. Some of 
 them fall across the foreground, giving a sob- 
 erness to the grass coloring, broken by tufts 
 of dry hay that lie here and there. To the right 
 is a broad expanse of leaden gray water, near 
 whose edge are shocks of hay where two peas- 
 ants are seen working. There is a charm of 
 
 35 
 
 DAUBIGNY 
 
 "Daubigny transports 
 me without jolting each 
 time that I stop 
 before one of his 
 pictures. How will- 
 ingly would we sojourn 
 in that one, beside 
 that fresh water, where 
 the cows take their 
 evening bath ! Night 
 falls, the thrushes 
 send forth their last 
 cry. The nightingale 
 begins to sing. * * * " 
 Edmond About 
 
 No. 153 
 
 'THE COMING 
 STORM" 
 
DAUBIGNY 
 
 No. 137 
 
 "SUNSET ON THE 
 COAST OF FRANCE" 
 
 "With the dawn of day 
 he would disappear, 
 embarking in his 
 boat, and letting him- 
 self float away at the 
 will of the stream; when 
 he met a new site, 
 when nature showed 
 him an unexpected 
 aspect, the boat was 
 anchored in the middle 
 of the rivulet, and 
 in a few hours the 
 landscape painter had 
 seized, as it were, 
 on the wing, the im- 
 pression of the scene." 
 Albert Wolff 
 
 color about this canvas that is delightful in its 
 freshness and purity. It is a fine performance, 
 true to nature, and full of the soft, balmy air 
 that precedes a coming storm. Before it, you 
 are filled with the great out-door feeling which 
 comes to one in the presence of Daubigny's 
 work. 
 
 " Sunset on the Coast of France" is a picture 
 full of wondrous beauty. Here is one of those 
 glorious evening skies that Daubigny loved to 
 paint. The sun has dropped belowthe horizon; 
 the sky is completely submerged in rich, glow- 
 ing light, whose color, atmosphere and feel- 
 ing reach a supreme expression. A peaceful 
 calm pervades everything. Reaching out 
 against this sky is the ocean in all its sublim- 
 ity ; its color is of a strange blue green, yet true 
 to nature. The beautiful harmony of this plain 
 of blue green water against the golden sky was 
 never surpassed. It is indescribable, and must 
 be felt. The sense of vastness is so finely ren- 
 dered, and yet so simply, that you marvel at 
 the power of the painter. The foreground is 
 composed of rocks and tufts of marshy grass 
 among which cows are grazing. Here and 
 there are small pools of water. All this part 
 is painted in a subdued and unobtrusive man- 
 ner, so that the eye may sweep across the 
 great expanse of water and linger amid the 
 wonders of the dying day. In this picture art 
 is raised into an altitude wherein the great les- 
 sons of nature are brought to us with subtle 
 power. 
 
ELIX ZIE 
 
 Ziem is essentially a col- 
 orist. His pictures of Ve- 
 netian subjects have had 
 a -wide influence and his 
 imitators have been nu- 
 merous. He loves deep 
 somber twilights of pur- 
 pling crimson and glow- 
 
 ing sunsets full of golden 
 
 mists, and his greatest pleasure has been in 
 painting those picturesque cities of the sea, 
 Venice and Constantinople. The sky has an 
 especial charm for him, usually occupying the 
 larger space in his compositions. He beau- 
 tifully treats calm, or slightly ruffled -water, 
 opalescent with reflected colors. Rich, warm, 
 deep, transparent color; soft, dreamy atmos- 
 phere and distances; a poetic feeling, luxuri- 
 ant and slightly oriental, and a thorough ap- 
 preciation of the picturesque are some of the 
 characteristics of this artist. 
 
 He was a pupil of Isabey, and is ranked asone 
 of the great school of 1830, the last survivor of 
 that brilliant galaxy. The ".Venice Sunset" 
 in this collection is one of his best pictures. 
 This with the "Venice" of Rico and the admir- 
 able Turner form an interesting group, each 
 distinct, and characteristic of the artist; yet 
 totally unlike in treatment and style. In the 
 "Sunset" you are looking into a glowing sky 
 full of misty yellow light. The eye sweeps 
 across a broad stretch of water that forms one 
 of the great avenues of Venice, "the city of 
 song," and passes, through beautifully modu- 
 lated tones, from the rich amber of the near 
 waters on until lost in a maze of light that sur- 
 rounds the setting sun. In the distance the 
 domes of an immense structure are seen, 
 
 37 
 
 No. 91 
 
 "VENICE- 
 SUNSET" 
 
 "He sees with in- 
 difference the rocks, 
 the plains, or the forests, 
 and is arrested by 
 choice in the great 
 maritime cities which 
 mirror in the water 
 edifices gilded by the 
 sun of the south." 
 
 Rene Menard 
 
ZIEM bathed in the mists of evening ; to its left some 
 lower buildings line a wharf. Along this side 
 a weii r as f f t he canal and back are picturesque groups 
 a painter of marines, of boats and barges, their spars and rigging 
 who willingly takes see ming to tremble in the atmosphere. 
 
 a siesta at noonday, _, 5 . tj . , , A f . . 
 
 and wishes to see The buildings and boats that form the right 
 nature oni y as jtwi- o f the picture are painted with a strong solid 
 
 light approaches.' 1_ T- i r L. ,! 
 
 ReneMenard touch. Back of them is a tall tower that 
 
 reaches up into the sky. Receding gradually 
 
 "The least wind which f rO m the strongly characterized objects in the 
 
 perchance ruffles the . ,. ., f .-* J , . . . , J ., , 
 
 face of the water right, the farther ones dimmish until almost 
 furnishes delicious \ os ^ ' m th e distant horizon line. Lying: at anch- 
 
 matter for his brush. , j j ,, j i , * 
 
 His marines give us or near the mid-distance and surrounded by 
 that delectable little small barges is a large sea-faring vessel. The 
 
 shivering with which we ,. - , f * . A r n ,1 r 
 
 are seized when we light from the setting sun falling on the fronts 
 step on a boat.- o f the buildings gives them a beautiful golden 
 
 Edmond About A , Zt_ _ ^t_ j i 
 
 tone. Along the shore the docks are loaded 
 with merchandise. A bit of stone abutment in 
 the foreground is beautifully touched with 
 light; from it a gondolier is pushing a pictur- 
 esque gondola on which pleasure parties are 
 grouped. To the left and farther back another 
 gondola is seen going in an opposite direction, 
 while silently the grand old orb of day sinks 
 down into the mysterious horizon, diffusing a 
 golden light that saturates every object. Pass- 
 ing from these the eye dwells on the rich deep 
 harmonies in the foreground. Here are those 
 tones that border on the melancholy, that bring 
 almost a touch of sadness. Deep russets, crim- 
 son browns and purples mingle, with here and 
 there a touch of gold or orange to heighten the 
 effect. There is a hush over everything; no 
 sound excepting perhaps the song of some gon- 
 dolier which comes in waves across the wa- 
 ters. The water with its slightly ruffled surface 
 is charmingly painted, while over the whole 
 canvas is a beautiful feeling of repose. It is 
 like one of the charming "gondo-lieds" of 
 38 
 
Mendelssohn, who expressed in music the ZIEM 
 delicate beauty of this strange city. 
 
 In his "Sunset South of France," a rich 
 warm autumn sunset sky that has almost deep- 
 ened into twilight greets the eye. Commenc- 
 ing in warm bluish greenish tints at the top 
 the sky grades down through perfect grada- 
 tions from pale greenish yellow, through or- 
 ange, into the vermilion tones that lie along 
 the horizon. Small island-like clouds drift 
 across the sky, giving it a weird effect. The 
 landscape is bathed in glowing shadows, in 
 which the mystery of the hour is beautifully 
 expressed. From the center of the picture to 
 the right extends a row of hedge bushes, rising 
 out of which are tall and slender trees, whose 
 graceful branches and scanty leafage cut clear- 
 ly against the sky. On the left of this group 
 you see a bit of water, its calm surface reflect- 
 ing and deepening the colors above. The land- 
 scape is painted in somber tones to which dark 
 russet and crimson add a still deeper feeling. 
 It is a faithful study of the hour, from any 
 standpoint in which it may viewed. The sen- 
 timent is especially fine, and as a piece of color 
 it is remarkable in its strength and richness. 
 
 There are three small pictures of Venice by 
 Ziem in this gallery that are quite similar in 
 subject but varying in effect. The one called 
 " Morning in Venice " is quite different in col- 
 oring from the other two. Here you have the 
 soft balmy air of morning with its mists and 
 tender air. The sky, which is beautiful, is full 
 of that pale creamy yellow found only at that 
 time of day. The rippling water is treated with 
 his usual skill. The objects which compose the 
 foreground are painted in the warm brownish 
 amber tones that seem characteristic of the 
 artist ; these, with the pale yellows and warm 
 
 39 
 
 No. 44 
 
 "SUNSET- 
 SOUTH OF FRANCE" 
 
 . No. 29 
 MORNING" 
 
ZIEM 
 
 No. 30 
 'MIDDAY" 
 
 No. 31 
 'EVENING 1 
 
 blue of the upper sky, are the prevailing tones 
 of the entire picture. 
 
 " Midday " is the second of the set. A beau- 
 tiful cameo-like blue fills the upper sky ; a soft 
 tender light is along the horizon and into the 
 little canvas is painted a spirit of rest, ethereal 
 and clear. A boat -with yellow sails conies in 
 with delightful color effect. Buildings, boats 
 and water are painted with a fine poetic feel- 
 ing, in keeping with the subject; indeed, Ziem 
 is essentially a poet, a painter of Venice; one 
 thoroughly sensitive to her somber aspects, 
 and also especially endowed with power to 
 paint her more glorious moods. 
 
 " Evening " shows us again deep, sad tones, 
 that linger mournfully amid the deepening 
 shades of the boats and barges which are 
 grouped in the front of the picture. The upper 
 sky is of a beautiful opalescent tint that is 
 charming. It is tenderly painted with a refined 
 and beautiful feeling, and the studied details of 
 the picture melt into the quiet evening atmos- 
 phere. These three little pictures form a 
 charming group as they hang side by side on 
 the wall, making a unique spot of color in the 
 gallery. 
 
II 
 
 |AUL DELAROCHE 
 'The life and work of De- 
 laroche not only do great 
 honor to his native coun- 
 try, but add luster to the 
 art of the century. A con- 
 scientious, sympathetic 
 and spiritual soul, his 
 ^sensitive and emotional 
 _ ^nature was to a great de- 
 
 gree tinged with sadness. There is a pathos 
 expressed in many of his pictures that is not 
 equaled by any contemporaneous painter. 
 Trained in the studio of Baron Gros,the distin- 
 guished disciple of David, Delaroche adhered 
 more closely to nature than his master; at the 
 same time retaining his dignity of style, and 
 adding to his pictures a more human touch. 
 He possessed qualifications that fitted him for 
 the painting of history, especially those sub- 
 jects in which sadness plays a prominent part. 
 His ideals were pure and exalted, and his com- 
 positions noble and full of gentle feeling. De- 
 laroche was not an epoch maker, but he im- 
 parted a certain distinction to the art of his 
 time. The influence and example of his devo- 
 tion to his high ideals has had fruitage in the 
 many distinguished masters who found inspi- 
 ration in the atmosphere of his studio. There 
 is nothing in the art of the time that surpasses 
 the pathos, the unrestrained sorrow, expressed 
 
 "By giving a somewhat 
 poetical rendering of 
 history, in incidents of 
 great accuracy of de- 
 tail and accessory, 
 at the most fitly chosen 
 moment, he touched 
 a chord of universal ap- 
 preciation, and united 
 all in a more or less 
 temperate admiration 
 of his works." 
 
 C. H. Stranahan 
 
DELAROCHE 
 
 No. 85 
 "THE HEMICYCLE" 
 
 "Like some beautiful 
 
 poem, the painting of 
 
 'The Hemicycle' 
 
 forms a harmonious 
 
 whole, broken, as it 
 
 were, into stanzas." 
 
 Critique 
 
 in his pictures illustrating the scenes inciden- 
 tal to the death of Christ. 
 
 But the work on which the great master de- 
 sired his fame to rest was the "Hemicycle," 
 the nearest approach to his ideal. Delaroche 
 was selected to decorate the walls of the School 
 of Fine Arts at Paris. The original design ac- 
 cepted embraced only twenty-five figures, for 
 which he was to receive a stipulated sum. Re- 
 alizing the opportunity of displaying his pow- 
 ers, and filled with patriotism and devotion to 
 art, he enlarged on the original design until it 
 reached three times its original proportions; 
 the sum received for the work scarcely cover- 
 ing the actual cost of its execution. The origi- 
 nal picture from which the great decorative 
 work was executed is to be seen in this col- 
 lection and was painted entirely by Delaroche 
 himself. The large decoration in the Palace 
 of Arts being once almost destroyed by fire, 
 was restored by other hands; so this picture 
 alone has the honor of bearing the imprint of 
 his genius. 
 
 On this remarkable canvas is painted a com- 
 position which, considering its limitations, is 
 unsurpassed in the annals of decorative art. 
 Difficulties that seem insurmountable have 
 been overcome with rare skill. Some seventy- 
 five figures are placed on a narrow strip of can- 
 vas, each posed with dignity and character, 
 yet resembling in no wise any of the others. 
 There is no repetition, either in pose, gesture 
 or costume. At least seventy heads are ar- 
 ranged within a narrow space, only four inches 
 wide, running across the canvas, yet no two 
 strike the same level. The composition is in- 
 tended to commemorate the Painting, Sculp- 
 ure and Architecture of the periods from the 
 time of Pericles down to that of Louis XIV. 
 42 
 
The background is the portico of a great tem- 
 ple of the Ionic order which represents the 
 Temple of Fame. On its steps stand the groups 
 of immortals. The central point of the compo- 
 sition is a sort of recess or throne, on which 
 are seated three of the greatest representa- 
 tives of ancient Greek art. In the center sits 
 Apelles the painter; he is strong and rather 
 youthful, and of a pure classic type. His arms 
 and chest are bared and his robe falls in sim- 
 ple lines. Phidias, the great sculptor of an- 
 tiquity, whose triumphs have baffled the at- 
 tempts of sculptors of succeeding generations, 
 is at his left. He is strong of face and figure, 
 slightly bearded, and grave and serious in ex- 
 pression. To the right of Apelles sits the archi- 
 tect Ictinus, who designed the Temple of Mi- 
 nerva at Athens. Like Phidias, he wears a 
 beard and is of thoughtful mien. All three are 
 robed in white, and wreaths of olives crown 
 their heads. To the right, and lower down, is 
 a woman whose face is in profile. Her robe is 
 of blue and white, on her head is a crown of 
 gold and in her lap a scroll of parchment. This 
 figure symbolizes Roman Art. Next to her 
 stands another leaning slightly against a block 
 of stone. She is of a voluptuous type. The up- 
 per part of her figure is only partly concealed 
 by thin drapery; the lower is enveloped in a 
 robe of crimson. This figure completes the 
 right side of the central group of the pictures 
 and represents the Renaissance. To the left 
 of Apelles, and opposite the figure represent- 
 ing Roman Art, is a woman of antique type, 
 with black hair and fine face and figure. She 
 wears a costume of delicate pink and her pose 
 is beautiful in its simplicity. In her hand she 
 holds a roll of paper. This figure is represen- 
 tative of Greek Art. Next to her and standing 
 
 43 
 
 DELAROCHE 
 
 "Delaroche is another 
 exceptional artist, 
 noteworthy for his poet- 
 ical conceptions of 
 historical themes, 
 his elevated religious 
 spirit, and his 
 chaste manner. 
 He is an academician, 
 with a mind enlarged 
 by study, and gov- 
 erned by purer taste 
 than that about him." 
 Jarves 
 
DELAROCHE on a lower step is a figure of tall graceful form, 
 whose upturned face is full of spirituality. Her 
 head is beautiful in its simplicity and her hair, 
 which is brushed closely to her forehead, falls 
 in waves on her shoulders. Her robe of citron 
 green and light buff, and under-dress of pale 
 lavender, make a distinguished arrangement 
 of color. Resting against a column at her side 
 is a model of a Gothic church, as she symbol- 
 izes Gothic Art. This beautiful figure is a 
 portrait of the wife of the artist, the daughter 
 of Horace Vernet, the distinguished painter of 
 military subjects. At the lower front of this 
 group is a fine nude female figure. She is dis- 
 tributing wreaths of laurel and is the Genius 
 of the Arts. 
 
 This completes the central group. On either 
 side of it are gathered the artists, who seem 
 busily engaged in conversation. To the right 
 of the central group are the great architects of 
 the various epochs, from the twelfth to the six- 
 teenth century. They are posed in a graceful, 
 easy manner, the interest centering around 
 Di Lapo, the architect of the cathedral of Flor- 
 ence. Among those grouped about him are 
 Brunelleschi, Bramante, Lescot, Palladio,Ar- 
 nolfo, Sansovino, Inigo Jones, Luzarches, 
 Steinbach, Delorme, Peruzzi and Vignola. 
 Back of this group is seen the head of Marc 
 Antonio, whose engravings of Raphael's works 
 are among the treasures of art, and near him 
 is Gerard Edelinck, a noted Flemish engraver. 
 To the right of the architects are other noted 
 engravers, and the great creative painters. Fra 
 Angelico is distinguished from the others by 
 his convent garb, while Da Vinci, with his long 
 venerable beard, is the center around which 
 the various masters are grouped. Here Raph- 
 ael is seen engaged in conversation with his 
 
 44 
 
followers. All mingle in fellowship and mutual 
 interest save that strange but supreme genius, 
 Michael Angelo Buonarotti,who was the high- 
 est dramatic expression of art ever given to 
 the world. He sits alone, removed from his 
 companions, wrapped in his own meditations; 
 his stern visage reflecting the seriousness of 
 his sublime works. Isolation is depicted by 
 Delaroche in every line of his figure and you 
 feel at once the exalted genius of the man who 
 lived closely within himself. To the left of the 
 central group are the sculptors, among whom 
 will be found Benvenuto Cellini, Jean Goujon, 
 Palissy, Peter Fischer, Donatello, and others. 
 To the extreme left and completing the picture 
 are the colorists, such masters as Titian, Ver- 
 onese, Correggio, Rembrandt, Rubens, Paul 
 Potter, Van der Heist, Van Dyck, Claude Lor- 
 raine, Nicolas Poussin,Velasquez and Murillo. 
 The composition of the picture is remarka- 
 ble. The small groups fall naturally into the 
 larger group of the whole, forming a perfect 
 unity, the result of careful, conscientious work 
 directed by a high aim. The color scheme is 
 sober and dignified, and composed largely of 
 broken greens, reds, blues, purples, bronzes 
 and yellows mingling in harmonious arrange- 
 ments, which are accented here and there by 
 a bit of pure color. A thoughtful, elevated per- 
 formance, in keeping with the purpose for 
 which it was created, it is to-day a monument 
 to the genius of one who was extremely mod- 
 est, who constantly felt that he had almost 
 failed in his art. Standing, as he now does, 
 among the immortals whom he so lovingly 
 limned upon this canvas, Delaroche thepainter 
 is one worthy of the grand company. 
 
 DELAROCHE 
 
 "He composed well, 
 even eloquently; drew 
 poems, elaborated 
 academic work, but 
 with less of that con- 
 sciousness of hard toil 
 which is apparent 
 with Ingres; he had a 
 noble sense of the 
 human figure, an ele- 
 vated appreciation of the 
 true purpose of art." 
 
 Hamerton 
 
 45 
 
"An artist whom 
 
 nature had made 
 
 a painter, and study 
 
 a learned man." 
 
 A. J. Wauters 
 
 GUIS 
 
 The International Expo- 
 sition held in London in 
 1862 contained a remark- 
 able collection of works 
 of art by living masters. 
 The artists who were as- 
 sembled there at that 
 time decided to give an 
 entertainment to the 
 member of their body who would be voted the 
 most distinguished painter. This distinction 
 was conferred on Gallait. He is a Belgian by 
 birth and commenced his artistic career at 
 Tournay, his native city. From thence he 
 went to Antwerp and later to Paris. He is the 
 author of many distinguished pictures and oc- 
 cupies an honored position among the serious 
 painters of the century. Gallait's art is of a high 
 order and his subjects are never commonplace 
 or trivial. They ofttimes touch the realms of 
 the tragic, the poetical, and almost reach the 
 sublime. His manner is strong in drawing, vig- 
 orous in the use of color, vital in its truth to na- 
 ture, and in his larger works often verges on the 
 style of the great Venetian masters. In the 
 rendition of subjects of a dramatic nature he 
 reaches a point that is terrible, yet true to life. 
 James Defforne, in "The Art Journal" of April, 
 1866, quotes this summing up of Gallait's art: 
 "To adopt the language of one of his own 
 countrymen, 'He is of the race of artists who, 
 comprehending the grandeur and dignity of 
 art, have never prostituted their pencils to the 
 follies and infatuations of the day, nor flattered 
 the passions and intellectual weaknesses of the 
 crowd.'" The representative pictures by him 
 in this collection certainly verify and bear out 
 all that has been said of him. The two larger 
 46 
 
canvases,"Peace," and "War," reveal a genius 
 that is remarkable in its tragic poetry, while 
 "The Dead Counts Egmont and Horn," al- 
 though painted in water-color and small in di- 
 mensions, is as strong as any historical picture 
 of the period. 
 
 "Peace" the artist has beautifully symbol- 
 ized in domestic happiness. A mother whose 
 face beams with maternal love and affection 
 fondles two children. Her face is turned to- 
 ward the larger child, who stands at her side. 
 The child is beautiful with his sweet upturned 
 face as he holds aloft a bunch of pure white 
 flowers. Her left arm entwines his form, and 
 with her hand she caresses him. In her lap sits 
 a chubby little baby, his face and hand resting 
 on his mother's breast, while she tenderly fon- 
 dles the little arm. On the left the trunk of a 
 tree in full foliage is seen. To the right is a 
 wide stretch of landscape with fertile fields, in 
 which a husbandman is busy plowing with pa- 
 tient oxen. Near the figures, and lying in their 
 shadow, is a large shepherd dog, while in front 
 of the mother is a young lamb sleeping. A 
 spindle of wool lies near and a part of a spin- 
 ning wheel is seen in a corner. In the front of 
 the picture a large butterfly has just alighted. 
 Peace, repose and simple domestic happiness 
 are depicted in everything in the scene. The 
 drapery is quiet in color, being brown, blue- 
 black and white. The painting, while strong 
 and masterly, is yet extremely refined and 
 beautiful. 
 
 As the night follows the day, so this poem of 
 domestic happiness is transformed into hope- 
 less gloom. "War," grim, gaunt and pitiless, 
 has flung her dismal pall over everything. 
 The sky that was a harbinger of joy is now 
 overcast with low, dismal clouds. All that 
 
 47 
 
 GALLAIT 
 
 No. 52 
 'PEACE" 
 
 No. 47 
 WAR" 
 
GALLAIT 
 
 "His style, whether 
 
 shown in an elaborate 
 
 composition or in 
 
 some simple subject, 
 
 is essentially grand." 
 
 James Dafforne 
 
 No. 34 
 'POWER OF MUSIC 
 
 was bright and hopeful has turned into darkest 
 gloom. Far across the fields, where the man 
 and faithful oxen tilled the fruitful soil, devas- 
 tation and desolation reign supreme. Not a 
 ray of light is seen, save the lurid glow of a 
 burning city that illumines the far away hor- 
 izon, the reflection casting long bars of crim- 
 son along the lower clouds. In the foreground 
 are the mother and children, objects of poverty 
 and wretchedness. The mother, pale, gaunt 
 and hungry, is in the agonies of starvation. 
 The painting of the face and form of this wo- 
 man is powerful in its horror, and in its realism 
 is equaled only by the terrible scenes depicted 
 in the "Wreck of the Medusa" by Gericault. 
 Lying with its face buried in the empty breasts 
 of the mother, the once rosy babe, now pale 
 and deathlike, cries for the nourishment she 
 can not give. The beautiful boy whose up- 
 turned face illumined the other picture, real- 
 izing his mother's condition, cries with agony 
 and clings to her almost senseless form. The 
 cheerful habiliments worn in the former pict- 
 ure have given place to the draping of Death. 
 In the immediate foreground, where the lamb 
 and butterfly were, are seen the head and arms 
 of a dead soldier. The dog lies stiff in death, 
 faithful to the end. 
 
 The picture is terrible beyond description, 
 still it is war, and while many would like to 
 draw the sable mantle of obscurity over such 
 scenes, yet they are a part of life, and the pres- 
 entation of its horror with such vivid and ter- 
 rible truth must bring a lesson of humanity. 
 
 The power of music to affect human action 
 has always been recognized; whether it be the 
 majestic strains of a grand symphony or the 
 tom-tom beat of the savage. The musical in- 
 stinct is universal, and the potency of its in- 
 48 
 
fluence is felt by all animated nature. The GALLAIT 
 fabled story of the piper of Hamlin has been 
 verified thousands of times, and music, the 
 most divine of the arts, may be either the 
 means of our uplifting or the power suasive 
 that leads to destruction. By its soothing in- 
 fluence millions of weary souls have been up- 
 lifted and helped; yet, by the same mysterious 
 power, myriads have been drawn into condi- 
 tions where vice and wantonness hold their 
 sway. We have but to enter the storehouse 
 of our childhood memories to find the indeli- 
 ble imprint of some old, old song, or again hear 
 the sweet lullabies that came from a mother's 
 lips. With them rise blissful recollections, 
 tinged with a sadness hallowed by time. To 
 a weary soul the plaintive song will come car- 
 rying the balm of rest, of peace. As the little 
 child nestling on the bosom of its mother lis- 
 tens to her even-song, and is borne off by it 
 into dreamland, so are we children still, un- 
 der the influence of music. Whether through 
 the human voice or some sweet-toned instru- 
 ment, 'swayed under the magic spell, we are 
 brought to a nearer realization of the Divine 
 harmonies. 
 
 A traveler in the Holy Land tells this story 
 of his experience. For months he had been 
 isolated, without meeting any one with whom 
 to converse in his native tongue. One day, in 
 an ancient city with wondrous memories, but 
 now almost devoid of habitation, he suddenly 
 seemed to hear the strains of distant music. It 
 was so faint at first that he thought he was 
 dreaming, but as it grew stronger he recog- 
 nized a familiar air, one that was dear to his 
 heart. Coming as it did in the midst of almost 
 desolation, a song that brought to him the 
 memories of once happy days, he was filled 
 
 49 
 
GALLAIT 
 
 "His ideas are always 
 
 noble and elevated, 
 
 and they are realized 
 
 on the canvas with 
 
 the power of a master 
 
 hand." 
 
 James Dafforne 
 
 with emotion. Suddenly turning into a street 
 he saw the red coats of some British soldiers, 
 accompanied by a regimental band. As he told 
 the simple story the tears gathered in his eyes, 
 and a hush came over those who listened. 
 Thus in peaceful hours, in strange lands, in 
 fields of carnage, its power is manifest. But 
 its sweetest and most endearing influence is 
 felt by some weary, sick soul to whom life's 
 pathway seems strewn with thorns, or to one 
 who has fallen by the wayside. To such a one, 
 music is indeed a balm of Gilead. 
 
 An incident of this sort is found in the little 
 painting by Louis Gallait, the great French ro- 
 manticist, called "Power of Music." Sitting 
 on a stone overlooking a shady valley are two 
 strolling musicians, a brother and sister, the 
 boundless canopy of blue above them being 
 their only shelter. Tired and weary, the frail 
 young girl has sunk upon the stones, her head 
 resting on her brother's knee. Throughout the 
 long day they have brought to others the glad- 
 ness of music, and now have sought this se- 
 cluded spot that rest may be found. The 
 brother has just played some soothing strain 
 on his violin, under whose spell her spirit 
 has found rest. Calm, pale and beautiful is the 
 face of the girl, sweet slumber having swept 
 the shadows of care from her face. She wears 
 a simple gown of white and blue; her arms, 
 hands and feet are bare and very beautiful, al- 
 though showing the hardships of exposure. 
 Her dress, falling slightly from her shoulders, 
 gives a glimpse of a tender, youthful form. Ly- 
 ing at her feet is a tambourine that has kept 
 time to her nimble feet while she danced her- 
 self into weariness. Her young brother, dark 
 and bronzed, with black hair, holds the violin 
 in position, the sounds of the last touch on the 
 
 5 
 
strings still lingering. In this picture the look 
 of tender love expressed in the youth, the frail 
 spiritual beauty of the sister, and the calm hush 
 of the evening hour are painted with that re- 
 finement of sentiment -which was the artist's 
 gift. And again the power of music is graph- 
 ically illustrated. 
 
 Like the last lingering sound from the vio- 
 lin is the soft mellow evening light that rests 
 peacefully on the bosom of the slumbering girl. 
 Ere long Night with her star-crowned dome 
 will have thrown her passive mantle over all, 
 and silence will come, unbroken save by the 
 hooting owl, or the moaning of the wind among 
 the ruins. Let us hope that this poor frail girl 
 has found perfect rest and that her pure young 
 spirit has been merged into fields elysian, teem- 
 ing with beautiful flowers, symbolizing the 
 purity of her own sweet nature. May the birds 
 take up and reverberate the tones that lulled 
 her to sleep. This little picture is a sweetly 
 rendered melody whose inspiration might 
 have been a song by Schubert. It is one of 
 those touches that makes the world akin. Its 
 silent appeal brings us nearer each other. 
 
 One of those ideal creations for which Gal- 
 lait was noted is his "Art and Liberty." In the 
 center of the picture stands a young man in a 
 picturesque costume of brown. He wears a 
 broad hat whose brim curves gracefully upon 
 one side. His face is smooth and youthful, and 
 swarthy in color. The features, refined and 
 sensitive, are yet determined and self-poised in 
 expression. His long black hair falls grace- 
 fully on his shoulders. In his left hand he 
 holds a violin, which rests on his arm; in his 
 right hand is the bow. A long cloak falls in 
 graceful lines from his shoulders. He is stand- 
 ing on a balcony overlooking a lake whose 
 
 GALLAIT 
 
 No. 96 
 'ART AND LIBERTY" 
 
GALLAIT bosom lies calm and serene; beyond,the moun- 
 tains rise in beautiful curved lines. The sky, 
 mountains and water are bathed in a dreamy 
 blue gray mist. Graceful vines trail around the 
 balustrade. Lying on the railing to the right is 
 some paper, pen and ink. There is a deter- 
 mined, yet dignified expression in every line of 
 his figure. You are in the presence of a strong 
 individuality, a genius who has turned from 
 the world and its seductive influences and lives 
 and has his being in the realms of universal 
 genius, wherein perfect liberty is found, the 
 only condition in which the grand symphonies 
 of the soul can find their true expression. Thus 
 Art and Liberty, walking hand in hand, each 
 finds its perfect fulfillment. 
 
 NO. 156 A very different picture by Gallait is the one 
 
 COUNTS EGMONT entitled, "The Duke of Alva, The Emissary of 
 AND HORN- Philip II of Spain, Contemplating the Be- 
 headed Counts Egmont and Horn." The inci- 
 dent related in this picture marks an epoch in 
 the religious and political history of the Neth- 
 erlands, and was an event that led to the cul- 
 mination of the great religious persecutions 
 that were inaugurated by Charles V. The in- 
 troduction of this persecution is told with great 
 power in the large painting of "The Edict of 
 Charles V," No. 48, by the gifted artist, Baron 
 Leys. Egmont and Horn by some brilliant 
 victories incurred the jealousy of Duke Alva, 
 notwithstanding they were also bitter perse- 
 cutors of the reformers. They were executed 
 on charges trumped up by the Duke. After 
 their unjust death the people forgot their for- 
 mer feelings against them and Egmont and his 
 fellow victim were glorified in the popular 
 imagination as martyrs of Flemish freedom. 
 This memorable episode proved to be the pre- 
 lude to the famous revolt of the Netherlands, 
 52 
 
the issue of which was independence, and lib- 
 erty of thought and speech for all. 
 
 Pale and rigid, lying on a couch, are the 
 bodies of the dead counts. A white cloth is ar- 
 ranged around their necks so as to conceal the 
 manner of their execution. Thrown over their 
 bodies, and covering the couch, is a robe of sa- 
 ble velvet ; on top of this lies a long silver cru- 
 cifix. At the head of the bed is a second crucifix 
 with sacred candlesticks on either side ; the 
 tapers are just being lighted by a priest. Stand- 
 ing at the foot of the couch is the Duke of 
 Alva, by whose order these men were killed. 
 He is a strong featured man of sandy complex- 
 ion, dressed in elegant yet sober robes. He 
 stands with his head slightly bowed, his chin 
 resting on his chest, gazing steadfastly into 
 the faces of his victims. The muscles of his 
 face are drawn, the brows knit, and his expres- 
 sion reveals a trace of pain, as if coming face 
 to face with the ghastly scene he had suddenly 
 realized its horror. He almost shrinks from 
 the terrible spectacle. Just back of him stand 
 his body guards in bright red uniforms. Their 
 faces show intense and varied expressions. 
 Back of them and to the left is a guard dressed 
 in steel armor with his hand resting on the hilt 
 of his sword, and just beyond him is a man 
 who, with defiant mien, looks with contempt 
 at the soldiers, while the guard, with like con- 
 tempt, pays his respects to the Duke. 
 
 The painting of the dead men is terrible in 
 its realism. The stiffness of their bodies and 
 the manner in which the severed heads are 
 pushed up against them, the little trickling of 
 blood that stains the white drapery, the ghastly 
 expression of the faces with their bloodless 
 pallor, are rendered with a power that is un- 
 surpassed in the annals of historic painting. 
 
 53 
 
 GALLAIT 
 
 "His first pictures 
 were masterpieces. 'The 
 Abdication of Charles 
 V,' The 'Lying in 
 State of Counts Eg- 
 mont and Horn,' 
 'The Last Moments 
 of Count Egmont,' at 
 once revealed in 
 their author the science 
 of composition, design 
 and expression, as 
 well as the intelligent 
 choice of his types 
 and the perfect appre- 
 ciation of the feelings 
 of his figures in their 
 various situations." 
 
 A. J. Wauters 
 
GALLAIT While rendered with terrible realism, it is yet 
 noble and dignified, and reveals the fitness of 
 the artist for the rendition of great events. 
 
 RpN H. LEYS<*^ 
 While there have been 
 many painters of the hu- 
 man figure and all na- 
 tions have furnished 
 great examples, few have 
 I succeeded in the paint- 
 ing of history. Baron 
 Leys stands in the front 
 rank of modern painters 
 in this department of art. Although originally 
 intended for the Church, the love of art pressed 
 him so strongly that he entered the studio of De 
 Brackeleer, a well known painter of Antwerp. 
 His sympathies turned to the great events of 
 the so-called Reformation, and from his hands 
 came many powerful works. The great events 
 of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth cen- 
 turies are painted with such striking force that 
 you are brought at once into the presence of 
 those great scenes; indeed, Leys is spoken of 
 as "a painter of epochs." When the so-called 
 pre-Raphaelite movement swept over Eng- 
 land he changed his manner. The greatest tri- 
 umphs of his genius were dated at this time, 
 and to this period belongs the great canvas 
 called "The Edict of Charles V." 
 
 NO. 4 8 The publication of the Edict of Charles V in 
 
 the year 1650 introduced the Inquisition into 
 the Netherlands. Prescott says, "By this edict, 
 or 'placard,' as it was called, it was ordained 
 that all who were convicted of heresy should 
 suffer death by fire, by the pit, or by the sword; 
 in other words, should be burned alive, be bur- 
 ied alive, or be beheaded. These terrible pen- 
 alties were incurred by all who dealt in heret- 
 54 
 
ical books, or copied or bought them; by all 
 who held or attended conventicles, by all who 
 disputed on the Scriptures in public or private, 
 by all who preached or defended the doctrines 
 of the Reformation." Every character in this 
 wonderful picture fits in and becomes a part of 
 it and aids in telling the story. There is not an 
 inch of canvas wasted; everything has a reason 
 for being. The scene is in the public market 
 place of a very picturesque old town. In the 
 center of the canvas stand the emissaries of the 
 Emperor, reading the edict, grouped around 
 him are the authorities, while back of them are 
 the soldiers, whose presence gives emphasis 
 to the order. There is a certain sternness both 
 in their attitude and expression which means 
 obedience to the letter. On the left of this group 
 you see a quaint old book stall. Standing at the 
 window, and facing the authorities, is the keep- 
 er, listening attentively. These words are of 
 vital interest. Near the front of the picture 
 stand two men, leaning on the iron railing. 
 They are strong characters,dressed in dark sol- 
 emn drapery which has a powerful influence in 
 the effect of the picture. They are completely 
 absorbed in the reading. The expression on 
 their faces speaks volumes. Back of these fig- 
 ures are grouped many women and children, 
 refined and dignified in character, with the 
 sympathetic in their nature brought out and 
 made to tell wonderfully the sentiment of the 
 picture. One mother, whose feelings are be- 
 trayed in the expression of her face, clings to 
 the hands of her little boy, drawing him ten- 
 derly to her as if to protect him from the ter- 
 rible penalties about to be enforced. 
 
 Just behind her stands a woman around 
 whose neck the arms of another woman are 
 thrown, while her face is buried in her bosom. 
 
 55 
 
 LEYS 
 
 "Leys is not only this 
 year the grand and 
 illusory colorist we all 
 know; he reveals 
 himself a thinker 
 and a poet. * These 
 are surprising and 
 powerful works, 
 created by a deep 
 knowledge of the epochs 
 he would represent.*** 
 He searches into 
 the very depth of an 
 epoch; he revives 
 its moral and 
 intellectual life, which 
 he knows how to reflect 
 in the physiognomy 
 of his characters." 
 
 Critique of the 
 Brussels Exhi- 
 bition of 1854 
 
LEYS On the side of the canvas close by the entrance 
 to the book stall are two men who have just 
 come out. Hearing the import of the edict they 
 irresistibly clasp hands; you feel that the proc- 
 lamation comes to them with telling force. 
 One of them has certain books under his arm. 
 Perhaps they are proscribed by the edict! In 
 front of them is an old man whose face is won- 
 derful in its character and expression. To this 
 figure you are drawn at once. He sits with his 
 elbows on his knees and his chin buried in his 
 hands. From his costume he is evidently of 
 some ecclesiastic importance; his thoughts are 
 going out beyond the present into the future; 
 he seems to divine a disaster that will certainly 
 follow; he doubts the wisdom of the edict and 
 has grave forebodings for the Mother Church. 
 The reaction appears to him with vivid force. 
 The painting of this figure reaches into the sub- 
 lime and becomes great; it has a powerful effect 
 on the entire composition. The background is 
 composed of fine, quaint old buildings stretch- 
 ing away into the perspective, whose pictur- 
 esque and broken lines are painted with a care- 
 fulness that shows the artist's thoroughness. 
 The entire picture is imbued with a power 
 and a solemn repose that makes you realize the 
 importance of the event. The seriousness of 
 the scene is deeply felt, and the whole picture 
 shows a mental grasp that stamps the genius 
 of Leys and places him high in the realms of 
 art. The dignity of the various groups, the sim- 
 plicity with which the story is told, the char- 
 acter in the faces, all lead up into the grander 
 expression which makes the whole. It is a 
 great painting of a great epoch, and by one of 
 the greatest of Belgian artists, one at whose 
 feet the world might proudly lay a wreath of 
 laurel. 
 
 56 
 
Ley's "Dutch Interior" is a remarkable pict- 
 ure, so different from the "Edict" that you 
 would scarcely credit it to the same master, 
 but as marvelous a piece of painting as can be 
 found by any of the most serious of the old 
 Dutchmen. It is beautiful in color and thorough 
 in finish, as befits the subject. The scene is in a 
 quaint old kitchen in the household of a well- 
 to-do Dutch family. The room is connected 
 with a second room by a window, the wall be- 
 low which arches out and is constructed of 
 blue tile. At the sides of the window the walls 
 are brown with age, and rich in color. In the 
 corner of the room is a table covered with a 
 blue and gray cloth. On it lies a duck; back of 
 this is a gray earthen jug and on the floor a cop- 
 per kettle. Beside the table sits a buxom young 
 maiden, sound asleep. She is evidently there 
 to dress the fowl,which lies undisturbed. Near 
 her on the floor sits a large white cat, looking 
 wistfully at the duck, and standing in the other 
 room and looking through the opening at the 
 girl are an old gentleman and lady, evidently 
 astonished at the spectacle before them. The 
 old gentleman holds a pipe in his hand while 
 the old lady folds her arms complacently as she 
 looks at the girl. He wears a white cap and 
 blue coat. The woman's dress is of a vermil- 
 ion red, and she also wears a white cap ; the 
 dimly lighted room with its golden amber color 
 forming a charming background for them 
 both. The upper part of the arched window is 
 divided into small squares by iron fret-work. 
 At the side of it hangs a bird cage, and a pitcher 
 and brown earthen jar are on the window sill. 
 The coloring is as rich as a Rembrandt; it fairly 
 glows with a deep transparent amber, and the 
 whole subject is treated with a seriousness that 
 is delightful. 
 
 57 
 
 LEYS 
 
 No. 152 
 "DUTCH INTERIOR" 
 
 "The genius of Baron 
 Leys, however, is of 
 so diversified a 
 character that he can 
 mold it into any 
 form, and adapt it 
 to any purpose to 
 the humorous or the 
 pathetic, to the 
 grandeur of history or 
 the incident of ordinary 
 social life; and his 
 pencil portrays, with 
 equal truth, vigor 
 and delicacy, the art 
 of an age long passed 
 away and that 
 of his own time." 
 
 James Dafforne 
 
No. xoi 
 
 "ITALIAN 
 
 BRIGANDS" 
 
 "Throwing off all 
 
 academic trammels, he 
 
 became a painter of 
 
 vigorous actualities. 
 
 He was the legitimate 
 
 offspring of his 
 
 nation and time, and 
 
 his art was for his 
 
 own period; it was 
 
 quickly responsive to 
 
 the demands of 
 
 both its masses and 
 
 its sovereigns." 
 
 C. H. Stranahan 
 
 MILE JEAN HORACE 
 
 A spirited canvas is by 
 Vernet, who was the most 
 eminent military painter 
 of his day. He belongedto 
 a family of artists, sev- 
 eral members of which 
 had won distinction. His 
 fame, however, exceeded 
 them all. He was brilliant and audacious in 
 his compositions and his pictures are full of 
 action. His coloring is strong and was influ- 
 enced largely by the old Venetian masters. 
 The rapidity with which he painted has passed 
 into proverb. It was said that he executed five 
 hundred pictures during his life-time. Still, 
 taking into consideration the fact that he 
 wielded the brush for sixty years, this does not 
 seem so wonderful. Vernet received many dis- 
 tinguished honors. At a time when such bril- 
 liant lights as Delacroix,Gericault, Delaroche, 
 Ingres and Decamps illumined French art, he 
 maintained an honored position among them. 
 The picture of "Italian Brigands Surprised 
 by PapalTroops" represents Vernet in this col- 
 lection. For centuries travelers on the high- 
 ways of Italy were terrorized by brigands. 
 They were a menace to life and property, until 
 finally almost extinguished by the Papal au- 
 thorities. The scene here is on one of these 
 roads. A stage coach has been captured by a 
 party of brigands. They have killed the coach- 
 man, and are struggling with some female 
 passengers, when suddenly the Papal cavalry 
 comes dashing around a curve in the road, their 
 horses flying like the wind, causing great 
 clouds of dust to rise in the air. Surprised as 
 the brigands are, they are resisting the attack. 
 58 
 
No. 95 
 ITALIAN GIRL" 
 
 The women are terribly frightened, and one is VERNET 
 kneeling in front of a wayside altar, praying. 
 The action in the canvas is splendid and the 
 coloring strong and glowing. There is a dash 
 about the composition that is remarkable. 
 
 JHARLES FRANCOIS 
 [JALABERT ^C *Sfc *^ 
 This artist was a pupil of 
 iDelaroche and adhered 
 i more closely to the styleof 
 'his master than did any 
 I of the students of that fa- 
 mous painter. His pict- 
 ures are noted for their 
 irefined beauty. There is 
 always a sentiment in them, a pure, sweet in- 
 fluence, that appeals to the ideal side of one's 
 nature. "The Italian Girl" is a little canvas 
 wherein the tenderness of childhood is beauti- 
 fully expressed. There is a touch of sadness 
 in the face of the child, a sadness that is yet 
 beautiful. You see in her something that is 
 common to the children of Italy a certain 
 oldness. The face is delicately painted and you 
 feel the touch of sympathy the artist had for 
 his model. The eyes, large, blue and full, seem 
 indeed to be windows through which the soul 
 finds expression. The subject is handled with 
 the refinement and tenderness that character- 
 ize his art. 
 
 In "The Morning" Jalabert has touched a 
 tender chord that is most beautiful, one that 
 lies nearer the human heart than all others. In 
 it are expressed that most sacred of all senti- 
 ments, maternal love. By those who seek only 
 "art for art's sake," this little picture will be 
 passed unnoticed. In it such a person would 
 see nothing; but to him whose heart is attuned 
 to the tender harmonies of both art and life, 
 
 59 
 
 No. 112 
 'THE MORNING' 
 
JALABERT 
 
 "Horace Vernet said, 
 
 and truly, that light 
 
 resides in the quality 
 
 of the tone and not 
 
 in the thickness of the 
 
 pigment; and the 
 
 love ior smoothness 
 
 of surface which marks 
 
 Jalabert and some 
 
 others is perfectly 
 
 'compatible' with 
 
 artistic power, both 
 
 color and chiaroscuro, 
 
 while it is more than 
 
 'compatible' with 
 
 drawing, being positively 
 
 favorable to form." 
 
 Hamerton 
 
 No. 108 
 "ORPHEUS" 
 
 this little canvas "will bring up memories that 
 reach back into the dim twilight of the past and 
 speak of the days that are no more. A young 
 mother has just lifted a little child from the 
 cradle where it has been sleeping. She presses 
 it lovingly to her bosom and it nestles there 
 with childish trust. She lays her cheek against 
 the little head, while her love goes out and finds 
 repose in the heart of the tender, loving child. 
 It is a picture of peace, home, and motherhood, 
 of all that is sacred in those sentiments which 
 come to us in our better moments. The flesh of 
 the child,which is nude, is painted with all the 
 delicacy of a rosebud, and is a fine example of 
 the purity and high ideal of the artist. This 
 picture brings an influence of peace; and in it 
 are breathed most beautifully those refining 
 influences, those pure, chaste sentiments that 
 cluster around home life. Here everything be- 
 speaks happiness, pure and simple; the child 
 whose all is mother, and she who paints rain- 
 bow-hued pictures of destiny that radiate from 
 her love for her offspring. 
 
 From this bit of home, this scene from domes- 
 tic life, let us turn and look at a picture wherein 
 the poetic soul of the painter has reached out 
 into scenes none the less real to him than the 
 one just described. To-day if a man essays to 
 paint an ideal picture, to avoid the criticism of 
 the knowing he must introduce realisms in the 
 way of textures, bric-a-brac, drapery, that will 
 show his power in technique. The painting of 
 drapery that belongs to the dominions of ether- 
 eal life as seen in visions clairvoyantly by the 
 poet or painter would be hailed with derision 
 by these critics, yet such a picture is "Orphe- 
 us," a picture of the purest ideal type; one that 
 at once stamps the painter as one of the high- 
 est spirituality. 
 60 
 
In a dimly lit forest, amid cool velvety shad- 
 ows, are groups of nymphs of marvelous beau- 
 ty. They are of the most charming type of face 
 and form, tall and slender, with limbs beauti- 
 fully rounded ; and are so delicately painted, 
 so ideal in conception that you feel they can 
 move with thought. The flesh painting is won- 
 derful in its beauty ; the drapery is as light and 
 filmy as gossamer, and through it you can trace 
 the beautiful forms. In this canvas the student 
 will find a beauty of line unequaled in any 
 picture in the room. Its technique in this re- 
 spect is directly opposite to the principles on 
 which Fortuny based his art. As an example, 
 look at the figure in the foreground, with her 
 side toward you; see how beautiful, how grace- 
 ful and undulating the lines are. There is more 
 real ideal beauty than can be found in a hun- 
 dred pictures painted in these days of realism. 
 You find in her no suggestion of the studio 
 model, or the lay figure on which drapery has 
 been painted. There is a higher, truer inspira- 
 tion expressed in this canvas than in any like 
 subject seen by the writer. The drawing of the 
 figures is elegant,but of a purely ideal type. The 
 various groups draw together as they would 
 instinctively, without affectation. In the dim 
 background in the denser wood sits Orpheus, 
 whose enchantment has drawn around him all 
 this beauty. The spirit of the woods has been 
 felt and painted by Jalabert, and to one who 
 has the inner sight this canvas will be a joy, a 
 pleasure never to be forgotten. It belongs to the 
 past, and in these days when one is confronted 
 by the more material interpretation of things 
 it is like a flower in the desert. 
 
 The last of this group is "The Christian Mar- 
 tyr." This picture was started by Delaroche 
 and completed by Jalabert, and is a good ex- 
 
 61 
 
 JALABERT 
 
 " 'Orpheus' is a most 
 delicately wrought and 
 poetic composition. 
 The grace and beauty 
 of the nymphs and 
 the soft and dreamy 
 tone that is preserved 
 betray a peculiarly 
 happy conception and 
 a pretty idea well 
 sustained and 
 fully developed. The 
 picture is in harmony 
 with Orpheus' music, 
 which is sensuous, 
 dreamy and reposeful, 
 and with nothing 
 too real about it." 
 
 Critique 
 
 No. 9 
 
 "THE CHRISTIAN 
 MARTYR" 
 
JALABERT 
 
 'His figures exhibit a 
 
 play of line that 
 
 would be appropriate 
 
 in sculpture, and 
 
 are among the finest 
 
 of the entire 
 
 French school." 
 
 C. H. Stranahan 
 
 ample of the peculiar school to which they be- 
 longed. On the calm surface of a deep pool of 
 blue green water floats the form of a fair young 
 girl. The face, pale in death, lies like a lily on 
 its surface. The picture is beautifully painted, 
 and to some who are drawn to the sentimental 
 side of religion it will be a favorite. Aside from 
 its merit, it shows the wonderful breadth of the 
 collection, which covers all classes of senti- 
 ment and religions. This picture was the sub- 
 ject of great discussion at the time of its first 
 exhibition, and shows more of the classic in- 
 fluence than any of Jalabert's pictures in the 
 collection. To the student, there is much to be 
 seen in these pictures that will be of value, be- 
 cause of the materialistic tendencies in the art 
 of the present time. 
 
Ill 
 
 BAN LOUIS ANDRE 
 THEODORE GERI- 
 CAULT^ tf^The Ro- 
 manticist movement in 
 France, in which Dela- 
 croix was a brilliant lu- 
 minary, was started by 
 Gericault, who was the 
 first to oppose the classi- 
 cists. His pictures were 
 the objects of their severest denunciation, but 
 he braved all opposition and continued paint- 
 ing canvases that are now among the treasures 
 of the Louvre, where hangs his greatest tri- 
 umph,"The Wreck of the Medusa." Gericault 
 was not the fighter that Delacroix was, but 
 rather shrank from conflict. He finally suc- 
 cumbed to the inevitable, and as the result of 
 privation and neglect passed away in the 
 prime of life. The Walters gallery is enriched 
 by one canvas by him, a study of a lion, very 
 beautiful and showing the somber depth of 
 his coloring. 
 
 Crouched upon the earth with his head erect 
 is a magnificent lion. He is in his den and seems 
 as if watching for prey. The rich, warm,yellow- 
 ish brown color of his skin and its texture are 
 splendidly painted. The light,striking him full 
 in the face, gives accent to a creamy white spot 
 on his nose. The shadows on the animal are 
 wonderfully painted and are lost into the sur- 
 
 63 
 
 "When drawn from 
 his habitual reserve, 
 Gericault was so 
 cordial that one re- 
 tained in his heart a 
 warm impression of it 
 for the entire day, 
 yet he never painted " 
 woman, child or 
 sunlight. * 'If I begin 
 a woman/ he once 
 said, 'she becomes a 
 lion under my pencil.' " 
 Chesneau 
 
 No. 162 
 'LION IN REPOSE" 
 
GERICAULT 
 
 "He probably first 
 turned Delacroix's pow- 
 ers into the romantic 
 channel in the re- 
 bellion against the lad 
 for the antique." 
 Critique 
 
 "Delacroix is a com- 
 plete artist. He 
 feels and understands 
 music in a manner 
 so superior that it 
 would have made him 
 a great musician 
 had he not chosen 
 rather to be a great 
 painter. He is an 
 equally good judge of 
 literature; few minds 
 are so accomplished and 
 clear as his." 
 George Sand 
 
 rounding gloom with telling effect. The back- 
 ground is dark and gloomy and of a transpar- 
 ent olive color. There is a sullen expression 
 throughout the entire picture, and a power so 
 subtle lies underneath what is so graphically 
 expressed on the surface that it transports one 
 to the wild habitation of the king of beasts. 
 
 UGENE DELACROIX 
 ,There is a strange fasci- 
 nation about the art of 
 i Delacroix. He was the 
 ( central figure around 
 .which the men of 1830 
 fwere grouped. The hom- 
 age paid to him was the 
 'result of purely artistic, 
 not personal, enthusiasm, 
 for no man ever gained an entrance to the 
 privacy that he threw around him. Delacroix 
 lived within himself. He felt that he had a 
 mission to fulfill, and having grave apprehen- 
 sions as to his health his sole thought was for 
 the power to labor. This was made possible by 
 a competency from his father which enabled 
 him to work without interruption. His life, 
 like his art, was characterized by simplicity. 
 He was drawn to Gericault by a sympathy 
 that was mutual. To Delacroix the painter of 
 the "Medusa" was little less than divine. 
 
 The genius of Delacroix has been likened to 
 that of Shakespeare. Possessing a subtle con- 
 ception, he had the mental grasp that enabled 
 him to perform with ease tasks which cost 
 others great labor. The very essence of his art 
 was the dramatic. The tragedy of life thrilled 
 his canvas. The passion with which he painted 
 everything, the color which he sounded to its 
 very depths these with an ever fertile imagi- 
 nation, were concentrated into every thing 
 64 
 
that emanated from his hands. He accom- 
 plished a life work that will be an example to 
 the artists of future generations. Gericault had 
 fallen in the fight ; poverty had eaten up his 
 vital forces. Eugene Delacroix, taking the 
 banner from his stilled hands, carried it on to 
 triumph, placing it, by the force of his sublime 
 genius, at an altitude that shall never be low- 
 ered by time, or conditions. It is immortal. 
 The art of Delacroix was an enigma to the 
 rigid classicists. It was born of the heart, and 
 had the rich warm blood of human life cours- 
 ing through it. This was in direct opposition 
 to the cold formalism of their purely mental art. 
 He was the target at which the bitterest an- 
 athemas were ever hurled. He was mentally 
 burned at the stake. So far as the effect on him 
 was concerned it was like the beating of the 
 winds against the Rock of Gibraltar. Dela- 
 croix worked on, step by step, and by force of 
 labor directed by genius beat down the battle- 
 ments erected by prejudice. Like Nero of old, 
 he sat smiling on the ruins of classicism, amid 
 his bitterest enemies. His admission to the In- 
 stitute was to him the crowning glory of his life, 
 and for the first time joy broke through the re- 
 serve with which he surrounded himself. For 
 fifty years he had worked with singleness of 
 purpose; often putting two days' work into one, 
 lest the disease that preyed on his vitals should 
 still his hand on the morrow. As he entered 
 the battle, he met the Conqueror, conscious of 
 having fulfilled a mission, knowing that his 
 works, that were bristling with life, would live. 
 He had lived alone, so, when death came, he 
 asked the same privilege of privacy. Calm and 
 collected, thoroughly self-possessed, he passed 
 out. The hand that had guided the brush filled 
 with living colors lay still. Death sealed his lips 
 
 65 
 
 DELACROIX 
 
 "He saw his subject as 
 a whole, not as the 
 portrait of a group of 
 selected and isolated 
 objects. * The others 
 appear trivial and 
 superficial beside him. 
 To the day of his 
 death he was an object 
 of formal reprobation 
 to the old-fashioned 
 critics, who endeavored 
 to keep alive, like 
 superannuated vestals, 
 the fading Same on the 
 altar of con- 
 ventionalism." 
 
 Henry James, Jr. 
 
DELACROIX 
 
 No. 74 
 
 "CHRIST ON THE 
 CROSS" 
 
 "His Christ has lived, 
 his flesh has thrilled, 
 his heart has bled 
 in truth; he is the in- 
 carnation of all 
 martyrdom, of a con- 
 summate crime left in 
 the midst of 
 indifferent nature." 
 Wolff 
 
 "This artist possesses 
 
 in addition to the 
 
 poetic imagination, 
 
 which is common to 
 
 the painter and the 
 
 writer, the art 
 
 imagination which is 
 
 quite distinct from 
 
 the other. He throws 
 
 in his figures, groups 
 
 them, bends them 
 
 to his will, with the 
 
 boldness of Michael 
 
 Angelo, and the wealth 
 
 of Rubens." 
 
 M. Thiers 
 
 with a smile. Another great soul had gone into 
 the realms of the beautiful. 
 
 His "Christ on the Cross" is one of the great- 
 est pictures in the collection and one of the tri- 
 umphs of modern art; yes, of all art, both on ac- 
 count of the simplicity of its conception and the 
 manner in which it is painted. The larger part 
 of the canvas is occupied by the figure of Christ, 
 which hangs on the cross; the only accessories 
 introduced being two or three figures that are 
 merely incidental. In this picture there are 
 none of the conventionalities of composition 
 that usually serve to touch the religious emo- 
 tions, but there is instead a dramatic force that 
 is born only of a great soul. The terrible trag- 
 edy of the incident is brought before you with 
 such power that you realize the awfulness of 
 the event; you shudder,you lose the sense of the 
 limitations of the little canvas and are brought 
 face to face with the real. No sympathetic 
 groups, no brutality, no mockery or tortures 
 are introduced as a means of telling the story. 
 Instead, everything is expressed in the simple 
 figure suspended from the cross. There is no 
 attempt to realize the Divine ideal, nor do you 
 feel that the artist has in any way sought to ex- 
 press Divinity, yet there is in this great figure 
 the stamp, the seal of the Divine that came from 
 the creative power of the artist. The surround- 
 ings are sublimely dramatic. Nature seems to 
 have taken on the conditions of the hour; gloom 
 hangs over the desolate scene. Far away, as if 
 trying to hide her face, the sun is bathed in a 
 weird ruddy light, adding a powerful note to 
 the picture. You could take the figure out of the 
 canvas and still have one of the most complete 
 expressions of gloom ever painted,or you could 
 place the figure alone anywhere and it would 
 still be one of the most impressive pieces of 
 66 
 
dramatic painting in all the realms of art. In- DELACROIX 
 
 deed, this picture will stand beside the noblest 
 
 works of any epoch. NO. 145 
 
 The "Jesus on the Sea of Galilee," like the "JESUS ON THE SEA 
 " Christ on the Cross," was one of the One 
 
 Hundred Masterpieces of French art. In this i(He drew his subjects 
 
 picture you see Delacroix in his most impas- from scou, Byron, 
 
 sioned mood. Here you have the wonderful shakspere and Goethe, 
 
 J . , ., , _ , . . and was the equal to 
 
 technique that made him the ideal of the artist. a ii of them. He 
 This is the picture that was chosen by the art- * e F r 
 ists of Paris as expressing in the highest degree ing color. * His 
 *e art of Delacroix. ^S 
 
 While this picture has in it the same high and color. * it is 
 note that characterizes the "Christ on the the id^i tormented 
 Cross," yet it is not so full of the subjective ' I he3 P 'hiie Gamier 
 qualities that are supreme in the latter. The 
 execution is fine in every respect and the color 
 is beautiful in its simplicity. The tones are 
 somber and expressive, the handling passion- 
 ate. The brush is pushed here and there, swing- 
 ing, twirling, whirling, always obeying the dic- 
 tates of a powerful brain ; realizing at once the 
 terrible,heaving movementof the storm-tossed 
 waves. The wind, the lashing and flapping of 
 the sails, the action everywhere, show the 
 wonderful ability of this strange genius. The 
 fishermen are busy trying to adjust the sails, 
 while Jesus sleeps at the prow of the boat. The 
 boat, sails and figures compose a heterogene- 
 ous mass of reddish yellowish brown color, 
 which is finely relieved against the greenish 
 tones of the sea, forming a beautiful harmony. 
 The sky is overcast with sullen, windy clouds. 
 Away in the distance a ledge of rocks comes 
 up against the sky. Everything is full of action. 
 The hush and stillness of death is felt in the 
 "Christ on the Cross," but in this picture is 
 the real animated life of nature. There are no 
 strong contrasts of light and shade. A deep feel- 
 
 67 
 
DELACROIX 
 
 No. 253 
 "LION AND 
 SERPENT" 
 
 "Although forming his 
 
 style on Rubens, 
 
 Tintoretto and the 
 
 English school, 
 
 Delacroix, whose head 
 
 looked like a sick 
 
 lion's, is a genius who 
 
 must always remain 
 
 alone." 
 
 Jules Breton 
 
 "I find the sighs of the 
 damned in the pictures 
 of Delacroix. In 
 looking at his paint- 
 ings I feel the want 
 of sun, of health, flow- 
 ers and pure air, of 
 life without fear." 
 Thomas Couture 
 
 ing underlies everything. The color is power- 
 ful in its tone and richness. In fact, you feel 
 that the artist has realized -with directness and 
 force everything at which he aimed. 
 
 A bit of nature in her wildest condition, a 
 place where the foot of man has never trod, is 
 seen in the "Lion and Serpent." Lying on the 
 sand of a desolate sea-shore is a huge lion, 
 whose size and massive strength are wonder- 
 fully painted. With one of his ponderous paws 
 he holds a serpent to the ground, leaving it just 
 room enough to move its head. The tortured 
 reptile hisses with rage, while the lion, with 
 head turned, as if listening, snarls in return. 
 As a piece of drawing and painting it is certain- 
 ly marvelous. The bone structure, the muscu- 
 lar strength, and the sense of size and weight, 
 are painted with great power. There is an air 
 of almost playfulness in the expression and at- 
 titude of the lion, yet he would be ugly in an 
 instant, should the serpent give him cause. Just 
 back of the lion, a huge, dark rock forms a back- 
 ground into which the outlines of his head are 
 lost, while back of this you get a glimpse of a 
 wild and desolate stretch of sea. The whole 
 picture is somber, and the tones form a har- 
 mony of strange weirdness. One feels that this 
 picture is the direct result of a powerful mood, 
 a something that was within the man finding 
 expression through the medium of his art. It 
 is a little picture of wonderful fascination and 
 would of itself have established the reputation 
 of Delacroix. Although painted in water-colors 
 it has a depth that is wonderful, and there is in 
 it the same dramatic qualities that are in the 
 "Christ on the Cross," and the "Sea of Galilee," 
 the same desolate weirdness. The marvelous 
 grasp of the subject and the ease with which 
 he expressed himself are delightful. 
 68 
 
At the foot of some lonely hills two men are 
 engaged in deadly combat. Both are mounted. 
 Their horses, rearing and plunging, are full of 
 violent action that is in keeping with the scene. 
 It is a masterpiece of drawing, full of the pas- 
 sionate genius that characterized Delacroix, 
 and painted with greatbreadth. Every strokeof 
 the brush is driven with telling force, and there 
 is the sureness, the confidence that make his 
 pictures always strong. The coloring though 
 subdued is very rich. The fierceness of the 
 combatants finds an echo in every part of the 
 canvas. There is always in his pictures a cen- 
 tral thought. In this one you have a part of the 
 drama of life in her more barbaric condition. 
 It is an incident of the Orient, told by one who 
 was one of the greatest creative forces in the 
 art of the century. 
 
 DELACROIX 
 
 No. 113 
 "THE COMBAT" 
 
 "He treats color as 
 Michael Angelo did de- 
 sign. He discharges 
 it in a burst of fire- 
 works. No pupil can 
 follow him. His 
 pictures overpower 
 you by their fury of 
 brush. The large and 
 terrible pleased him 
 most." 
 
 Jarves 
 
 This artist was a man of 
 refined intellectual tem- 
 perament, whose tastes, 
 pure and elevated, natur- 
 ally fittedhimfor associa- 
 tion with the learned and 
 distinguished men of his 
 times. He was a devoted 
 friend ofGericault and 
 Delacroix. His father was an artist of ability 
 and his mother distinguished as an amateur, 
 so the son was thoroughly imbued with a taste 
 for art. His early pictures, which were large- 
 ly chosen from the poets, were received with 
 great pleasure. He himself was a poet in his 
 way, being a master of the epic style in art and 
 dealing in themes that were sublime. His com- 
 positions are chaste and dignified and his pict- 
 ures, though often deficient in color, appeal to 
 the intellect rather than to the emotions. The 
 
 69 
 
SCHEFFER 
 
 . No. 65 
 
 "CHRIST WEEPING 
 OVER JERUSALEM" 
 
 "Ary Scheffer was not 
 
 alone an artist, he 
 
 was a mind, a heart, 
 
 a character; a mind 
 
 open to all culture, all 
 
 graces, all enthusiasms; 
 
 a heart tender, 
 
 generous, devoted. * * 
 
 Have I told how 
 
 sweetland^true'were 
 
 his friendships, how 
 
 solid and charming his 
 
 conversations, how 
 
 sincere, indulgent and 
 
 faithful his affections?" 
 
 Louis Viardot 
 
 latter part of his career was devoted entirely 
 to religious subjects, chosen from the historic 
 events of the Bible. He was a true and gener- 
 ous friend, and exemplified in his life charity 
 in its highest and most unselfish meaning. 
 
 In his "Christ Weeping Over Jerusalem" we 
 have a beautiful example of the ideal Jesus. 
 The face, pure and noble in type, is remarkable 
 in many ways and is classed as one of his fin- 
 est creations. It is dignified, refined in feature 
 and has nothing that would indicate that more 
 modern interpretation which delineates and 
 accents the Son-of-Man idea. He stands front- 
 ing you, his head turned slightly to the right, 
 as if looking down upon the damned city. His 
 face, though delicate in feature, is of a tawny 
 hue which tells of an out-of-door life. There is 
 a firmness, an almost sternness in his face, yet 
 you feel that underneath there is the spirit of 
 kindness. The picture contains nothing paint- 
 ed to catch the eye, hence you must study it 
 before it unfolds to you all the beauty it pos- 
 sesses. You are at once conscious of the seri- 
 ous devotion of the artist to his subject. It has 
 the noble dignity of a Raphael, minus the Ital- 
 ian's human touch and sensitive feeling for 
 color. The folds of the drapery belong to that 
 period when the characterization of stuffs was 
 regarded as being unworthy of an artist's at- 
 tention. Surrounded as this picture is by more 
 modern works of art, in which a nearer ap- 
 proach is made to nature, to life as it is, it 
 always has a strange effect. It holds its place 
 with a dignity that suggests the appearance of 
 a refined specimen of the old-school type of 
 gentlemen among a group of the varied types 
 of to-day. 
 
 70 
 
UGfeNE 
 
 Isabey was a great paint- 
 er; in some respects, one 
 of the best of modern 
 ^Frenchmen. Hewassuc- 
 cessful both in marine 
 nd figure pictures, and 
 i in the interpretation of 
 the ocean in her more im- 
 passioned moods he was 
 
 supreme. He seemed to possess those emo- 
 tions to an intense degree which made him sus- 
 ceptible to the storm in all its terrible grandeur. 
 
 As a painter of pictures in which many figures 
 
 are introduced, he has no equal in modern art. 
 
 He loved rich, brilliant masses of color, and in 
 
 the painting of red in light he was especially 
 
 successful. He had the gift of painting large 
 
 groups in masses, wherein they cling together 
 
 and depend upon one another rather than are 
 
 subordinate to the development of an indi- 
 vidual figure. In this he is original, and in 
 
 this peculiarity his figure pictures are of untold 
 
 value to the student of painting, especially at 
 
 the present time, when minute realism, or the 
 
 direct opposite, extreme impressionism, seems 
 
 to predominate in the schools. Isabey was an 
 
 artist who relied on his own genius and sought 
 
 not to avoid that intense study of nature which 
 
 alone insures great art. His figure pictures 
 
 bear the stamp of a refined genius, and reflect 
 
 the elegance of days that are no more. NO. 163 
 
 One of the best examples of this master's "DEPARTURE OF 
 
 art and one of his best pieces of painting pure 
 
 and simple, is "Elisabeth leaving France for 
 
 Spain, to become the wife of Philip II." After 
 
 fifteen years of effort this picture has been 
 
 secured, and the lovers of art who find joy in 
 
 this collection will be delighted with this new 
 
ISABEY 
 
 "He has warm color, 
 a sparkling facility. His 
 smallest sketch, his 
 roughest design, re- 
 veals the true artist and 
 has no need of a 
 name to be recognized, 
 every brush stroke is 
 a signature. * * He 
 is original and creates 
 a microcosm of all 
 his pieces in which he 
 displays his talent." 
 Gautier 
 
 friend. In this painting will be found a depth 
 of color that would do honor to Rembrandt. 
 Add to the fire, the brilliancy of a Rubens, Is- 
 abey's individual genius, and you have the true 
 measure of the picture. Elisabeth is taking 
 leave of her home. The front of the palace is 
 gaily decorated with national colors; every- 
 thing wears a holiday aspect. An elegantly 
 equipped conveyance stands at the stairway. 
 The fine white horse is impatiently awaiting 
 her coming, as if conscious of the importance 
 of the occasion. The coachman sits on his box, 
 feeling the dignity of his position. On reaching 
 the lower steps, the memories of her home, the 
 thought of leaving it forever, bear heavily on 
 Elisabeth's heart, and overcome with emotion, 
 she swoons. She is supported by her maids, 
 and surrounded by courtiers and friends. All 
 is bustle and excitement; all seek to give such 
 assistance as is possible. The stairway lead- 
 ing down from the palace is filled with people 
 in gorgeous costumes wherein red predomi- 
 nates. The future Queen is dressed in a cos- 
 tume of wonderful purple red. Surrounding 
 this color are masses of brilliant red, brown, 
 white, and citron, jewels and broad laces, all 
 in the light, making luscious masses of color- 
 ing. The upper part of this wonderful group of 
 figures is in shadow and reveals the splendid 
 skill possessed by the painter. These figures, 
 although no especial attempt has been made at 
 modeling or rounding them out, are yet perfect 
 in this respect; they hold their places as a part 
 of the shadow, yet come out beautiful in draw- 
 ing. Amid clouds of ethereal blue that hang in 
 the upper part of the picture, a train of young 
 loves float gracefully down, scattering roses 
 over the scene. One hovers over the door of 
 the royal coach, while another has entered, 
 72 
 
his little rosy feet protruding out of the open 
 door. A handsome young page stands beside 
 the horse. All around, filling the canvas, are 
 the attendants, joining in the brilliancy of the 
 scene. It is a gala throng. Painted with the 
 sympathy of a poet, the richness of the color, 
 the painting of the deep shadows, the great 
 skill with which it is drawn, the absolute truth 
 with which the tones are placed, make it not 
 only one of the best of pictures, but a canvas 
 of great educational value to the art student. 
 "After the Storm" is a piece of sea painting 
 that has in it all of the great qualities spoken of 
 in the former picture. Added to them is the fact 
 that it represents nature in one of her most sub- 
 lime moods. The vitality of the picture, the 
 rendering of this grand atmospheric phenome- 
 non, is as true as could be. There is a somber- 
 ness, afierceness, that almost takes one'sbreath 
 away. In the midst of a wild tumultuous sea, 
 a small sail boat and a row boat are seen. 
 They are freighted with people escaped from a 
 wreck, who seem to be casting about for help. 
 The volume of the storm has passed; the wa- 
 ters have quieted somewhat, but they are still 
 wild and boisterous, and lashing furiously. The 
 wind, blowing a perfect gale, causes the boat to 
 tip to a dangerous angle. Away back in the dis- 
 tance you see the storm that has just passed, in 
 all its furious and terrible grandeur. The black, 
 ominous clouds dip and mingle with the ele- 
 ments of the water. Joining their forces, they 
 sweep away all obstructions that come within 
 their path. It is late afternoon; the gloom of 
 night gathers. Far in the distant sky a rift is 
 torn in the clouds, through which a beam of 
 light touches, like a ray of hope, the human 
 beings who are at the mercy of the waves. An- 
 other ray bursts through the clouds near the 
 
 73 
 
 ISABEY 
 
 No. 62 
 
 "AFTER THE 
 STORM" 
 
 "He was royal marine 
 painter of the expedi- 
 tion to Algiers in 1830, 
 and-at his death, 
 1886, still stood first 
 among the painters of 
 marines." 
 
 Stranahan 
 
ISABEY horizon. This one touches the tops of the waves 
 here and there, finally resting on the boat and 
 sails, transforming them into wondrous beau- 
 ty, and bringing them effectively against the 
 somber purpling gloom of the storm. Power- 
 ful in color, great in its solemnity, it is indeed 
 the vast and mighty ocean in its grandest ex- 
 pression. All the forces of nature seem con- 
 vulsed, the sky is lost amid the furiousness of 
 the waves, and all join in a harmony of force 
 that seems hopeless to life or to anything that 
 should come under its influence. To the writer 
 this is one of the most fascinating revelations 
 of the wild power of a storm ever painted. It 
 speaks plainly of the genius of the artist. As 
 long as the fabric of this canvas shall hold to- 
 gether, or a ray of its wondrous light shall meet 
 the eye, the genius of Eugene Isabey will need 
 no monument, no memorial. 
 
IV 
 
 'LEXANDRE GABRI- 
 >EL DECAMPS*^^: 
 'No painter of modern 
 |times had a stranger 
 ^nature than Decamps. 
 [There was something 
 /so uncontrollable in his 
 [strongly artistic temper- 
 .ament. He "was like a 
 (song bird that flies here 
 and there as its feelings prompt, in perfect free- 
 dom, and while his nature may have lacked 
 in those qualities of persistence that would 
 have enabled him to undergo hard and perse- 
 vering study, who knows but that, after all, 
 the world has gained by it? He came upon 
 the stage of life when art had been plodding 
 through long and weary years of hard, aca- 
 demic control, a period during which feeling, 
 especially that sensitive feeling which comes 
 from the unfathomed depths of nature, was 
 completely smothered by the dogmatic as- 
 sumption that for years had held up to men 
 the mummies of the dead past, instead of di- 
 recting them to the source from which all great 
 art has received its inspiration. In saying this 
 I do not mean to undervalue the art of the past; 
 far from it. The Greeks drew their inspiration 
 from the nature about them, a nature that was 
 grand in its physical development. And those 
 Dutchmen why did they paint as no one had 
 
 75 
 
DECAMPS 
 
 "French art of the first 
 
 half of our century 
 
 has inscribed the name 
 
 of Decamps in its 
 
 peerage, to complete 
 
 the roll of the elect 
 
 of born painters 
 
 those who caused the 
 
 phalanx of 1830 to be 
 
 owned as one of the 
 
 finest groups of 
 
 superior artists of which 
 
 any epoch can boast." 
 
 Albert Wolff 
 
 No. 116 
 'THE SUICIDE" 
 
 done before? Because they were close to na- 
 ture and were drawn to her by sympathy. Un- 
 der these conditions Decamps came into the 
 world. He was a living reproach to cold form- 
 alism, and was so strong in his assertion as an 
 artist that he lifted art up to an elevation where 
 the eye could sweep over vast fields of beauty 
 that had been longing for recognition. He loved 
 nature and would spend days roaming about 
 with his gun on his shoulder, though he was 
 never known to harm anything. Instead, he 
 returned from his communion with her loaded 
 with the pollen from her flowers,which he dis- 
 tilled into the delicious things that are treas- 
 ured by the connoisseurs of all climes. A hid- 
 den mystery always infused into his work 
 gives it a strong personality. The only picture 
 by him in this collection, "The Suicide," is in 
 subject of the most morbid type, yet there is a 
 fascination about it so strange and unusual that 
 one can not help returning and searching for it. 
 Lying on a couch in a dark, dingy studio is 
 seen the form of a young artist, cold in death. 
 He has taken that which no man can replace. 
 On the floor is a pistol. The room is shrouded 
 in a gloom whose depths are filled with mys- 
 terious stillness; a silence so intense that it 
 would almost be broken by the pulsations of 
 one's heart. The gloom is disturbed by a single 
 ray of light, slanting across the room. It strikes 
 the corner of a chair and falls on the shoulder 
 of the man, lighting the white shirt into bold 
 relief. On the shirt and down the side of the 
 bed you see the crimson life blood that has 
 trickled from the wound. In the dimness of 
 the background is an easel on which hangs a 
 palette; brushes and tools lie on the mantel. 
 These are the simple elements of the picture. 
 There is in it, however, a masterly power that 
 76 
 
has never been surpassed. The entire figure 
 is painted and modeled in shadow, a thing that 
 very few have succeeded in doing. It is one 
 thing to paint a figure in a low tone and call it 
 shadow, but to make that same figure develop 
 into a roundly modeled form, and still keep its 
 value as a part of the shadow, is of itself a tri- 
 umph that comes from the divine realms of 
 genius. It is not the subject of the picture that 
 fascinates you, nor is it a realism in which the 
 horrible is depicted. 'What holds you is the 
 great power with which the occult and mys- 
 terious nature of Decamps solved the prob- 
 lems of light, dark and color. 
 
 UGENE FROMEN- 
 TIN*^; Strong and pure, 
 f one of the most refined 
 and beautiful characters 
 |Of modern French art 
 i was Eugene Fromentin. 
 ,His intellect was of the 
 i finest fiber, and of such 
 quality as to make him 
 sensitive to the soul of 
 things; of which he wrote and painted with 
 equal power. The surface, to such a man, can 
 never satisfy; he must go deeper. Eugene 
 Fromentin was not only a poet but a reformer, 
 and a living reproach to the so-called Oriental- 
 ists who affected the East even in dress and 
 speech, and slapped the public in the face with 
 their vulgar performances, full of loud coloring 
 and theatrical effects, the issues of distorted 
 imaginations. Being enamored of the East, the 
 joy of his life was to paint her, which he did 
 with a beauty and refinement born only of the 
 poetic mind. His pictures have those distinc- 
 tive, artistic qualities that come from an in- 
 tense love of nature. He loved the wild, rov- 
 
 77 
 
 DECAMPS 
 
 "Small and delicately 
 constituted; his face 
 striking in its 
 expression; his eyes 
 magnificent; his con- 
 versation like his 
 paintings and writ- 
 ings brilliant and 
 strong, solid, colored, 
 full. One could listen 
 to him all one's life. 
 Happy those who 
 live in the intimacy of 
 this man, exquisite 
 in every respect." 
 
 George Sand 
 
FROMENTIN 
 
 "Thanks to the con- 
 quest, Fromentin is 
 able to be an African 
 without ceasing to 
 be a Frenchman, and 
 if he distinctly 
 affirms his taste for 
 the life of the desert, 
 his painted and 
 written works 
 manifest the most 
 delicate and refined 
 sentiment of a Parisian 
 of pure ancestry." 
 Rene Menard 
 
 "He paints in two 
 
 languages, and is an 
 
 amateur in neither. 
 
 The two are in 
 
 perfect accord; he 
 
 passes from one to the 
 
 other with facility." 
 
 Saint-Beuve 
 
 No. 57 
 'THE HALT" 
 
 ing Arab, whose life was as free as the air he 
 breathed. No man has painted the Arabian 
 horses with greater beauty than he. It was the 
 dream of his life to paint them perfectly; to us, 
 he succeeded, but he could not satisfy himself. 
 Into his pictures he introduced the beautiful 
 silvery atmosphere that characterizes this 
 country, and which in his pictures is exhilarat- 
 ing in the extreme. His drawing is universally 
 strong, his coloring fine. In his pictures you 
 will find no great contrasts of light and dark; 
 they are limited to a few tones whose relation- 
 ship is so perfectly rendered that it gives them 
 a strength so remarkable that they will stand 
 beside the work of any master. In the paint- 
 ing of skies he had no superior; they are always 
 delicate and light, so ethereal and poetical. He 
 did not possess the wild rugged genius of Dela- 
 croix or the strange weirdness of Decamps, but 
 in his quiet, modest way won for himself a 
 permanent place in the higher circle of the art 
 world. 
 
 ' 'The Halt" is in this respect one of his great- 
 est triumphs. Indeed, it is in every respect one 
 of his best, and truly represents his individu- 
 ality and best manner. On a hillside are some 
 massive white buildings, plain yet beautiful in 
 their construction. About the center of these 
 buildings is a tower more elevated than the 
 other parts, thus breaking up the lines. To- 
 ward the left of the picture you get a glimpse 
 of a distance supreme in its beauty, stretching 
 out as it does into leagues and miles. The en- 
 tire landscape merges into a sky that is light 
 and of a tender blue, through whose ethereal 
 beauty vapory clouds joyously course their 
 way, clouds so thin and translucent that you 
 can see the sky through them. There is such 
 a feeling of love shown in the painting of this 
 78 
 
sky. It is real heat, light, air, space. In a court- 
 yard are several groups of Arabs and their 
 steeds. These groups are just as they might 
 have happened. The figures and animals show 
 much refined beauty. They have halted to re- 
 fresh both man and beast. Each group is fine, 
 yet only a part of the -whole. There is no affec- 
 tation, no posing. It is an incident of the Ori- 
 ent, as seen and felt by Fromentin, whose very 
 nature seemed to harmonize with the Eastern 
 subjects, and whose artistic temperament en- 
 abled him to reach that which no other artist 
 ever had attained. 
 
 "When you see this picture, congratulate 
 yourself. It is Fromentin; you have seen him 
 at his best. 
 
 While not as great a representative work of 
 the artist as the other, the " Encampment on 
 the Atlas Mountains " is yet a picture of won- 
 derful beauty. There is a pale greenish blue 
 tone running through it that is unsurpassed, a 
 tone peculiar to Fromentin and said to be true 
 to the Orient. Another thing about the picture 
 is the relationship of the life to the landscape. 
 There is a wild ruggedness found here that is 
 not a part of "The Halt." In the distance, 
 ledges of rugged mountains loom up against 
 the sky. There is a wildness so true to nature 
 here that you feel the real grandeur and almost 
 desolation of the country. The mountains, ris- 
 ing one after another, are broken by valleys, 
 crevasses, and flat plains; the varied tones of 
 the mingling of rocks and verdure form into a 
 wonderful effect of color. The mountains are 
 bathed in a tender atmosphere that floats about 
 them, lending a beautiful hazy blue to their 
 shadows. In the foreground, on a hillside, are 
 Arabs encamped. It is nature with her real 
 "out-of-doors" effect, of which Fromentin was 
 
 79 
 
 FROMENTIN 
 
 No. 81 
 
 'AN ENCAMPMENT 
 
 ON THE ATLAS 
 
 MOUNTAINS" 
 
 "In Fromentin the 
 draughtsman caught 
 the most admirable 
 movements; the colorist 
 saw the matter with 
 his choice sense of 
 hue; and the poet, for 
 his part, added some 
 mysterious, delicious 
 reverie to the composi- 
 tions borne off from 
 the suggestions of act- 
 uality. See The 
 Camp,' for instance; 
 you fancy you hear the 
 melancholy songs of 
 the Arab mixed with 
 the whinnyings of 
 the horses feed- 
 ing unbridled." 
 
 Wolff 
 
"He is, to give him 
 
 his right name, one of 
 
 the enchanters." 
 
 Wolff 
 
 No. 38 
 "AT THE WELL' 
 
 FROMENTIN a true interpreter. The eye sweeps over the 
 canvas finding only sensations of delight; re- 
 pose is everywhere. At first you are only in- 
 terested; but the picture grows on you, and 
 later you are charmed, as you feel the quiet 
 persuasive genius of Fromentin stealing over 
 you. 
 
 "The Well" is a canvas that has much of the 
 feeling of "The Falconer," the picture that has 
 made permanent Fromentin's place in art. 
 Against a mass of cool, velvety foliage, of a 
 transparent green of great richness, are some 
 Arabs with horses, who have halted at a well. 
 These figures are broadly and feelingly paint- 
 ed. There is a touch of strangeness about the 
 picture that is very fascinating, and in it is 
 found all the refinement of Fromentin's beau- 
 tiful temperament. It is a small canvas with a 
 very simple color scheme, only blue,white and 
 dark green; yet it is as big as all out-doors and 
 is worthy of careful study and appreciation. 
 The painting of the horses in this picture is in 
 Fromentin's best manner, the white one being 
 especially notable. 
 
 HOMAS COUTURE 
 A painter and colorist of 
 rare attainment, Couture 
 was drawn to graceful- 
 ness and beauty, calling 
 attention to the beauties 
 of nature and making a 
 strong appeal to the 
 young artist for a higher 
 ideal. He was deeply op- 
 posed to the painting of extreme realism, and 
 while he was severe and sometimes almost 
 brutal in his criticism, was always an active 
 force for the better appreciation of those ideal 
 qualities which he possessed to a marked de- 
 80 
 
gree. He attained eminence at an early age 
 and held his power to the last. His selections 
 of types were always fine. They were painted 
 with great breadth and beauty of color. To 
 him all nature was teeming with beautiful 
 pictures, only waiting for the deft hand that 
 could interpret her true meaning. He loved 
 the flowers as they grew, saying, " Go paint 
 flowers as they grow in the field ; do not pluck 
 them, for they wither and die." Whatever may 
 have been his faults, Couture was a colorist 
 who was sensitive to the varied hues of all 
 things; as a painter of grace no modern has 
 surpassed him, and at times he reached a cli- 
 max that equaled the masters of any epoch. 
 
 There are two of his works in this collection 
 which possess these qualities in a marked de- 
 gree. "Horace and Lydia," a small canvas, has 
 in it some of the best flesh ever painted. On a 
 couch is seen the figure of Horace. On the side 
 towards you sits Lydia, whose arms entwine 
 the neck of Horace, her face buried in his 
 bosom. The upper part of the figure of Hor- 
 ace is nude, the lower part enveloped in blue 
 drapery. Lydia, whose back is turned to us, 
 is entirely nude. The warm, tender flesh color 
 in its varied tints, the beautiful swelling lines 
 of the figure, the wonderful breadth of draw- 
 ing, the solid modeling in the various masses 
 of light, are painted with such striking force 
 that the work would stand alongside that of 
 any of the great men of the past. Lydia's fig- 
 ure, whose delicate tints contrast with the 
 bronze figure of Horace, is broadly lighted and 
 both are accented by the figure of a servant 
 who stands just back of them pouring wine 
 from a ewer. It is one of the best Coutures in 
 this country, and in many respects this pict- 
 ure would hold its own anywhere. 
 
 81 
 
 COUTURE 
 
 "In a day when all 
 allegory, all lesson- 
 teaching in art, was 
 discarded by the heads 
 of the profession, de- 
 clared to be priggish, 
 and left to the prig, 
 Couture floated upon 
 the scene with a cloud 
 of most graceful, 
 most original, most 
 pointed fables, as novel 
 in manner, for our 
 day, as the keenness 
 of La Fontaine 
 was for his day." 
 
 Critique 
 
 No. 5 
 
 "HORACE AND 
 LYDIA" 
 
COUTURE 
 
 No. 151 
 "DAY DREAMS" 
 
 "Every canvas left by 
 Couture, from his 
 'Decadence' to his 
 'Pierrot' pictures, in- 
 volves a moral and an 
 epigram, always 
 delivered with this 
 refreshing fineness and 
 surprise of manner. 
 They make all our 
 other allegory-paint- 
 ers seem lumbering." 
 Critique 
 
 As an expression of the tenderness and grace 
 of boyhood, "Day Dreams" is a beautiful ex- 
 ample. Here is the refinement, the sentiment 
 often found in Couture's art, and for which he 
 so earnestly pleaded in his writings. The type 
 of this boy's face is one of extreme delicacy, 
 almost feminine in character. He is not a child 
 that 'will buffet the world and overcome ob- 
 stacles, but instead he possesses an ideality 
 of soul that may blossom into poetry or song. 
 To the realist this picture will say little be- 
 cause it is far removed from his way of see- 
 ing, but to one whose nature has been attuned 
 to the more ideal aspect of life, this beautiful 
 upturned face will always be a joy. In this pict- 
 ure Thomas Couture's better nature is freely 
 shown. It is a beautiful symbol of the child- 
 hood whose fancy sees wonder visions in the 
 rapidly changing hues of the bubble, as it 
 floats world-like above his head. How hard it 
 is for us to get away from this faculty of dream- 
 ing, and when we are freed from it how much 
 have we gained? This picture is as fine an ex- 
 ample of the beautiful in child life as one could 
 desire. The color is beautiful and refined; like- 
 wise the drawing. Running through the flesh 
 are those wonderful half tones that are a char- 
 acteristic of Couture's art. 
 
 HARLES GABRIEL 
 
 Incidents. 
 82 
 
 Gleyre was an indepen- 
 dent genius who followed 
 closelyhis own pure, 
 chaste and beautiful ide- 
 als. His works are varied 
 in subject, ranging from 
 the poetical to the gravest 
 of religious and historic 
 His style is 'graceful and full of 
 
dreamy sentiment; gifted with the inner sight 
 he delved into the dreamland of the poets. He 
 was a patient worker, avoiding the excitement 
 of publicity and living within his own realm 
 of thought. The one picture by Gleyre to be 
 seen here is acomposition painted from avision 
 he saw clairvoyantly while sitting on the banks 
 of the river Nile. It made such a lasting im- 
 pression upon him that eight years afterwards 
 he transferred it to canvas just as it appeared, 
 save that he introduced an ancient bard in the 
 place of himself. He called it "Lost Illusions." 
 At the right side of the picture, sitting in an 
 attitude of meditation, is the old poet, his right 
 arm resting on his knees, his left hanging aim- 
 lessly by his side. Underneath his hand and 
 lying on the ground are a lyre and a shepherd's 
 crook. He is intently gazing into space, with a 
 dreamy expression as if entranced, and his fig- 
 ure, dark and bronzed, is full of mystery. 
 Gliding by on the calm waters is an Egyptian 
 barge of graceful proportions. In the center of 
 it sits a beautiful girl who holds a scroll of 
 music. Back of her are a group of maidens and 
 in front of her are three others. To the left 
 stand two angels singing from a book, their 
 attitudes graceful and suggestive. To the right 
 stands a third group inspired with the spirit 
 of song, while sitting on the edge of the boat 
 is a beautiful nude boy, holding a wreath in 
 one hand and scattering roses on the surface 
 of the water with the other. Stretching out be- 
 yond is the river. Its bosom lies calm and un- 
 disturbed, bathed in a soft dreamy atmosphere, 
 while high up in the air some water fowls are 
 flying. The single sail at the prow of the barge 
 swells in the balmy breeze. The hush of even- 
 ing seems to hover over everything, broken 
 only by the Eolian harmonies. 
 
 83 
 
 GLEYRE 
 
 No. 8 
 'LOST ILLUSIONS' 
 
 "Gleyre loved original 
 things that one had 
 seriously thought out. 
 * He had the power 
 of giving clear 
 and comprehensible 
 form to poetic conceits 
 and fugitive fancies. 
 He was a 
 painter of dreams." 
 
 Stranahaii 
 
From a letter written 
 by Thomas Couture 
 upon hearing of 
 Fortuny's death: 
 "Oh, the beautiful 
 things! I dream of them 
 all night! They are 
 the life, the light, the 
 budding of spring, 
 the colors with which 
 God has painted his 
 flowers. It is not 
 painting, it is not work, 
 it is not human! 
 Butterflies have 
 brushed his canvas 
 with their wings, leav- 
 ing their gorgeousness 
 thereon, and the 
 fairies have pressed 
 their most beautiful 
 flowers to color it. 
 All sparkles with sun- 
 shine and genius! 
 All is transformed by 
 a magic prism. The 
 vulgar becomes poetic 
 the satire, amiable." 
 
 ARIANO FORTUNY 
 Meteor-like, Mariano 
 Fortuny appeared on the 
 horizon of the art world. 
 He came -with a new 
 thought, an idea that 
 gave an impetusto the de- 
 velopment of the art of 
 painting and completely 
 upset the dogmas andtra- 
 ditions of the schools. Intellectually strong, 
 brilliant and audacious, he was the apostle of 
 dazzling sunlight and forever settled the ques- 
 tion of the possibilities of painting real, vibrat- 
 ing light. While he was modest and reserved 
 as to his own powers, Fortuny evidently felt 
 he had a mission, a work to do, and he realized 
 above all things his own possibilities of attain- 
 ment. With a zeal and intense devotion to his 
 art, he found his greatest pleasure in the de- 
 veloping and unfolding of these powers, and 
 his hours of recreation found him working still. 
 He was a sensitive upon whose nature every- 
 thing made an impress. A lover of the beauti- 
 ful, his talents were as varied as the emotions 
 that he experienced. Although he passed away 
 at an early age, his accomplishments were 
 marvelous. As a painter, in all that goes to 
 make up that term, he was unsurpassed. In 
 luxury of color and light is his greatness. 
 He was the Chopin of painting, and like that 
 84 
 
wizard of the piano, his genius "was full of 
 strange harmonies and fantasies, and his bril- 
 liancy will continue to baffle the attempts of 
 lesser lights in the years to come. His gifts 
 were varied and in his painting he is two dis- 
 tinct characters. In one his skillful finish is 
 remarkable. In the other the weird occultism 
 of the Orient is brought before you with a 
 power never surpassed. What Fortuny might 
 have accomplished can only be surmised from 
 the wonderful success of his earth life. Just as 
 he was coming into the fullness of his powers 
 his brilliant spirit took its flight. At the age 
 of thirty-three he laid aside his brush. 
 
 "The Rare Vase" is a little picture of mar- 
 velous beauty. On a tall stand of elaborate 
 design rests a large vase of beautiful propor- 
 tions, on the surface of which decorative de- 
 signs are portrayed in rich colors, a revel of 
 red, blue, green and gold. Standing in the 
 center of the room is a connoisseur whose 
 every action expresses admiration for the 
 beauty and expression of the vase. He stands 
 with his feet firmly planted on the floor, his 
 head thrown back, and his eyes fairly danc- 
 ing with delight. His right hand rests on his 
 hip while in his left he holds a slender walk- 
 ing-stick, the end of which he unconsciously 
 puts to his mouth. In this little figure there 
 is some of the best drawing ever done. Look 
 at the way in which the knees are hinged and 
 the manner in which the hips and body rest 
 on the legs; in fact the solidity, firmness and 
 action of the entire figure. The costume fit- 
 ting the man snugly reveals perfectly the form 
 in all its beauty. In color, this little picture 
 is a harmony of beautiful tones. His vest and 
 trunks are of pale blue satin, his coat of a rich 
 green stuff lined with pink. These colors are 
 
 85 
 
 FORTUNY 
 
 No. 148 
 "THE RARE VASE" 
 
 Zamacois, on leaving 
 Fortuny' s studio, 
 where he had tried to 
 paint, exclaimed, 
 on reaching the garden, 
 "I can now breathe 
 freely, but I can not 
 do so where Mariano 
 paints! He absorbs 
 all the light, color and 
 air; in fact, he is 
 enough to disgust 
 one with one's own 
 work, for he is the only 
 one who can paint." 
 
 "Fortuny takes my 
 breath away. He is 
 master of us all. * * * 
 Oh, Fortuny! I can't 
 sleep for you." 
 
 Henri Regnault 
 
FORTUNY 
 
 No. 79 
 'AN ECCLESIASTIC' 
 
 No. 46 
 
 'HINDOO SNAKE 
 CHARMER" 
 
 relieved against a background of delicate 
 color and design. Just back of the figure is a 
 panel of a dark green, bluish tone against 
 which the green, blue and pink of the cos- 
 tume come most beautifully. This little pic- 
 ture, with its wonderful character, as ex- 
 pressed in the face and figure, its drawing and 
 painting of textures, its elegance and refine- 
 ment, is one of the first things of the kind in 
 existence, and in his more elaborate style, it 
 is one of Fortuny's best productions. 
 
 The remarkable little picture, "An Ecclesi- 
 astic," by the same painter, again displays 
 the character of the artist whose genius knew 
 no bounds. This painting is a canvas scarcely 
 six inches square, but on it is painted a great 
 big character. Here you have a type of face 
 of one in high authority, but happy withal; a 
 face that could wreathe in smiles with your 
 joy, or could shed tears of sympathy with a 
 sorrow. He is well stocked with good humor 
 and in the main enjoys life. The painting of the 
 face scarcely half an inch high is wonder- 
 ful in its drawing, modeling and firmness. 
 His form, which is large, is enveloped in a 
 scarlet robe; this is placed against a back- 
 ground of pure vermilion, a performance in 
 color that only Fortuny would dare attempt. 
 This canvas is so strongly painted that it easily 
 holds its own with the large and powerful can- 
 vases by which it is surrounded. 
 
 "The Hindoo Snake Charmer" is filled with 
 the strange occultism that permeates Hindoo 
 life. On a rug of rich coloring, in which green 
 and red prevail, a Hindoo lies stretched at 
 full length, resting on his elbows. His bare 
 arms, shoulders and legs are drawn and 
 modeled in the most perfect manner. In fact, 
 in these respects, this is one of the best figures 
 86 
 
of modern art. The muscles, tendons, bone 
 structure, the flesh with its wonderful texture 
 and marvelous coloring, are in Fortuny's best 
 manner. The tones of the flesh, which is of 
 a grayish brown color, are so perfect in their 
 relations to each other that you have real life 
 before you. He holds in his right hand a 
 slender reed with which he teases a large 
 snake directly in front of him. The snake 
 seems completely under control. Beyond this 
 figure sits a man whose whole figure is wrap- 
 ped in mystery ; his form is enveloped in dark 
 drapery, and over his head is a bit of red cloth 
 which completely shadows his face. This fig- 
 ure, on account of the uncertain weird way 
 in which it is rendered, is a great factor in the 
 sentiment of the picture. Just in front of these 
 two figures stands a "marabou," the sacred 
 bird of India, with legs astride the snake. He 
 is the picture of sleepy indifference. Near the 
 front of the picture is a copper ewer and basin 
 whose polished surfaces are in contrast with 
 the textures of other objects. In the myste- 
 rious and shadowy distance you see several 
 figures grouped about a fire whose smoke curls 
 up in pale bluish tones against the dark back- 
 ground, which extends far back until lost in 
 the gloomy sky that hovers ominously over 
 all. It is a grand rendition of the East. Its 
 wondrous influences, that have baffled the 
 painters of all nations, found an interpreter in 
 the remarkable nature of Fortuny. Every 
 touch of color adds a note to the mystery of 
 this picture. There is a sober greenish-gray 
 tone about it that is full of expression. This, 
 with the subdued, yet powerful, color scheme, 
 the masterly skill with which the figures are 
 painted, and the absolutely true relationship 
 of tones, make "The Snake Charmer" one of 
 
 87 
 
 FORTUNY 
 
 "What Chopin is to 
 music, it appears to us 
 that Fortuny is to 
 art, and both of them 
 have more of the 
 gypsy wildness and 
 strangeness of Spain 
 in their works than 
 of the sweet, classical 
 composure of Italy, 
 or of the sharp, grace- 
 ful esprit of France." 
 Critique in Art 
 Journal, 1875 
 
FORTUNY 
 
 NO. 120 
 SPAIN 1812" 
 
 strongest pictures in the collection. It is, 
 perhaps, as fine an expression of Fortuny'sart 
 as is in this country, particularly of his broad 
 manner of painting. Here there is a sacrifice 
 of detail where it would mean nothing, but in 
 the parts where it is essential, it is placed with 
 telling force. From a technical standpoint, 
 this picture is full of valuable lessons to the 
 student of painting, and to such a one the life 
 of Fortuny will be a stimulus because, of his 
 persistent devotion to the development of his 
 talents, an exemplification of the fact that 
 genius is labor. 
 
 DUARD ZAMACOIS 
 A remarkable painter, a 
 splendid draughtsman 
 and a man whose art was 
 of great elegance and fin- 
 ish was the Spanish mas- 
 'ter, Eduard Zamacois. 
 He was a pupil of Meis- 
 sonier, and possessed a 
 genius that has been lik- 
 ened to that of Moliere. Underneath and play- 
 ing through his art is often found a satire that 
 is keen and cutting. His color, which was rich 
 and brilliant, was as sparkling as jewels. Noted 
 for the novelty of his subjects, chosen mostly 
 from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, 
 he thoroughly appreciated the picturesque and 
 was a master of the grotesque. Bold and posi- 
 tive in composition, his types and characters 
 were always excellent. 
 
 Mr. Walters on visiting the studio of this 
 artist saw a remarkable picture which he de- 
 sired to possess. Zamacois would not part with 
 it, declaring it his best effort, and refusing to 
 sell it as long as he lived. He added, however, 
 that should his wife ever wish to dispose of it 
 88 
 
 \ 
 
after his death Mr. Walters should have the 
 refusal of it. Four years after the death of Za- 
 macois, his wife wrote Mr. Walters that she 
 was willing to dispose of the coveted picture, 
 and it is now one of the many remarkable and 
 distinctively original pictures of the collection. 
 It is called "Spain, 1812," and is an incident 
 of the occupancy of Spain by the French. The 
 scene is in a dingy old room in some out-of- 
 the-way place into which two French soldiers 
 have been decoyed and murdered. Near the 
 center of the room is a well whose curbing ex- 
 tends above the floor. On the right a stalwart 
 Spaniard is seen carrying the body of one of 
 the murdered soldiers. It is limp, and the feet 
 drag on the ground as the man endeavors to 
 haul it across the room. On the opposite side 
 of the well stands a grizzly old man with one 
 foot braced against the curbing. He tugs at 
 thearmsof the dead soldier,endeavoringto pull 
 him in the well, where the body of his compan- 
 ion has already been consigned. Just back of 
 them is another villainous-looking Spaniard 
 who, poinard in hand, watches through an al- 
 cove to see that no one approaches, while near 
 him stands an old woman coolly looking on, 
 while she holds the helmets and trappings of 
 the murdered soldiers. The cold unfeeling ac- 
 tion of the various characters is painted with 
 great power. The man who bears the weight 
 of the body is a masterly piece of drawing. 
 His every muscle is strained to the utmost. 
 The veins swell, the tendons are drawn, the 
 blood rushes to his face, his eyes fairly start 
 from their sockets, revealing the strain under 
 which he labors. In order to be prepared for 
 an attack he holds the implement of his deadly 
 work, a stiletto, between his teeth. The action 
 of the old man, too, is fine, as he pulls at the 
 
 89 
 
 ZAMACOIS 
 
 "His keen, expressive 
 brush is brilliant 
 without false glitter; 
 a mocker without 
 grimace, it traces 
 characters as would 
 the pen of the most 
 skillful chronicler. The 
 spirit of touch, 
 sharpened by the 
 spirit of observation, 
 could not speak 
 better, or better repre- 
 sent itself." 
 Paul de Saint-Victor 
 
ZAMACOIS arms of the dead enemy. Around his head is 
 bound a handkerchief which indicates a slight 
 wounding during the fray. The old woman is 
 totally indifferent to the horror of the tragedy 
 enacted. The coloring of the picture is strong 
 and deep, the shadows are full of lurking 
 mystery. The drawing, the realism of the en- 
 tire picture, the brilliancy of the red and green 
 uniform of the dead soldier, the types and char- 
 acters of the faces, are all rendered with power. 
 It was a belief among these people that if they 
 cast the bodies of the dead into the wells the 
 water would poison those who drank it, thus 
 aiding them in getting rid of the invaders. It 
 is a remarkable picture, different from any thing 
 in the collection. 
 
 AIMUNDO DE MAD- 
 RAZO *tt Madrazo was 
 one of the remarkable 
 group of painters of Span- 
 ish extraction who ab- 
 sorbed and added to their 
 own national vivacity the 
 progressive enthusiasm 
 of Paris. What honor to 
 their native country these 
 
 men have wrought! Fortuny, Zamacois, Mad- 
 razo and Rico how resplendent and original 
 their genius. Madrazo imbibed many of the 
 characteristics of his brother-in-law, Fortuny. 
 He was not so brilliant, but no less serious, and 
 in some respects his art is more serious than 
 that of Fortuny. Fortuny was brilliant and 
 audacious, Madrazo more conscientious and 
 earnest. He was a painter of strong technique, 
 and his subjects were always picturesque. 
 Like Fortuny, he was remarkable in his choice 
 of types. His women are graceful in form and 
 gesture, and of refined elegance; at the same 
 90 
 
 "Madrazo, since the 
 death of Fortuny, 
 has stood at the head 
 and been the ac- 
 knowledged leader of 
 modern Spanish art." 
 Henry Bacon 
 
time, no one painted beggars with greater pa- 
 thos. 
 
 See, for instance, his "Coming Out of the 
 Church." At the entrance of a quaint old Span- 
 ish church, with stuccoed walls and wonder- 
 ful green doors, around which the usual com- 
 plement of mendicants are seen, several ladies 
 are going and coming up and down the steps. 
 It is raining, everything is wet and disagree- 
 able, you feel the roughness of the weather, 
 the dampness penetrates you. On these steps 
 may be found all grades of humanity, each 
 seeking the balm from which happiness may 
 flow. In the center of a remarkable group is 
 an elegantly dressed lady leaving the church. 
 Her head is of fine Spanish type and remark- 
 ably beautiful. In one hand she holds a prayer- 
 book, while with the other she lifts the skirts 
 of her dress to keep it from dragging on the 
 wet steps. Her figure is charming in its grace, 
 and betrays a life of ease and refinement. A 
 beggar appeals to her unnoticed. She is wholly 
 concerned in keeping her skirts from the rain. 
 Just back of her, and leaning against the door 
 casing, is a tired, weary soul who has found 
 no balm for her sorrows and is about to leave 
 the sacred portals. The great world with its ills 
 confronts her, she hesitates before again going 
 out into it; despair seems to dwell near her, 
 and from her garb poverty seems to be her por- 
 tion. To the left of these central figures is a 
 woman whose costume of blue striped silk 
 shows better conditions. He sympathy goes 
 out to a less fortunate person near her, and hap- 
 piness beams on every feature of her face. Near 
 her is a woman going into the church. Her 
 figure is enveloped in a red and black checked 
 shawl; the manner in which it is drawn is fine. 
 There is an old lady with a black shawl thrown 
 
 MADRAZO 
 
 No. 160 
 
 "COMING OUT OF 
 CHURCH" 
 
 "His portraits of ladies 
 are specimens of 
 refined taste, which 
 seem to express the 
 happiness of life, 
 serenity of mind; gay 
 with a fresh, rich 
 coloring, shining upon 
 the silken ribbons and 
 satin draperies, 
 without being 
 strengthened by any 
 parts thrown into 
 shadow." 
 
 Charles Blanc 
 
MADRAZO 
 
 over her head; she has on a coarse olive-colored 
 dress, and carries a basket on her arm. Her 
 face wears a tired, careworn expression that 
 speaks volumes. On the right of the doorway 
 are two strong figures. One is an old woman 
 who is holding out her hand for alms. Her 
 thin, scrawny face, with pinched features and 
 wide open mouth, from which you almost ex- 
 pect a wail of despair, is a fine piece of charac- 
 ter painting. The old woman next her also is 
 very strong in type, while underneath an old 
 patched and faded umbrella sits another old 
 woman, almost lost in the shadow. The paint- 
 ing of them all is very remarkable. Near this 
 group and going up the steps a dominie is seen. 
 He is dressed in his clerical suit of black, and 
 wears the conventional hat. The rain, the wet 
 pavement, the slush in the street, the various 
 characters, are all painted with great skill. 
 You feel wet; you almost hear the dripping 
 from the eaves. It is a masterly piece of real- 
 ism. 
 
 ARTIN RICO 
 Quitting the Academy at 
 Madrid, realizing that he 
 could not obtain there the 
 knowledge he desired of 
 landscape painting, Mar- 
 tin Rico journeyed to 
 the Sierras of Granada, 
 and he took up his abode 
 _ among the shepherds. 
 
 Here he worked, free from restrictions or tra- 
 ditions; giving himself over to the careful study 
 of nature, which, for a while, he copied with 
 almost materialistic skill, painting as long as 
 the season permitted, after which his labors 
 ceased until the return of the spring. A gentle- 
 man, upon forming the acquaintance of the 
 92 
 
artist, asked the pleasure of a visit to his studio. 
 The artist, smiling, informed him that he had 
 never had a studio. It was his habit to paint 
 all his pictures out of doors. The style of Rico 
 is distinctly original, combining realism of 
 color with dazzling, scintillating light. He 
 paints with great power the effect of the noon- 
 day sun. The Venetian pictures of Rico are 
 different from those of any other painter. His 
 "Venice" in this collection is a remarkable 
 rendition of the real city with its vari-colored 
 walls. Like Fortuny, he has exerted much 
 power in the art of his time. He undoubtedly 
 wielded an influence in the formation of For- 
 tuny 's last manner, which has the same patchy, 
 stuccoed touch. 
 
 There is a gray tone running through the 
 "Venice" that is full of intensity, widely differ- 
 ing from the poetical vision of the same theme 
 by Turner. It is also totally unlike Ziem, and 
 has a fascination peculiarly its own. Against 
 this leaden sky, with its peculiar quality, are 
 painted the buildings, quivering in sunlight, 
 mingling with the sails of various crafts which 
 make up the distance, in which the local color 
 of each object is faintly seen. The horizon has 
 a tint of salmon in it. This, with pale yellow 
 lavender and pinkish white, heightened by the 
 warm dark tones of the roofs, form a rich mass 
 of color. Domes and steeples break up the 
 lines of the composition. On one side is a pict- 
 uresque line of palaces with wonderful porti- 
 coes, balconies, terraces and windows. Here 
 is a more positive scheme of color in which the 
 pale green of the blinds are effective. On the 
 nearest balconies the graceful tendrils of roses 
 grow, and here and there are gardens of flow- 
 ers and plants. On the left the buildings are 
 seen at a greater distance, in shadow, and 
 
 93 
 
 RICO 
 
 "M. Rico is another 
 painter of the Spanish 
 group of Parisians. 
 His pictures of the 
 squares and canals of 
 Venice are not 
 handled in the con- 
 ventional manner but 
 more after the 
 realistic school." 
 
 Henry Bacon 
 
 No. 7 
 "VENICE" 
 
RICO 
 
 "Rico's interpretation 
 of nature is remark- 
 able for taking some 
 note of everything 
 whilst preserving tonic 
 values of rare truth. * *" 
 Hamerton 
 
 No. 142 
 
 "GATHERING 
 ORANGES, TOLEDO 1 
 
 warm in color. Barges of dark somber color- 
 ing, brightened by touches of red and green, 
 with sails of dull olive tone, stand near the 
 shore, while here and there gondolas glide 
 through the water, whose agitated surface re- 
 flects the various objects in tremulous touches 
 that no one could use with greater effect than 
 Rico. 
 
 One of the dominant notes of his "Gather- 
 ing Oranges, Toledo," is the sky, with its won- 
 derful depth of blue, through which filmy 
 clouds are drifting. In the distance you catch 
 glimpses of the city whose domes and turrets 
 make it so picturesque. Here and there dark 
 fir trees lift their forms in contrast with the 
 dazzling creamy white and pale chocolate 
 colors of the buildings. Nearer, and forming a 
 mass of russet gray and sober green, is a grove 
 where peasants are picking oranges, and a bit 
 of meadow studded with flowers. An old well 
 curb, several donkeys packed for a journey, a 
 man, some children gathering flowers, some 
 women sitting on the ground resting these 
 complete the foreground. The painting is sim- 
 ple, poetical and true, full of the translucent 
 atmosphere characteristic of a semi-tropical 
 clime. It is a distinct and original picture, dif- 
 fering greatly from his "Venice," but possess- 
 ing much beauty of color. 
 
 iQSEF VILLEGAS *^ 
 A thorough knowledge of 
 the human figure, a fine 
 (talent for composition, 
 great skill as a colorist, 
 and intense realism 
 these are the equipments 
 of Villegas which place 
 him in the front rank of 
 5men of his school. His 
 
realism is characterized by a breadth often 
 lacking among those who paint close detail. 
 He always shows a thorough appreciation of 
 the most essential parts of the composition, 
 and does not elaborate with the purpose of dis- 
 playing a certain kind of skill, but rather from 
 a sense of fitness of the best means through 
 which he can interpret the character of his sub- 
 ject. It is not often that you find a fine draughts- 
 man and colorist united in one person; either 
 one or the other usually predominates, but in 
 Villegas both are co-equal. In his rendition 
 of types and character he also shows the in- 
 fluence of Fortuny, but his color is more gor- 
 geous than that of the genius with whom he 
 studied. 
 
 The pictures by this artist, which are to be 
 seen here, are remarkably fine. The most im- 
 portant, probably, is the "Cairo Slipper Mer- 
 chant." In a quaint old shop, whose decora- 
 tions are of a rich Oriental character, a slipper 
 merchant is seen bargaining with a customer. 
 Near the center of the picture is a divan made 
 of metal elaborately decorated. On the edge of 
 it sits a sheik dressed in a picturesque garb of 
 grayish white, with ahead-dress of pale lemon 
 hue. He is trying on some slippers, and ex- 
 amining them critically. His face is remarka- 
 ble in type and expression. Standing in front 
 of him is the merchant, a wonderful character. 
 The upper half of his figure is nude and is thin 
 and scrawny, displaying the muscles and ten- 
 dons, which are painted with a thorough 
 knowledge of character and anatomy. The 
 lower part of his figure is draped in orange 
 colored cloth, while on his head is an enormous 
 turban of a pale creamy white. A long, gray 
 beard covers his chin. He is bending forward, 
 holding a pair of slippers which are elaborately 
 
 95 
 
 VILLEGAS 
 
 No. 67 
 
 "CAIRO THE 
 SLIPPER MER- 
 CHANT" 
 
VILLEGAS 
 
 "Villegas has trial 
 quick intuitive percep- 
 tion of form and 
 anatomy which enables 
 the leading artists of 
 this Spanish school 
 to place upon the can- 
 vas life-sized figures 
 in a variety of easy, 
 natural attitudes 
 figures which convey 
 the impression that 
 they have the use of 
 their limbs and 
 can move about." 
 Edward Bowen Prescott 
 
 No. 53 
 
 "POULTRY MARKET 
 TANGIERS" 
 
 decorated, and intently watching his customer. 
 In front, and between these two figures, is that 
 of an attendant. He is in a stooping position, 
 and is engaged in fitting a slipper on the foot 
 of the sheik. His light, blue-green costume and 
 red fez make a strong color note in the pict- 
 ure. Back against the wall sits a Nubian, 
 whose face shines like a piece of bronze. He 
 is earnestly watching the bargaining, while he 
 enjoys smolcing a quaint old copper pipe. In an 
 alcove is an old Turkoman, engaged in mak- 
 ing slippers. A canopy extends out over the 
 divan, around the edges of which rows of slip- 
 pers are hung. They are of rich and varied 
 hues, red and yellow predominating. The wall 
 underneath the canopy is also entirely covered 
 with them, forming a mass of brilliant color. 
 The picture is remarkably fine in types, char- 
 acters and coloring. The color is warm to al- 
 most an extreme degree. Although orange and 
 red are the key-notes, the blues and purple dis- 
 tributed through the picture are so deftly man- 
 aged that they are brought into perfect har- 
 mony with the warm tone colors. The execu- 
 tion of the picture is strong, vigorous and 
 realistic, yet broad and in every respect true 
 to life. It is luxuriant in its effect, and proves 
 that the artist is one of the most accomplished 
 realists of the present epoch. 
 
 The "Poultry Market, Tangiers," displays 
 the same interesting qualities as the "Slipper 
 Merchant," but is much quieter in color. The 
 dealer here sits in a lazy, half-leaning position 
 on a chicken coop, his feet and legs stretched 
 out directly toward you; his chest and arms 
 nude, displaying rich, warm bronze-colored 
 flesh. The rest of his figure is enveloped in a 
 coarse whitish-gray drapery. Hangingdownin 
 front of him is a large and quaint money pouch 
 96 
 
withadecorateddesigninbead-work. Through 
 windows over which wires are stretched you 
 see poultry of various kinds. Near the front 
 is a coop of chickens, on top of which a large 
 white and gray rooster stands. Several fowls 
 are lying on the ground before the coop. The 
 picture is painted with a firm, sure touch. The 
 peculiar staccato touches of pure color in the 
 fowls are effective in the extreme, and give 
 great emphasis to the picture, which in this 
 respect is like a mosaic. It is a remarkable ex- 
 ample of the solid, serious painting of a sub- 
 ject whose picturesqueness is perfectly appre- 
 ciated. This canvas is a fine example of Ville- 
 gas' thorough knowledge of drawing and of 
 the human figure. His work in it, while care- 
 ful, is yet broad in conception and full of char- 
 acter. 
 
 IMENEZ Y ARANDA 
 This brilliant realist, one 
 of the leading painters 
 of Spanish life, has here 
 a remarkably fine ex- 
 ample of his art, free 
 from the disagreeable, 
 metallic color that he 
 has affected of late years. 
 There are not many pict- 
 ures that possess better feeling for the purely 
 picturesque than the "Boutique of Figaro" em- 
 bodies. This is especially true of the youth in 
 it who is tuning his guitar. 
 
 The scene is in a court adjacent to a barber's 
 shop; directly in front of you is a doorway lead- 
 ing into it. It is hung with blue and white 
 striped drapery. Above this doorway is a fine 
 old grille of queer shell-like form, made of 
 wrought iron,the lines running across it in cob- 
 web design. A polished brass dish hangs over 
 
 97 
 
 VILLEGAS 
 
 "I have never exhib- 
 ited my pictures, and 
 have had no other 
 recompense than the 
 consideration and 
 respect of my fellow- 
 artists, and of this I am 
 sufficiently proud." 
 
 Joseph Villegas 
 
 No. 1 8 
 
 'BOUTIQUE OF 
 FIGARO" 
 
JIMENEZ 
 
 "The best and most 
 characteristic art dis- 
 played in the Spanish 
 section is found 
 among the painters 
 of small pictures, 
 wherein realism seems 
 to be the dominant 
 thought. Foremost 
 among these is 
 Jimenez, whose pictures, 
 while elaborately 
 finished, are broad 
 and scintillating with 
 light. As a colorist he 
 is a master who plays 
 in a high key which 
 is eminently fitted to 
 depicting stuccoed walls 
 shimmering in sun- 
 light, against which 
 figures are pictur- 
 esquely arranged. Like 
 all the great Spanish 
 artists, Jimenez is 
 a master of drawing, 
 character and expres- 
 sion." 
 R. B. G. 
 (World'sFair Notes) 
 
 the door and pale-green shutters are fastened 
 at the sides. On the right are two men seated at 
 a table playing checkers. The one next the 
 door is a fine character, dressed in picturesque 
 Spanish costume, a long olive-green coat and 
 white ruffled shirt bosom, in whose meshes his 
 chin is buried. He seems to be in a quandary 
 about his next move. His antagonist, who is 
 a jolly-looking monk, his face beaming with 
 good humor, seems to enjoy the advantage he 
 has gained. His sober garb and queer long- 
 brimmed hat are in strong contrast to the at- 
 tire of the third man, who sits with his back 
 towards us. His fashionable toilet is composed 
 of a pink coat and yellow breeches. Just step- 
 ping up, and drawing a chair to the table, is 
 the shop-keeper, in neat and appropriate dress. 
 On the opposite side of the door is the barber's 
 apprentice, who, leaning against the wall, is 
 tuning a guitar gaily decorated with ribbons. 
 His figure is an exquisitely picturesque bit of 
 painting. His coat is of an elaborate figured 
 stuff, brown, blue and fawn in color. He wears 
 dark trunks and red hose, and a red handker- 
 chief is thrown over his head. Just above him 
 are two small owls sitting on a perch. To the 
 left is a window, with sill and grating of 
 wrought iron, exquisite in design. The picture 
 is painted in a high key, being light and sunny, 
 and is undoubtedly one of the best of this 
 painter's works. 
 
 98 
 
VI 
 
 EON JOSEPH FLOR- 
 ENTIN BONNAT ^ 
 Leon Bonnat is not only 
 a famousportraitpainter, 
 but has also proven him- 
 self a great painter of his- 
 tory. It is of late years 
 that he has devoted his 
 time largely to portrait- 
 ure. Into his portraits he 
 puts an immense amount of solid, intelligent 
 work. To him the character of the individual 
 sitter is his chief concern, and in this respect 
 no painter, past or present, has surpassed him. 
 He has the gift of securing the essential. He 
 discerns the personality of his sitter, and has 
 the power to place it on the canvas so as to 
 be known and read of men. The portraits of 
 Bonnat will be of value in ages to come ; first, 
 because of the honesty of his methods; and 
 second, because of the truth with which he de- 
 lineates character. They are the history of in- 
 dividuals written in the prose of living vital 
 colors. Bonnat is a realist, but not in the com- 
 mon interpretation of the term. Photography 
 has no place in his art, nor has elaboration of 
 details with the view of displaying vulgar imi-. 
 tation. His careful work is his means of devel- 
 oping the real living character upon the can- 
 vas. His faithful realism is not confined to the 
 face alone, but is used in the painting of every 
 
 99 
 
BONNAT part of the figure. Every characteristic of the 
 man is caught and recorded perfectly, not as a 
 mere fact, but as the essential result of his in- 
 dividuality. M. Ren6 Menard, the eminent 
 critic, says of him, "M. Bonnat's touch is al- 
 ways precise and marks distances distinctly, 
 without any degree of vagueness or indecis- 
 ion." Indeed, it is this solidity, this firmness 
 and absolute power of vitalizing his portraits, 
 that distinguishes them from the works of any 
 living painter. They carry with them a person- 
 ality that rivets your attention at once. They 
 are not painted for the success of the moment, 
 nor does the artist seek for those effects that 
 are evanescent or fleeting; instead, M. Bonnat 
 paints for the generations to come. And these 
 pictures, like all great portraits, will become 
 the history of men. Written with clearness, 
 they will speak for themselves. 
 
 The proprietor of this collection once said 
 to the writer: "There will be a time when an 
 obscure man will be made noted by being 
 painted by Bonnat." You feel that this esti- 
 mate is true. There has been some unjust crit- 
 icism of his methods and coloring, but these 
 are the legitimate result of his peculiar mental 
 qualities which subordinate all to the one cen- 
 tral thought character. Bonnat's art will live 
 because it is honest, sincere and the result of 
 careful, intelligent work. 
 
 There are four portraits by this artist in the 
 collection, all differing, yet equal in strength 
 and merit. In the portrait of Mr. W. T. Wal- 
 ters, you have the highest type of realism, a 
 realism that places the individual man square- 
 ly before you ; delineating, not only the char- 
 acter, but every characteristic of the man. The 
 hands, clasped and hanging in front of him, 
 are the hands of Mr. Walters. Should they be 
 100 
 
 No. 49 
 A PORTRAIT 
 
No. 150 
 
 "PORTRAIT OF 
 A. L. BARYE" 
 
 framed separately they would be recognized BONNAT 
 by any one knowing the man. And yet the 
 hands, in their realistic treatment, in no way 
 interfere with the effect of the head. The blue 
 eyes, mild, yet firm as a rock ; keen and pene- 
 trating, yet full of the tenderest sympathy 
 you are in the presence of a man who can read 
 your soul, a personality that is distinct in its 
 originality, broad, generous and just, whose 
 charity grants every one the right to his opin- 
 ions. All this can be read on this canvas, paint- 
 ed in an honest, straightforward manner. 
 
 Beside this great portrait of Mr. Walters I 
 would place that of the immortal Barye, on ac- 
 count of the tender relationship that existed 
 between the two men, bound together by the 
 golden ties of friendship. What a portrait is 
 this of Barye ! With what sympathy has the 
 artist delineated the friend; you feel that you 
 are in the presence of a man whose depths 
 were never sounded, of one whose great pow- 
 ers were never exhausted. You feel the men- 
 tality of the man at once, a slumbering, emo- 
 tional, generous mentality like Angelo's or 
 Beethoven's; the tireless perseverance of a Na- 
 poleon combined with a tenderness that led 
 him to take up and give the world a better ap- 
 preciation of the animal kingdom ; a man who 
 was conscious of a mission and lived in an at- 
 mosphere peculiarly his own. When you look 
 at this portrait of Barye, you become conscious 
 of something that separates him from you. 
 Barye was alone. The color in which the pict- 
 ure is "tuned" is suggestive of the beautiful 
 medium in which his wonderful works are 
 cast. He is leaning on a modeling stand, an 
 implement of work in his hand. His broad, 
 massive head is tipped slightly forward. The 
 mental faculties thus push themselves upon 
 
 101 
 
BONNAT 
 
 "The reputation of 
 Bonnat is built like 
 his painting solid and 
 enduring. He has 
 been criticised for 
 eliminating the poetry 
 from his paintings, 
 but history is best writ- 
 ten in prose. He 
 has also been re- 
 proached for certain 
 processes of modeling 
 by which he attains 
 an effect of relief 
 capable of deceiving 
 the eye, his pitiless 
 realism and certain 
 mannerisms in the 
 painting of his 
 backgrounds, but where 
 is there another 
 painter who can equal 
 the force and truth- 
 fulness with which he 
 delineates the 
 character of his 
 sitters?" 
 
 Critique of French 
 Art at the World's Fair 
 
 No. 80 
 
 "PORTRAIT OF THE 
 ARTIST" 
 
 No. 149 
 
 "PORTRAIT OF 
 GEORGE A. LUCAS' 
 
 you, the clear cut, warm, brown eyes look from 
 under strong, expressive brows. He has a 
 mouth that expresses sensitiveness and ex- 
 quisite taste, but determination is also marked 
 in every line; firmly modeled cheeks and a 
 square, massive jaw and chin stamp the man 
 as one of such force and vigor as is rarely met. 
 His form is large and strong, one capable of 
 great endurance. Leon Bonnat has in this por- 
 trait "writ life of Barye" which is in perfect 
 harmony with the work of his immortal hand 
 which surrounds it. 
 
 Let us now look at Bonnat as painted by him- 
 self. Here is the head of a man in the prime of 
 life, whose face shows refinement and beauty 
 of character, a sensitive, nervous man who has 
 a keen perception for the essential in every- 
 thing. The features are strong, yet delicately 
 chiseled; the brows are finely developed, re- 
 vealing ahabit of deep observation. The eyes, 
 large, clear cut, and of a rich, dark brown, re- 
 gard you with a penetrating look that is won- 
 derful. They haunt you. The mouth, firm and 
 sensitive, is partly concealed by a heavy brown 
 mustache and the face is covered with a closely 
 clipped beard that shapes to a point on the chin. 
 The entire head is finely developed and distin- 
 guished in character, and, though painted in a 
 broad, artistic manner, is yet realistic in its ab- 
 solute truth of tone. Painted and presented to 
 Mr. Walters as a token of friendship and es- 
 teem, a friendship which was born of mutual 
 sympathy, M. Bonnat has at the same time 
 given to the world a picture that will live. 
 
 The portrait of Mr. George A. Lucas is a 
 good piece of character painting; a strong and 
 remarkably fine physique and a well propor- 
 tioned head, set easily on the body. You are in 
 the presence of a man who can make the best 
 102 
 
out of everything, one of strong mental pow- 
 ers, over which he has full control, possessing 
 a knowledge gained by vast experience and a 
 habit of thorough investigation; calm, cool and 
 considerate. While he respects custom, he is 
 yet thoroughly independent. He is master of 
 himself and his mental faculties are of a refined 
 yet positive character. The ideal is well de- 
 veloped and his sense of beauty is acute. He 
 possesses a sensitive organism. He is a phil- 
 osopher and a student of human nature; is 
 thoroughly balanced mentally and physically. 
 The forehead is high, broad and well devel- 
 oped; brows full of character, coming out well 
 over the fine eyes, throw them into shadow. 
 The expression of the eyes is both mild and 
 searching. The nose is strong in character, 
 nostrils full and expressive. The mouth al- 
 though obscured by a heavy mustache is yet 
 indicated as beingstrong and well shaped. He 
 wears along, full beard, which curves over his 
 chin in such a manner as to perfectly indicate 
 its form. The hair and beard are of a bluish- 
 gray tone, the flesh is strong and robust in color. 
 In fact, this picture, while not as realistic as 
 some of his other portraits, possesses qualities 
 that are beautiful, and in color is very fine. 
 There is something in it that reminds one of 
 Titian's portrait of Charles V. 
 
 In looking at the "Arab Sheik" one can see 
 what marvelous things this artist might have 
 done had he been drawn to the Orient, with his 
 great power of appreciation of character added 
 to his many other gifts, among which feeling 
 is prominent. In this picture is a somber strain, 
 expressed in the figure and the atmosphere 
 about it, that is in touch with the great gifts 
 that were supreme in Delacroix. Added to it 
 is a remarkable character delineation, strong 
 
 103 
 
 BONNAT 
 
 "His portrait of Victor 
 Hugo, exhibited in 
 the Dudley Gallery this 
 summer (1884), gives 
 an admirable idea 
 of his powerful life-like 
 realization of a 
 sitter, his superb 
 modeling, his validity, 
 his contempt for 
 insincere color and mere- 
 tricious ornament." 
 
 Critique 
 
 No. 139 
 "AN ARAB SHEIK' 
 
BONNAT and finely developed, all painted with an im- 
 passioned swing of brush. It is a technique that 
 goes straight to the mark. The bronze flesh is 
 enveloped in simple red drapery. The wild, 
 restless expression of the eye and the bony 
 sinuous character of the entire figure are ren- 
 dered with a truth that is fine. The drawing is 
 firm and positive, with textures well rendered. 
 
 BAN LEON GEROME 
 A distinguished charac- 
 ter, intellectual in the ex- 
 treme, Gerome is one of 
 the greatest living vital 
 forces in the art of our 
 time. Notwithstanding 
 he has been the object of 
 narrow criticism, the fact 
 he still holds the en- 
 
 viable position he honestly achieved proves 
 the permanency of his attainments. There has 
 always been a distinct personality, a certain 
 brilliancy of composition, a positive intellect- 
 ual force about his pictures that have attracted 
 many young men to him. His influence can 
 be seen in the art of many nations, and will 
 always stand as a protest against the vagaries 
 of shallow pretenders. Gerome is original. He 
 has the gift of completing a picture mentally 
 before touching the canvas, yet he is a persist- 
 ent, painstaking painter, who is never satisfied 
 until the end sought for is attained. He makes 
 no apologies; neither does he moralize. He 
 tries to paint an incident just as it occurred. 
 Hi^ pictures truly represent the conditions of 
 the times. From the day he exhibited the 
 "Combat of Cocks" to the present time, he has 
 produced a succession of pictures all distin- 
 guished in character, and his studio has been 
 the Mecca from whence many have gone forth 
 104 
 
thoroughly equipped with a knowledge, a 
 sureness of drawing, that has enabled them to 
 fill an honorable place in art. G6rome has 
 also proven himself a sculptor of remarkable 
 strength, having produced a number of im- 
 portant pieces. He possesses a broad generous 
 nature, and is far in advance of those who 
 criticise him. Looking over the field of art in 
 France, the question arises, in answer to his 
 would-be traducers, who will fill his place 
 when his pencil is laid aside? There are four of 
 his pictures in this collection, each unlike the 
 other, yet all possessing his personality to 
 a high degree. Notwithstanding the carping 
 critics who say he lacks great qualities, these 
 pictures show that he does not lack in color and 
 that he can express himself with a power and 
 dramatic force of the first rank. 
 
 The largest canvas is "The Christian Mar- 
 tyrs,"a picture that was on his easel for twenty 
 years; one that was painted from start to finish 
 three times, yet always preserving the original 
 idea. Still, there is not a hint about it that would 
 suggest that he had labored so long to attain 
 that which he so earnestly sought. The scene 
 is in the arena of the Circus Maximus, a struct- 
 ure unparalleled in its immensity, capable of 
 seating over one hundred and fifty thousand 
 people, a place where the Caesars found amuse- 
 ment in casting Christians to be devoured by 
 wild animals. In approaching the picture, you 
 are amazed at the immensity that has been 
 realized in it. The eye sweeping from right to 
 left is met by a mass of human beings that/fill 
 the vast theater, waiting to satisfy their gloat- 
 ing appetites. Just back of the foreground are 
 grouped a number of victims, who kneel, form- 
 ing a circle in which stands an old man offering 
 up a prayer. In semi-circular form around this 
 
 105 
 
 GEROME 
 
 "His art is like his 
 person, like his intelli- 
 gence; everything 
 that bears his signa- 
 ture, be it bronze or 
 canvas, sketch 
 or marble, is fine, 
 vigorous and distin- 
 guished, like himself." 
 Jules Claretie 
 
 "A serious talent, and 
 of an elevated order; 
 an artist who looks at 
 his art nobly and 
 who devotes to it his 
 existence." 
 
 Alexander Dumas 
 
 No. 63 
 
 "CHRISTIAN 
 MARTYRS THE 
 LAST PRAYER" 
 
GEROME 
 
 "Not a painter of the 
 present age can com- 
 pose a picture as 
 well as he the great- 
 est among them not 
 excepted. * * That 
 which gives Gerome 
 his superiority over 
 most of his rivals, and 
 establishes his very 
 distinct personality, is 
 his incontestable 
 erudition as a man and 
 an artist. He has 
 innate tact and taste; 
 but he nourishes 
 them with fruit from 
 the tree of science." 
 Ernil Bergeret 
 
 No. 43 
 DIOGENES" 
 
 group posts are set on which victims are sus- 
 pended. At their feet branches of fagots are 
 tied ; they are saturated with pitch and have 
 just been ignited. Dark, ominous, black smoke 
 arises, enshrouding some of the crucified. On 
 the left of the foreground, several wild beasts 
 are emerging from the door of a great cellar. A 
 ponderous lion has reached the top; he stops 
 short dazed by the vast throng of human be- 
 ings that meets his eye. Standing firmly on his 
 feet, with head erect, his eye sweeps around 
 the vast audience, apparently taking no notice 
 of his victims, while the Christians in their re- 
 ligious zeal seem indifferent to the fate await- 
 ing them. Nothing could be finer than the ac- 
 tion of the monster lion as he stands facing the 
 great scene. It is dramatic in the extreme. The 
 mass of human beings, the wonderful sweep- 
 ing lines of the building, the vast stretch of sky 
 reaching away into space, the temple-crowned 
 hills, the air that envelops all, make a mass of 
 drawing and color supreme in art. 
 
 A picture of great distinction is that of "Di- 
 ogenes." On the corner of a street in Athens, the 
 cynic is sitting in a tub, busily engaged in pre- 
 paring his lantern to search for the honest man. 
 The figure is fine in drawing, and full of all the 
 qualities that characterize Gerome's art. The 
 flesh is of a swarthy bronze hue; the head and 
 face is of an original type, and not after the well 
 known bust of Diogenes, and the dark brown 
 hair and beard are unkempt. The type of face is 
 not especially striking, yet as a whole the en- 
 tire figure is good. A bit of old white drapery, 
 a black shawl or blanket, a stick and the tub 
 are his earthly possessions. Standing around 
 him are some dogs, his friends and compan- 
 ions. They are philosophers, every one of 
 them, and are painted with a skill that alone 
 106 
 
would stamp GSrome's genius as of a high 
 order. They are intently watching the prep- 
 aration of the lantern; and seem to realize the 
 gravity of the occasion. The picture brings out 
 wonderfully the character of Diogenes. The 
 color is somber in tone, even almost cynical 
 in its expression, in keeping with the subject. 
 The effect of the picture is that the man has 
 nothing in common with those about him. 
 
 " The Duel after the Ball " is the nearest ap- 
 proach to moralizing of all his pictures. "While 
 Gerome never sought to tell a story you inevi- 
 tably draw a moral from it. In this little tragedy 
 is a grim sarcasm that is delightful. Through 
 a murky fog you see the finale of a little differ- 
 ence that has terminated fatally to one of the 
 parties concerned. In a half fallen position, 
 with his head and shoulders supported by his 
 second, is the victim, his legs extending out in 
 front of him, rigid and stiff. The muscular con- 
 tortions of his face show too well the approach 
 of death. Standing over him is a friend whose 
 grief is very marked at the unfortunate ending 
 of the affair. The victim, whose costume is that 
 of a fool, has played the role once too often. 
 Behind them is the victor, whose companions 
 are trying to force him from the place to a con- 
 veyance dimly seen through the fog. He holds 
 back, as if repentant of his crime. His costume 
 is that of an Indian, and from his attitude one 
 would judge he feels keenly that he has played 
 the part of the savage only too well. The moral 
 of the picture, "the savage is made to kill the 
 fool," is told with great dramatic force. The fig- 
 ure of the murdered man is one of the finest 
 creations of modern art. It was painted from 
 a corpse and has every expression of death. 
 
 A picture quite different from the preceding, 
 and another one of the few of Gerome's pict- 
 
 107 
 
 GEROME 
 
 No. 109 
 "THE DUEL AFTER 
 
 THE 
 MASQUERADE" 
 
 "One of the few de- 
 fenders to-day of high 
 art, he has exercised 
 over modern paint- 
 ing a grand influence. 
 An entire school has 
 sprung from his 
 exquisite and spiritual 
 pictures; an entirely 
 distinct one * from his 
 greater compositions." 
 Masson 
 
 No. 39 
 'ON THE DESERT' 
 
GEROME 
 
 "Just as Meissonier is 
 able to portray an en- 
 tire epoch in one 
 figure, so M. Gerome 
 is expert in particular- 
 izing a certain race in 
 a single person." 
 Maxime Decamp 
 
 ures wherein dogs play a prominent part, is 
 called "On the Desert." It is a modest little can- 
 vas whose quietness is the cause of its being 
 passed unnoticed by many who throng the gal- 
 lery. On a desert plain an Arab is seen, accom- 
 panied by two graceful hounds, whose charac- 
 ter and beauty of form are painted with the 
 wondrous skill that Gerome possessed in ahigh 
 degree. Of this gift Hamerton says, "I would 
 rather have a leash of greyhounds painted by 
 Gerome than by any other painter living." 
 This picture verifies the wisdom of Hamer- 
 ton's judgment. It is a little gem, and shows 
 the artist in an entirely different mood from the 
 usual subjects chosen by him. 
 
 ULES ADOLPHE 
 BRETON <flg Breton 
 I was one of thegrand men 
 of this century, and one 
 whose influence has ex- 
 ' tended into every clime. 
 His pictures, full of ten- 
 der affection and breath- 
 ing the spirit and soul of 
 nature, appeal to the sen- 
 timents, and truly represent the happier side 
 of peasant life. His peasants are philosophers; 
 they are flowers of the field, contented and hap- 
 py in their own way. He took them from a dif- 
 ferent point of view than Millet, who seemed 
 to feel only their sorrows. Breton painted their 
 moments of joy. The work of both will live. 
 Each possessed his merits. Millet himself had 
 to struggle with all the bitterness of poverty 
 that could fall to the lot of the humblest peas- 
 ant, and the world, through the great lessons 
 of humanity taught by Millet, rendered to Bre- 
 ton the recognition which his great powers de- 
 served. Breton was entitled to all the honors he 
 108 
 
received, because of his sincerity, which com- 
 pelled him to turn his back on the great center 
 of the art world and seek the quiet influences 
 of the country and its simple life. 
 
 "The Close of Day" is a beautiful example 
 of the poetry of peasant life. The long, weary 
 day's work has ended. Two young women 
 stand leaning on their hoes, resting ere they 
 journey homeward. These figures, as they 
 stand firmly planted on the earth, are as fine 
 in their statuesque beauty and physical grand- 
 eur as anything ever painted. They are a won- 
 derful contrast to some of the vague, brown, 
 faded canvases that bear the name of some 
 second-rate "old master," long since gone to 
 his reward. Yet those old musty things are 
 worshiped, while the Millets, Bretons and 
 other men, who are in touch with the world 
 about us, must suffer. There is something so 
 beautiful, so poetic in these women who toil 
 in the field, as they stand amid the fast gather- 
 ing shades of the evening, whose gloaming is 
 filled with a mystery that can only be felt and 
 not described. Swiftly the gathering shades 
 of night press on, driving the day, which in 
 turn hurls back gleams of crimson and gold, 
 transforming the blue-black shades of night 
 into purpling tones. There is a sense of large- 
 ness, a solidity and a strength expressed that 
 is grand. But the crowning glory of this little 
 canvas is the light that falls on the two figures. 
 The setting sun throws a gleam of golden light 
 across the plain, faljing gently on them, bath- 
 ing them in rich light, as if Mother Nature 
 would crown her children of the field with a 
 glorious benediction. Let us hope that it is the 
 symbol of a bounteous harvest whose golden 
 fields shall be dashed with poppies. The pict- 
 ure appeals directly to the affections and brings 
 
 109 
 
 BR&TON 
 
 No. 28 
 
 "THE CLOSE OF 
 THE DAY" 
 
 "In one respect Breton 
 is the most notable 
 of all the painters of 
 poverty. His 
 pictures report most 
 impressively the 
 democratic feeling 
 which underlies the 
 sympathetic school." 
 Moncure D. Conway 
 
 "M. Jules Breton's 
 paintings are poems of 
 the mysterious 
 twilight hours when 
 toil in the harvest 
 field is at an end, and 
 man and nature rest." 
 Garnet Smith 
 
BRETON 
 
 No. 136 
 
 'RETURNING FROM 
 THE FIELDS" 
 
 "He is at once a 
 painter of landscapes 
 and human nature. 
 The two are harmo- 
 nized in all his 
 works in such just pro- 
 portions, and with 
 such equal ability and 
 care brought to the 
 representation of each, 
 that he occupies the 
 rare position of ex- 
 celling in two distinct 
 branches of art; in 
 each he shows a deep, 
 earnest, reverential 
 sympathy in the 
 presence of nature; 
 his eye for color is 
 almost faultless, and 
 his technical capacity is 
 beyond question." 
 S. G. W. Benjaman 
 
 with it an influence that is beautiful and full of 
 hope. 
 
 The other Breton, "The Return from the 
 Fields," is one of the most beautiful of his 
 works. The color is quiet, cool and restful, yet 
 very rich. In the center of the picture and com- 
 ing toward you are three happy, joyous, heal- 
 thy young girls. They are in the Junetime of 
 life. Filled with its romance, their thoughts 
 turn lightly to love. They are linked together 
 by the tender sympathies of nature, and are 
 evidently exchanging those little secrets that 
 hover near the heart. The beautiful girl on the 
 left, in whose face is a shade of sadness, is tell- 
 ing something of grave import and interest to 
 the others, who give their undivided attention, 
 mingled with sympathy. The arms of the girl 
 in the center are thrown around her compan- 
 ions, linking the three together into a charm- 
 ingly composed and painted group. This per- 
 fect group shows again Breton's wonderful 
 mastery of the human figure, a power that is 
 unsurpassed by any painter living. The color 
 is quiet, refined and sober, a greenish-gray tone 
 running through the entire picture, with blue 
 and russet brown prevailing in the drapery. 
 Back of them, and reaching up to their should- 
 ers, is a mass of tender, beautiful pale-green fo- 
 liage, into which myriads of white poppies are 
 set, typifying the beauty and purity of their 
 sweet young lives and the joyousness of their 
 dreams. On either side is a mass of ripening 
 grain awaiting the reapers. Above all hangs a 
 serene sky filled with hope, a harbinger of fairer 
 days. It is a picture of youth and happiness. 
 The touch of shadow on the young girl's face 
 is like the little cloud shadows that flit across 
 the field, only to be followed by brighter sun- 
 beam, 
 no 
 
EAN LOUIS ERNEST 
 MEISSONIER *^ <^ 
 What Tadema is to Eng- 
 land Meissonier was to 
 France, a distinct and 
 original character. The 
 immortality he made for 
 himself was the result 
 of honest industry and 
 
 _ thorough method. His 
 
 rise from poverty to a place among the great- 
 est artists of the century was the outcome of a 
 persistent effort to accomplish the end he had 
 set for himself. And this against the most bit- 
 ter opposition of narrow bigotry; for while his 
 art was far removed, as to technique, from that 
 of Millet and his contemporaries, being of the 
 most finished kind, yet the same elements that 
 contested every step made by the Barbizon 
 men, fought Meissonier, too,with all the bitter- 
 ness of their natures. Those who credit Meis- 
 sonier with only skill in finish make a grave 
 mistake, for while this was the means which 
 he chose to express what he wished, his aims 
 were higher and nobler than those of many 
 who assailed him. No painter was evermore 
 conscientious or honest in his work. The few 
 who deny him the position he has won as an 
 artist honor him for his honesty of purpose. 
 The great thought under which he labored was 
 to paint with that sincerity which was pre- 
 eminent among certain of the old Dutch and 
 Flemish artists, and as one painter can give 
 forth but one of the many modes of expression 
 which compose what we call Art, the return 
 of Meissonier to the seriousness of the men of 
 the low countries marks an epoch. The little 
 pictures of this painter are the result of the 
 most intense study, directed by intelligence. 
 
 in 
 
MEISSONIER In the early part of his career he was called 
 by his critics, "the painter of toy images." As 
 he approached nearer to nature he w^as styled 
 "the photographer," but despite all obstacles 
 Meissonier has wielded an influence upon the 
 art of all nations; and while his pictures some- 
 times commanded enormous prices, it never 
 lessened his zeal for excellence. He destroyed 
 many canvases that would have brought him 
 large sums of money, because they did not 
 come up to his standard. 
 
 M.Wolff says of him,"To establish M. Meis- 
 sonier at his veritable rank in our estimation, 
 we must make a calculation after many an in- 
 vestigation of all the states through which the 
 work has passed before arriving at publicity, 
 of all the studies which have prepared for the 
 actual painting, and accompanied it. Nothing 
 is left to luck in his painting; every effect is 
 based on profound reflection, on watchfulness 
 without truce, in the face of the natural model. 
 This is why M. Meissonier is such a great art- 
 ist. To those who take exception to the scale 
 of his pictures, and regret, in the name of 
 so-called "grand art," that the famous painter 
 has kept his work down to a narrow measure, 
 I may be permitted to say that in art this is a 
 secondary question, and that the picture en- 
 titled '1814' in its little frame is one of the 
 most powerful dramas in our century's paint- 
 ing, even as Meissonier is one of the loftiest 
 artists of our time." 
 
 NO. 154 No unbiased person can see "1814" and deny 
 i8i 4 " its greatness. In fact, this is to me the triumph 
 of Meissonier's art. Seated on a beautiful white 
 norse, whose every line is noble, is the Em- 
 peror Napoleon. His short and compact figure, 
 large head and massive face, with its firmly-set 
 jaws, all bear an aspect of smothered gloom and 
 112 
 
dogged determination. It is doubtful if the force 
 of character painted in this little figure was 
 ever equaled. There is something indescrib- 
 able about the personality; something seems 
 pent up within the man. You feel that, as he 
 sits upon his noble steed, with his chin dropped 
 down on his chest and his powerful, lion-like 
 head bent low, looking far away across the val- 
 ley he sees that Fortune, who had guided him 
 through years of triumph, has at last turned her 
 face. The star which had lit his pathway has 
 set, and his hour of defeat and humiliation has 
 come. He has halted on an eminence. Back of 
 him lies a vast landscape, shrouded in gloom. 
 The overhanging sky laden with ominous 
 clouds adds to the mysterious and uncertain 
 expression of it all, and reflects the gloomy 
 foreboding and turbulent emotions that weigh 
 heavy upon his soul. His head is covered with 
 a huge blackhat. Awhite vest and knee breech- 
 es, with black cavalry boots and a great-coat of 
 silvery-gray compose his costume, which is 
 painted with beautiful simplicity and breadth 
 of light. The wind blowing the coat back, re- 
 veals across his breast the medals of honor won 
 by the many triumphs of his genius. Behind 
 him you see, a little distance down the hills, 
 several of his staff officers; but you feel that the 
 man of destiny is alone. The sense of largeness 
 is painted with great power,and the limitations 
 of the little canvas are forgotten in the large- 
 ness of the conception. Meissonier has touch- 
 ed here a high dramatic note. 
 
 "The Jovial Trooper" is a fine example of the 
 wonderful finish that is a distinct mark of his 
 genius. In a quaint old room, sitting in a chair, 
 with one foot resting on a rung while the other 
 is shoved out towards you, is the jovial trooper. 
 He is dressed in a very picturesque costume 
 
 MEISSONIER 
 
 "Meissonier simply 
 wanted to see and 
 learn the truth, 
 and he never, even to 
 his latest day, 
 substituted himself 
 for nature, as artists 
 do when they have 
 acquired a mannerism, 
 or as men of very 
 great imaginative 
 genius are apt to do." 
 Hamerton 
 
 No. in 
 
 "THE JOVIAL 
 TROOPER" 
 
/[EISSONIER 
 
 "Examine the small- 
 est, and apparently the 
 least important, of 
 his studies; you will 
 soon be completely ab- 
 sorbed by the little 
 piece of painted wood, 
 as the painter him- 
 self has been absorbed 
 by it, and it will 
 gradually grow upon 
 you as you look at 
 it, until it becomes as 
 big as nature itself. 
 The reason is that for 
 some hours of his 
 existence there was 
 nothing for him on 
 earth but the model 
 before his eyes, and his 
 will to render it as he 
 saw it." 
 M. Dumas 
 
 of white doublet and trunks, boots of brown 
 leather, and a broad-rimmed, gray hat set pict- 
 uresquely on the back of his head. One elbow 
 rests on the arm of his chair, as he holds a long, 
 clay pipe,while his other arm restson the table. 
 Thrown carelessly back is his cloak of brilliant 
 red, and on the table are his glass and flask. His 
 face is full of warm rich color, and his ruddy 
 hair, his jolly expression and the effect of the 
 whole figure are evidently of a man who loves 
 pleasure, one who has no complaint to make of 
 life and its treatment of him. He gets the best 
 out of everything. Histemperament is express- 
 ed in every fiber of his being. There is enough 
 good humor in this little picture to put a whole 
 company into congenial spirits. As a paint- 
 ing, while not as important in motive as the 
 "1814," it is nevertheless as valuable, because 
 of its joyous sentiment, for no one could stand 
 long in front of it without taking on the jolly 
 conditions expressed. It makes one think of 
 the unrestrained hilarity of some of "Bobby 
 Burns' " joyous rogues. 
 
 I A. J. DAGNAN-BOUV- 
 'ERET *^ In thepaint- 
 l ing of incidents of every- 
 daylifeDagnan-Bouveret 
 is one of the strongest of 
 living artists. He gives a 
 realistic interpretation of 
 , nature, and being a keen 
 jdiscerner of character, a 
 _ [master of the human fig- 
 ure, and a thorough colorist, he is eminently 
 qualified for delineating life as it is. He was a 
 pupil of Gerome and shows in his thoroughness 
 that great master's teaching. His selections 
 of characteristic types are always good and he 
 paints them with great vitality. He is also a 
 114 
 
successful painter of ideal and mythological 
 subjects. The two pictures from his brush in 
 this collection are splendid examples, one of 
 each style. "The Musician" isidealistic,while 
 the "Accident" is a masterpiece of realism, and 
 remarkable in many respects. 
 
 The scene is in a large room in the house of 
 a French peasant. It is extremely picturesque, 
 with its mantels, fireplace, and quaint old bed 
 and clock. Seated on a bench is a boy, pale from 
 the loss of blood. In front of him, and with his 
 back toward you, is a young surgeon who is 
 engaged in bandaging the boy's hand, which 
 seems to have been badly injured. On the bench 
 beside the boy is a large white bowl half filled 
 with water crimsoned from washing the in- 
 jured hand. At his side stands an old peasant 
 whose face is striking and full of character; 
 he is intently watching the operation, his face 
 showing feeling and sympathy for the boy. Be- 
 side him is a child who shrugs closely to his 
 side, as if frightened. On the right of the boy 
 stands a neat old lady, whose face is wonder- 
 fully painted. She leans slightly over him, 
 resting her hands on a table that extends across 
 the room. Her expression is that of the deepest 
 concern as to his condition. Her face, bronzed 
 and tawny in color, is fine, but purely of peas- 
 ant stock. A youth leans on the table, his at- 
 tention being completely absorbed in the op- 
 eration. The doctor is a splendid character. 
 His dress, of the latest mode, is in sharp con- 
 trast both in style and material with the attire 
 of those about him. The drawing and paint- 
 ing of this figure is remarkable, and his cos- 
 tume, which is of the conventional style, is so 
 painted as to avoid the usual stiffness. He, like 
 the rest of the persons in the room, shows a 
 deep sympathy for the child. His face is re- 
 
 "5 
 
 DAGNAN- 
 BOUVERET 
 
 No. 107 - 
 "AN ACCIDENT" 
 
 "What appears to 
 constitute the peculiar 
 character of 
 M. Dagnan's talent 
 is the perfect balance 
 of those qualities 
 whose combination 
 raises an artist to the 
 first rank." 
 
 Ferdinand Duval 
 
DAGNAN- 
 BOUVERET 
 
 No. 88 
 'THE MUSICIAN' 
 
 fined and intellectual and his thoroughly pro- 
 fessional air gives him a distinguished appear- 
 ance. The heavy table, shining from long use, 
 reflects color in its polished surface. The large 
 fire-place, black with soot, forms an effective 
 background for the principal group. Some fine 
 still-life touches are seen in the textures here 
 and there, for instance in pitchers and bottles 
 on the table and in the room. The coloring is 
 rich and true and the painful incident is so 
 vividly brought out that you almost shudder 
 as you look at it. 
 
 "The Musician," a youth of refinement and 
 character, is playing on a violin. His figure, 
 slender and graceful, is dressed in black velvet. 
 This costume heightens the effect of the flesh, 
 -which is rich and of warm coloring. There is 
 dignity in his attitude and bearing. The face 
 shows a sensitive, artistic temperament, and 
 it is undoubtedly a careful study of some prom- 
 ising young virtuoso. He stands as if playing 
 before an audience, with his violin in position. 
 As he draws the bow gracefully across the 
 strings you almost hear the rich resonant tones 
 of the instrument or the chant-like touches 
 which thrill the soul. The color is strong, rich, 
 deep and harmonious, giving out a certain 
 influence that is suggestive of music. 
 
 LPHONSE DE NEU- 
 VILLE ^K The life of 
 De Neuville was quite 
 lan uneventful one until 
 the breaking out of the 
 I Franco -Prussian war, 
 despite the fact that Del- 
 acroix in his declining 
 years took great interest 
 ,in him, and gave him ac- 
 cess to his studio. The war of 1870 and 1871 
 116 
 
proved to be an inspiration to him; like many 
 of the artists of France, he joined the serv- 
 ice and was an active participant in the great 
 struggle out of which was developed a school 
 of painters of military life never equaled in 
 any period of art. The simplicity of their com- 
 positions, the wonderful perfection of their 
 drawing, the knowledge gained by actual ex- 
 perience enabled them to paint the real inci- 
 dent instead of artificial posing, as was the 
 practice of all the battle painters that ever 
 lived before the rising of this group in France. 
 Among these men De Neuville is in many re- 
 spects a peer. His drawing is always good, and 
 void of a certain hardness that belongs to some 
 of his contemporaries. His outlines are pict- 
 uresque and not photographic; his coloring 
 is strong, vigorous and harmonious. He is a 
 master of action; in this respect he is the great- 
 est among them. De Hauranne said of him, ' 
 "He has freedom, audacity, movement, truth 
 of physiognomy, truth of gesture, truth of color 
 at the end of his brush, all without veritable 
 effort in a word, he has genius of action." 
 Three splendid examples of his art will be 
 found in4he gallery, all quite different in char- 
 acter. The largest, and, perhaps, one of his best 
 works, is"TheAttackatDawn." Theartistwas 
 in the engagement, and at the close of the war 
 returned and made the studies from which the 
 picture was painted, the government lending 
 assistance in the way of soldiers and accessor- 
 ies; thus giving him the proper conditions from 
 which to realize his picture. 
 
 The scene is in a Swiss village. The French 
 forces have been driven over the border. The 
 incident is the moment of a sudden attack, al- 
 most resulting in a panic. Just as dawn is about 
 to break through the darkness of night, an hour 
 
 117 
 
 "His studio was a 
 curious scene. Instead 
 of carpets and 
 precious furniture 
 and objects of art, 
 De Neuville surrounded 
 himself with broken 
 cannon wheels, 
 bloody mattresses, 
 muddy straw, battle- 
 stained uniforms, 
 casques all battered 
 with bullets, guns 
 and rifles of all kinds, 
 broken swords and 
 other accessories of real 
 earnest warfare." 
 
 Critique 
 
 No. 119 
 
 "THE ATTACK AT 
 DAWN" 
 
DE 
 NEUVILLE 
 
 De Neuville was the 
 Alexandre Dumas 
 of military painting, 
 se'eking always the 
 movement and noise 
 of battle and accent- 
 ing the dramatic 
 and even the melo- 
 dramatic side." 
 Critique, 1885 
 
 when deathlike stillness reigns, when all na- 
 ture seems hushed in repose, and when slum- 
 ber is heaviest, a sudden alarm is sounded. The 
 enemy have entered the village. Everything is 
 bustle and excitement. Back into the shadows 
 of the night, beyond the pale, flickering light 
 of a street-lamp, you see indistinctly the shad- 
 owy forms of the Prussians. Rushing out into 
 the street are the French troops, some but half 
 dressed as they hastily run out from their lodg- 
 ings. A few have reached the middle of the 
 street only to be shot down. They are contest- 
 ing every inch of ground. Everything is ac- 
 tion. You seem to hear the sharp reports of 
 their rifles, and the bullets sing as they speed 
 on their mission of death. The flash from the 
 guns, the little clouds of pinkish-white smoke, 
 join in the deadly drama. One man falls; an- 
 other takes his place, only to give way to others. 
 This is but the beginning; the end will bring 
 desolation. The wonderful drawing of the hu- 
 man figure in action, in which De Neuville is 
 unsurpassed, here is at its best; for instance, 
 the fine drawing of the Zouave who stands in 
 the middle of the street, his outline sharply 
 thrown out by the dull bluish-gray color of the 
 snow. There is a realism about the entire pict- 
 ure that is broad and large in its conception. 
 The solemn hush of the night, the picturesque 
 buildings,the pale light fromthe door of abuild- 
 ing from which some soldiers emerge, the cold 
 slush and snow are painted with power and 
 truth. The rendition of the hour with its dusky, 
 somber gloom is impressive. You could take 
 away the figures and still have a great land- 
 scape. The solemn toned buildings with their 
 quaint double roofs covered with snow and the 
 wonderful atmosphere that envelopes the dis- 
 tance are beautiful in the extreme. The snow 
 118 
 
in the street with the tracks made by passing 
 wagons, the action, the color, the marvelous NEUVILLE 
 drawing, place this picture as one of the best 
 from his brush. This is a realism that comes 
 from absolute truth of tone, and an artistic out- 
 line. It brings you into the conflict. It is the 
 real incident. No . 36 
 
 "In the Trenches" is an incident of the pri-"iN THE TRENCHES" 
 vation that befalls the life of the common sol- 
 dier. It is a struggle against the ice-cold hand 
 of winter, and is but one chapter in the tragedy 
 of war. You are looking across a desolate plain 
 whose surface is shrouded in snow. It extends 
 far away until it meets a cold gray sky whose 
 very expression makes you shudder. In the 
 foreground a trench has been dug. Sitting with 
 their backs against the wall are a number of 
 half-frozen soldiers huddled closely together. 
 Blankets, wraps, handkerchiefs and every- 
 thing available have been used to keep them 
 warm. The air is cold and frosty; though you 
 see no evidence of wind blowing, you feel the 
 stinging, biting temperature. Some of the men, 
 overcome by the exposure, have fallen asleep; 
 others sit in groups, seemingly wrapped in 
 deep thought, of home or perhaps of the com- 
 ing morrow. This picture is another example 
 of De Neuville's mastery of the human figure. 
 There is no posing, but the real living facts are 
 painted with intensity and feeling. The color- 
 ing is strong and vigorous, the uniforms and 
 blankets giving it variety. Scattered around 
 on the ground are canteens and various uten- 
 sils incidental to camp-life. Arms are stacked 
 in the near foreground; close to the feet of the 
 semi-circle of soldiers struggles a flickering, 
 dismal fire. The picture is very dramatic, with 
 nothing of the artificial or the usual makeshifts 
 of composition. The bleak, cold weather and 
 
 119 
 
DE 
 NEUVILLE 
 
 No. 16 
 'INFORMATION' 
 
 its attendant hardships, the dismal gloom, the 
 approach of night with its gathering shadows, 
 all are dealt with in a most realistic manner, 
 making it a picture not soon to be forgotten. 
 A characteristic example of De Neuville's 
 brilliant and careful delineation of character 
 is his "Information." Seated on a horse is an 
 officer in full uniform. He wears a red fatigue 
 cap and a coat of dark blue on which are elab- 
 orate decorations of gold and red. He holds a 
 paper in his hand and is looking off in the di- 
 rection in which a peasant points. The two 
 are having an earnest conversation. The of- 
 ficer is getting valuable information,which the 
 peasant gravely proffers. Back of them is the 
 flock of sheep tended by the peasant, while 
 farther down the road are seen the troopers 
 accompanying the officer. The landscape is 
 rendered with a real out-of-door effect. The 
 drawing and painting are faultless and empha- 
 size the artist's skill, and the picture is in ev- 
 ery way worthy of the painter of "The Attack 
 at Dawn." 
 
 IL VAN MARCKE 
 No modern painter has 
 f shown greater power in 
 the delineation of the 
 ^picturesque beauty of the 
 >cow than Van Marcke. A 
 ,studentunderTroyon,he 
 (profited by the influence 
 of this great master and 
 to Troyon's seriousness 
 added a realism of his own. In the anatomy 
 and action of his cows he is perfect and no man 
 has approached him in his wonderful color. In 
 Troyon you see the tender, loving nature of 
 the poet; in Van Marcke you have a strong, ro- 
 bust character that comes to you with a force 
 120 
 
that seizes you at once. The former steals on VAN 
 you with a quiet repose beautiful beyond com- MARCKE 
 parison, but Van Marcke paints with the bold- 
 ness of a man who knows his power and de- 
 lights in expressing his messages with a real- 
 ism, not of finical details, but of absolute truth 
 of tone in its varied relationships. His color is 
 always robust and powerful; you get the very 
 depths of shadow, full of rich transparency, 
 while the lights are painted with a solid im- 
 pastothatcontrasts wonderfully with theshad- 
 ow texture. In his handling Van Marcke is su- 
 premely a painter; strong, bold, rugged brush 
 work characterizes his pictures. With it he de- 
 velops the muscular form, the bone structure 
 and the textures, all at the same time, and, like 
 Troyon, his cattle fit the landscape. No S6 
 
 In the picture "The Approach of the Storm," THE APPROACH OF 
 you have a supreme effort of his art. A storm THE STORM" 
 is brewing, and masses of dark purpling gray 
 clouds are gathering their forces,while the dis- 
 tant plain is filled with ominous shadows full 
 of prophecy. Coming towards you are sev- 
 eral cows stringing along over the plain in a 
 haphazard way that is true to life. A herds- 
 man is seen following in the distance. These 
 various groups are united and form a whole 
 that is in shadow, with the exception of the 
 group of cows that fills the front of the pict- 
 ure. This group is in a soft light that sifts 
 through balmy clouds. Having reached a pool 
 ofwatertheystop to drink. These cows,creamy 
 yellow, black and red, form a rich mass of col- 
 or. The warm sunlight that falls on them, the 
 wonderful texture, the deep transparent shad- 
 ows, all finely set against the shadowy back- 
 ground, give us a beautiful piece of painting. 
 The possibilities of color are here put to the 
 test. There is nothing artificial about this pict- 
 
 121 
 
No. 50 
 THE POOL' 
 
 No. 40 
 "EARLY MORNING' 
 
 ure; it is a splendid realism of nature, put as 
 the artist saw it, and is one of those incidents 
 in her phenomena when she reaches out from 
 the commonplace and becomes supreme. The 
 entire canvas glows with divine color, painted 
 with a masterly touch and a knowledge both 
 of nature and art. It is a canvas that will al- 
 ways impress you with its lesson of beauty. 
 
 In the midst of deep woods, where the light 
 sifts through the trees, and the broad, deep 
 shadows lie like velvet, is seen "The Pool," a 
 quiet bit of water in which several cows are 
 standing. The light falls directly on a cow 
 and calf; one white, the other a creamy yel- 
 low, they give a wonderful effect of light and 
 color against the deep shadows of the back- 
 ground. Beyond this group several cows of 
 various colors are painted in the depths of the 
 shadows. Back of the pool and on its bank, you 
 see a little cottage embedded in the rich, deep- 
 toned foliage. Above this the eye finds an out- 
 let through a vista whose focus point is a little 
 patch of sky. The trees and sky are reflected 
 in the pool, the surface of which, being slight- 
 ly ruffled, breaks the reflections into beautiful 
 patches of color. Taken as a piece of color and 
 drawing this is a masterpiece. There is such 
 truth in the tones of the shadows and so much 
 texture and solidity in the lights that you feel 
 at once the power of the artist, in some respects 
 the greatest painter of cattle that ever lived. 
 
 "Early Morning" is a fine expression of the 
 soft atmosphere of that time of day. Every- 
 thing is bathed in silvery masses, which come 
 up flatly, forming values of great beauty. The 
 entire picture is wonderfully truthful to the 
 hour, and in color quite unlike Van Marcke's 
 usual manner. A white cow stands in the 
 foreground, the light falling on her back in 
 122 
 
broad masses of light and shadow. The re- 
 lationship of light and shadow are always of 
 great interest in Van Marcke's painting, and 
 in this little picture the shadows on the cow 
 are of his best work. There is the joyousness of 
 morning. The beautiful tones of the different 
 parts of the picture are so delightfully painted 
 that you long for the stream and the wildwood, 
 with its weeds and flowers decked with dew- 
 drops, the jewels of morning. A cow turns, as 
 if speaking to a woman who stands at a gate, 
 giving a touch of tenderness to the picture. 
 Only art like this can bring the freshness of 
 morning and place it on a canvas which by its 
 silent voice takes you out into the great fields 
 of nature, where you can open up your recep- 
 tive faculties and once again roam as in child- 
 hood along the stream or amid the great soli- 
 tudes of the dim-lit forest; where the ear is 
 charmed by the joyousness of Mother Nature, 
 who would more than compensate us for the 
 cares and struggles of life. 
 
 Another picture, a "Study from Nature," has 
 many of the more subtle qualities that were 
 Troyon's. The sober, quiet tones of the brown 
 fields, the dull green trees and the bronze 
 cow are rendered with great subjective beau- 
 ty. The manner in which a bit of old fence, 
 against which some wild flowers lean, is paint- 
 ed, appeals deeply to you, leaving a sense of 
 rest and repose. 
 
 The fifth and last picture here by this artist, 
 a white cow standing in a meadow, the sun- 
 light falling on her, makes a wonderful effect 
 of light and shade dazzling in its realism. The 
 solidity with which it is painted, the manner 
 in which the shadows are rendered, the text- 
 ures, all make it one of the most masterly bits 
 of painting in the collection. 
 
 123 
 
 VAN 
 MARCKE 
 
 "During the summer 
 he painted studies 
 of animals from nature, 
 out of doors, each 
 of them costing fifteen 
 or twenty sittings, 
 and he would never 
 part with one of them. 
 His pictures were 
 not studies, but care- 
 fully thought out 
 compositions, however 
 apparently simple 
 in subject." 
 
 Hamerton 
 
 No. 25 
 
 'STUDY FROM 
 NATURE" 
 
 No. 45 
 
 COW BRIGHT 
 SUNLIGHT" 
 
DOLPH SCHREYER 
 
 Schreyer has won an en- 
 viable reputation for 
 himself as a painter and 
 draughtsman. Reposses- 
 ses a remarkable genius 
 for the delineation of ac- 
 tion, and in this respect 
 ranks high among living 
 painters. Indeed, he has 
 been compared to some of the great French 
 artists of the last decade. Theophile Gautier, 
 the eminent Parisian critic, says of him, "He 
 combines the characteristics of Delacroix, De- 
 camps and Fromentin ; at the same time re- 
 maining original." His color is powerful in its 
 depth and range. He is always artistic and his 
 subjects are full of picturesqueness. Whether 
 painting the wild Arab, the peasant of Poland, 
 the Cossack of Russia, or the Hungarian at 
 work in the field, he handles all with equal 
 power, and never without a complete appre- 
 ciation of their picture possibilities. He is also 
 a thorough master of the horse. Although Ger- 
 man by birth, and a man who has won distinc- 
 tion in all art-loving nations, being a member 
 of most of the academies of the great art cen- 
 ters, he is French in his art. His pictures are 
 prized as distinguished additions to any col- 
 lection, private or public, and always bring 
 large prices when placed upon the market. 
 In this gallery there are three very fine ex- 
 EMBouitDE am pl es f Schreyer, equal in merit yet distinct 
 PLAINS OF * n character. Let us first look at "The Plains 
 HUNGARY" of Hungary." Tall grasses, pools of water, and 
 weeds, make up the surface of a low flat plain 
 that is quite swampy, almost a bog. In the fore- 
 ground stands a picturesque cart, loaded with 
 straw or peat, to which three horses are hitch- 
 124 
 
ed. Long poles, arranged on top to hold on the 
 load, add to its beauty of form. The wheels 
 have sunk deep into the mud, almost to the 
 hubs, and the horses, jaded and tired out, have 
 stopped. The driver stands on the top of the 
 load, looking over the plain as if searching for 
 relief, and there is an air of hopelessness de- 
 picted in every part of the picture. The draw- 
 ing of the figure of the man expresses this com- 
 pletely. Far away the landscape stretches un- 
 til the horizon line is reached. The plain is vast 
 and desolate, with no life to be seen, and the 
 sky dark and overcast with clouds. The earth 
 is wet and indicates a long rainy season. The 
 drawing and painting of the horses are admir- 
 able. The coloring of the whole picture is 
 powerful. The entire gamut of the palette, 
 from a creamy white to a purplish black, is 
 used in it with great skill. The general tone 
 of the picture is rather low and somber, but the 
 coloring of objects in the foreground is warm 
 and rich, and the entire canvas is painted with 
 strength. It is a picture not only possessing a 
 high order of beauty, but of much value as 
 being one of the artist's best examples. 
 
 A canvas quite different in subject and paint- 
 ing is the "Arabs in Egypt Sunrise." There 
 is something in this picture that reminds you 
 of the effect of light and color in the "Women 
 of Sahara," by Fromentin. Inside a court at 
 the entrance of an inn, are a number of horses 
 packed and equipped for a journey. They are 
 of fine breed and are drawn and painted with 
 great skill. Two or three Arabs are seen near 
 the door of the inn. The others are perhaps 
 partaking of a repast before starting on a jour- 
 ney. The yard is in shadow of a warm pur- 
 plish gray tone, the sky only being slightly 
 crimsoned by the morning light. The first ray 
 
 125 
 
 SCHREYER 
 
 "Schreyer joins to a 
 grand and bold concep- 
 tion a profoundly 
 poetic sentiment; this 
 makes him both 
 German and French. 
 His manner, as well 
 as his talent, has 
 two natures; it recalls 
 both Delacroix and 
 Fromentin. His 
 color is a happy ming- 
 ling of the dreamy 
 tones of the one and 
 the powerful 
 colors of the other." 
 Courrier Artistique 
 1864 
 
 No. 61 
 
 'ARABS IN EGYPT- 
 SUNRISE" 
 
SCHREYER of the rising sun strikes the upper part of the 
 building with a golden glow. The chief charm 
 of this picture is the truthful morning effect, 
 and in its beautiful, harmonious coloring. It 
 is indeed a melody pitched in a low key. The 
 horses are painted perfectly and are in every 
 way worthy of this Rubens of the horse. 
 NO. 2 It is doubtful if there ever was a finer inter- 
 
 A COLD DAY- pretation of the bleaknessof "A Cold Day "than 
 is given by Schreyer in the picture of that name. 
 "With a gift which enables him to do all things 
 well, he is especially successful in reproducing 
 the terrors of a Hungarian or Russian blizzard. 
 Gautier writes to the artist of this or a similar 
 effect, "I have been in such a storm. Standing 
 in front of your picturein the Salon I shudder." 
 In this subject the artist's power of expressing 
 motion has a fine opportunity. A strong wind 
 is blowing, gathering up the snow, driving it in 
 every direction, whirling and twisting, filling 
 the air so full that it changes the coloring of the 
 sky, which is dark and gloomy toward the zen- 
 ith. A wagon to which three horses are hitched 
 stands beside the roadway. Feeling the terri- 
 ble effect of the storm they have turned their 
 
 "He piays pleasingly heads from it, holding them low down, almost 
 amo v, ng r, d i eli S at ff to the ground, while they hump their backs as 
 
 grays which lead on . * -i-ir^i_ 
 
 into atmospheric if trying to protect themselves. Back of them 
 distances, and his stands a row of low buildings covered with 
 
 skies, the reverse ot __. , ,. .,. , , . . 
 
 cast-iron, move with snow. The driver is finding good cheer with- 
 ^ ind a * d *^t h in, while the beasts take the fury of the storm. 
 
 with rain. * * The ' . , . , ',, 
 
 horse as depicted by The wind, gathering the snow, dashes clouds 
 him, is not highly j t over the house-tops, twisting and driving 
 
 trained, fed or. . ? i 
 
 groomed, but a wild it high up into the sky. In fact, everything 
 creature, flying full tenc is with wonderful effect to carry out the 
 
 tear across . . __., , J . . 
 
 wild wastes, with a terrible conditions. The color is very simple 
 cart or carriage rattling and j n p er f ec t accord with the character of the 
 
 at his heels. mi r* j ..* *A. 
 
 j. Beavington scene. The velocity of the w^ind, the severity 
 Atkinson o f the storm an( j t h e pitiable condition of the 
 
 126 
 
animals are powerfully rendered. The draw- 
 ing and painting of the horses are especially 
 worthy of study. 
 
 LEXANDRE CABA- 
 NEL ** Cabanel is a 
 master of the human fig- 
 ure. Besides being the 
 recipient of numerous 
 I other honors, he has held 
 a professorship in the 
 Beaux Arts, has received 
 the Grand Prix, and is a 
 member of the Legion of 
 Honor. He is represented by two pictures in 
 this collection; one a distinguished portrait of 
 Louis Napoleon, the other a character portrait 
 of Mile. Nilsson as "Pandora." 
 
 The picture of "Napoleon III" is painted 
 with the refinement and carefulness of draw- 
 ing that characterize his work. There is a fine 
 air of dignity in the pose of the figure. The 
 character, color and position are studied with 
 consummate knowledge. It is doubtless a 
 truthful study of the subject, and you at once 
 feel the presence of a man of power and official 
 import. The color is warmer and more ruddy 
 than is usual with this master. 
 
 In the portrait of Mile. Nilsson as"Pandora," 
 the flesh is warm and rich and the textures are 
 as fine as usual with Cabanel. The neck and 
 shoulders are bare. There is a delicate, chaste 
 rendering of their beauty that is charming. The 
 face is painted with all the tender feeling for the 
 female face that made his portraits so popular. 
 The eyes are full of deep expression, looking 
 out from under brows of fine character. From 
 the shadows that linger around them her eyes 
 regard you with a look of such beauty that, 
 turning away from the picture, you still feel 
 
 127 
 
 SCHREYER 
 
 No. 161 
 'NAPOLEON III" 
 
 No. 41 
 "PANDORA" 
 
CABANEL 
 
 "M. Cabanel, with 
 harmony of tones and 
 softness of the brush 
 which seduce the 
 men of the world, 
 knows how to preserve 
 all the serious qual- 
 ities of the artist. He 
 is agreeable and 
 tender in his painting, 
 but not effeminate; 
 under his flesh, so soft 
 and of so fine a grain, 
 there are bones, 
 muscles and nerves." 
 Theophile Gautier 
 
 No. 27 
 
 "VIRGIN OF THE 
 DELIVERANCE" 
 
 No. 70 
 
 "GOING TO THE 
 WELL" 
 
 them following you. In her left hand she holds 
 a jeweled box, while with her right she partly 
 covers the box with a part of the pale blu- 
 ish green drapery that envelops her figure. 
 A filmy white drapery is thrown across her 
 breast. The arms and hands are painted with 
 a thorough appreciation of their grace. The 
 background is a dark brown tone into which 
 the outlines melt, giving a tender effect to all. 
 
 NTOINE AUGUSTE 
 ERNEST HEBERT^C 
 Hebert was director of 
 the French Academy at 
 Rome. He was a painter 
 ,of great refinement. The 
 'most important perhaps 
 of the three paintings by 
 im in the gallery is the 
 'Virgin of Deliverance," 
 which is treated in his purely decorative way. 
 The Virgin, beautiful, tall and graceful, holds 
 the child in her arms. The figures are drawn 
 and painted exquisitely and are simple in 
 color. The mother, in a dress of dark blue, is 
 against a background of gold. The halo around 
 her head is done in gold relief, thus combining 
 painting and decoration. The lines of the fig- 
 ure are beautiful in their simplicity and purity, 
 and show the style of the painter in whose art 
 there lingered faint echoes of the school of 
 David. 
 
 "Going to the Well" is light and dainty in 
 color and has in it an expression not unlike the 
 feeling displayed by Fromentin. Pale blue, 
 pearly gray-green and warm fleshy tones per- 
 vade the entire canvas. There is a beautiful 
 decorative sense displayed. The drawing of 
 the figure of the young girl, with its slightly 
 elongated effect, aided by the tall water jar she 
 128 
 
holds on her head, is let into the background in 
 a delightful manner. 
 
 "The Return from the Well" is much like its 
 companion. The color is more somber and less 
 decorative, but there is a mystery, a brooding 
 shadow effect, about it that is absent from the 
 former. There is something suggestive of the 
 morning in the other, while this has the pas- 
 siveness of evening. 
 
 UGHES MERLE tf^C 
 i The pictures of Merle are 
 noted for their graceful- 
 !ness and beauty. His 
 ( types are delicate and 
 sometimes suggestive of 
 flowers, yet not lacking in 
 character. His pictures 
 are always popular and 
 ! attract attention at the 
 exhibitions. The subjects he takes are varied, 
 ranging from the ideal to pretentious historical 
 compositions, the former being very popular 
 for reproductions. His coloring is pure and 
 chaste, well suited to the subjects he chooses. 
 With it there is an intensity to his art that is 
 distinctly his own. An excellent example of 
 his work is to be seen here in the main gallery. 
 It is a scene from "The Scarlet Letter." This 
 beautiful picture was painted by Merle at the 
 request of the owner, who sent him the novel. 
 The incident chosen is where the heroine, 
 Hester Prynne, has been conducted from the 
 town jail to the pillory which stood under the 
 eaves of one of Boston's earliest churches 
 where she was doomed to exposure for a cer- 
 tain period. She is represented as sitting on 
 the platform holding little Pearl fondly in her 
 arms. The face of the woman is of a strong type 
 of beauty, refined and sensitive. She sits facing 
 
 129 
 
 HEBERT 
 
 No. go 
 
 RETURNING FROM 
 THE WELL" 
 
 No. 59 
 
 'THE SCARLET 
 LETTER" 
 
you, with her eyes directed at some imaginary 
 MERLE object. She seems to be looking back into the 
 dim past, as if, combining its events with the 
 present, she might see out into the yet unfath- 
 omed future. While she broods she uncon- 
 sciously presses the child to her bosom, as if 
 to shield it from some impending fate. A lux- 
 uriant wealth of black hair falls in abundant 
 waves on either side of her head, framing it 
 charmingly. The painting of the flesh of the 
 child is of the tenderest sort. It is like certain 
 flowers which are so delicate that to touch them 
 would mar their beauty. Nestling in the securi- 
 ty of the arms of her mother, the little one looks 
 into the depths of her eyes as if trying to pene- 
 trate her inmost thoughts. Behind her and dis- 
 appearing in the distance, are two men, who 
 are pointing toward her, emphasizing the in- 
 dignity of her position. The canvas is painted 
 with attention to detail and the textures are 
 carefully developed. The picture is solid, re- 
 fined and beautiful, and the conception of the 
 artist met with the hearty approval of Haw- 
 thorne, who saidfit fulfilled perfectly his ideal 
 of the scene. 
 
 DOUARD BRANDON 
 ABelgian by birth, Bran- 
 ,don died quite young, 
 leaving few works be- 
 jhindhim. Littleis known 
 iofhislife,buttheonepict- 
 f ure by him in this collec- 
 tion shows him to have 
 been a painter of unusual 
 powers. It is by a man 
 
 who should be ranked among the serious 
 painters of the day and would do credit to Ge- 
 rome, whose manner it somewhat resembles. 
 The"Portuguese Synagogue atAmsterdam" 
 130 
 
is a very remarkable picture, both in the per- 
 fection of its drawing and in the quaintness of 
 its subject. It perpetuates a religious cere- 
 mony that seems strange to unaccustomed 
 eyes, one which has been evolved out of the 
 older and more orthodox ones of the Jewish 
 church and differs entirely from the latter-day 
 Israelitish forms. In the center of a synagogue 
 architecturally imposing is a square enclosure 
 surrounded by railings. Inside stands a Rabbi 
 in a long robe, and wearing a tall black beaver 
 hat; over this is thrown a white veil that 
 reaches to the floor. Around him are a num- 
 ber of assistants. Sitting and standing just out- 
 side of the railing are a number of old gentle- 
 men of venerable mien, dressed precisely like 
 the Rabbi, and also wearing beaver hats and 
 veils. The congregation is composed entirely 
 of groups of men, excepting a gallery in the 
 far end of the room, where some women are 
 seen. Great massive columns of stone rise 
 from the floor to the ceiling. There is a sol- 
 emnity expressed in the picture that is in- 
 stantly felt. The coloring is sober, an olive 
 gray tone pervading the entire composition. 
 It is a picture that speaks for itself, and the 
 fact that the painter was unknown to fame 
 does not in any way mar its message or true 
 worth. 
 
 BRANDON 
 
 No. 128 
 
 "PORTUGUESE 
 
 SYNAGOGUE AT 
 
 AMSTERDAM" 
 
VII 
 
 DOUARD 
 
 The great sympathetic 
 movement which is the 
 glory of modern French 
 art, and of which Chardin 
 was the progenitor, reap- 
 peared again in Charles 
 Fortin, who brought into 
 it an ease, a grace that 
 was lacking in Chardin's 
 work. This movement finally culminated in 
 Millet and Frere, who, while yet in the studio 
 of Delaroche, speaking of his master, said, 
 "What he has done for dukes, saints and heroes 
 I will try to do for these inglorious folk of the 
 by-way." He took up the work in which his 
 affections centered and painted poverty, un- 
 conscious and beautiful. Especially drawn to 
 child life among the peasants, he saw in these 
 little ones something deeper and more inter- 
 esting than their nut brown complexions or 
 the paintable qualities of their costumes. He 
 would often paint a group of children in a room 
 whose walls were bare and without decora- 
 tions, yet by the earnestness of his work every 
 part of the canvas possesses a charm which 
 you instantly feel. The children of his pictures 
 are happy in their environments; indeed to 
 their inventive fancy the great world centers 
 in their playthings. Into his little pictures of 
 humble life Edouard Frere has breathed a love, 
 132 
 
a tenderness, that sinks deeply into the affec- 
 tions. He has, as it were, taken the flowers of 
 the field and grafted them into the human 
 heart. Speaking of this sympathetic move- 
 ment as compared with contemporaneous art 
 John Ruskin said, "It is mainly because the 
 one painter has communion of heart with his 
 subject, and the other only casts his eye upon 
 it feelinglessly, that the work of one is greater 
 than the other." This is the secret of Frere's 
 art. In his little canvases you feel the pulsa- 
 tions of a big warm heart, beating in unison 
 with the subjects chosen, touching everything 
 with the same spirit that caused Burns and 
 Wordsworth to sing the songs of the flowers 
 of the field. Such art will live because of its 
 human sympathy, and its influence will be 
 felt wherever the love of home and of child- 
 hood is treasured. 
 
 When the shadows of war and death hung 
 over France some Prussian officers were go- 
 ing the rounds of the Parisian studios. Com- 
 ing to that of Frere, their hilarity ceased. 
 Touched by these pictures of humble life, 
 which brought the memory of the Fatherland 
 vividly before them, they issued orders that 
 the painter of them should go and come unmo- 
 lested, and that his studio should be protected 
 during their occupancy. 
 
 There are six beautiful examples of Frere's 
 art to be seen in this collection. "Preparing 
 Dinner," is the largest and is hung with the 
 smaller canvases grouped around it. Here you 
 have a beautiful painting of an old kitchen in 
 a well-to-do peasant family. Running diagon.- 
 ally across the picture is the outer wall of 
 rough plaster. Toward the center is an arch- 
 way that leads to a window. On the walls of 
 this archway are hung ladles and spoons, and 
 
 133 
 
 FRERE 
 
 "He painted the 
 country children in all 
 their performances 
 and amusements, in 
 a way that made him 
 the Columbus of a 
 before undiscovered 
 world around the 
 capital. * * He 
 harvested every district 
 of France, always 
 returning with 
 golden sheaves." 
 Moncure D. Conway 
 
 No. 124 
 
 'PREPARING 
 DINNER" 
 
FRJLRE a sketf across the bottom of the window is 
 
 filled with apples and onions. Stooping over 
 
 e painted the simple * nd emptying something from a brown bowl 
 
 peasants as he saw into a larger vessel is an old peasant woman 
 
 m to g ih e n himE whose figure is bunchy and picturesque. The 
 
 objects hanging on light from the window falls like a benediction 
 
 *+ on her head - J ust back of her is a lar s e brown 
 
 that appealed to the earthen jug, a water bucket and some bits of 
 g ^nry e Ba S con blue ware. A quaint old chest is at the inner 
 end of the arch; on it is a split basket in which 
 you see a piece of pumpkin. A large head of 
 cabbage lies on the floor. Back of the chest, 
 and partly lost in the shadow of the corner of 
 the room, stands an old cupboard, on which 
 are seen jugs, bottles and other utensils. Start- 
 ing from the alcove and running to the upper 
 right-hand corner of the picture a line is 
 stretched on which hang some clothes. There 
 is a wonderful charm about this canvas. It ex- 
 presses the home idea of simple plenty where- 
 in contentment dwells. The coloring is rich 
 and beautiful. In the depths of its shadows it is 
 wonderful. The quiet subdued light seems to 
 hallow everything it touches, and as you con- 
 template this picture you feel the sensations 
 that thrilled the painter, whose tender nature 
 fitted him for rendering the charm of such a 
 scene. 
 
 In the center of a room is seen an old porce- 
 "THEL,rrTLE l a * n stove ' small, and square in shape. Around 
 HOUSEKEEPER" ^ are bands of brass to hold the porcelain in 
 place. A brown earthen stew pot is on the 
 stove and bending over it is a sweet-faced lit- 
 tle girl. "The Little Housekeeper" is busily 
 stirring the contents with a large spoon. Scat- 
 tered about the floor are bits of wood. A yellow 
 gray jar stands in front of the stove, through 
 whose doors a bit of fire flickers dimly. At the 
 back is an alcove in which are bottles, jars and 
 
 134 
 
various cooking utensils. On the wall a coffee 
 box and some tin dishes hang. The corner of 
 a window comes in one side of the canvas. The 
 coloring of the picture is warm, tender and 
 sympathetic. There is an earnestness in every 
 touch that tells with charming effect. 
 
 "Helping Herself" shows a bright little miss, 
 her joy centered in a pitcher of milk, whose 
 contents she samples with intense satisfac- 
 tion. Her little figure is bent backwards to off- 
 set the weight of the pitcher. The drawing of 
 this little girl is charming; she is the essence 
 of childhood. The greater part of her face is 
 concealed by the mouth of the pitcher, but 
 enough is revealed to show a rosy complexion 
 surrounded by glossy yellow hair. She stands 
 in front of a window, and the light touches 
 her affectionately. Opening out of the wall is 
 a cupboard, above which is an alcove filled 
 with dishes. On the wall is a curious willow 
 rack in which spoons are arranged. The floor 
 is made of yellowish gray tile. Throughout 
 the entire canvas there is a transparent amber 
 tone. It is a simple bit of child life tenderly 
 painted. 
 
 In "A Cold Day" you are introduced into a 
 more spacious room. Here you see also the be- 
 ginning of an art idea, asserted by several pict- 
 ures from the illustrated papers tacked on the 
 wall. In the center of the room are three chil- 
 dren gathered around a diminutive stove. One 
 little boy sits on a bench, his feet resting on the 
 hearth of the stove. To the left of him is a little 
 miss who is stooping over to warm her hands. 
 Her sweet face, beautiful in its childishness, is. 
 turned sympathetically to the little brother by 
 her side. Bits of brown hair peep from under a 
 black cap. Standing back of her is a large boy 
 in a whitish-gray blouse and a strange cap, the 
 
 135 
 
 FRERE 
 
 No. 126 
 "HELPING 
 HERSELF" 
 
 No. 125 
 "THE COLD DAY" 
 
FRERE 
 
 No. 123 
 'GOING TO SCHOOL' 
 
 No. 122 
 
 "THE LITTLE 
 DRESS-MAKER' 
 
 front of -which comes down under his chin. At 
 the rear is a pine table on which is a gray stone 
 jug, some bowls, glasses and dishes. The same 
 beautiful sentiment for home life is felt here as 
 in all the others. 
 
 "Going to School" is an incident of boyhood. 
 It is winter and the ground is covered with 
 snow. You get a glimpse of a street, dreary and 
 deserted, save by a lonely cab seen in the dim 
 distance. The air is cold and frosty. In the front 
 of the picture a boy is seen walking briskly. 
 The action is finely expressed. He wears a 
 cap with great ear muffs, and has a red com- 
 forter around his neck. Strapped on his back 
 is a school satchel and a dinner bucket. He is 
 stooping forward, holding his face so that the 
 brim of his cap protects it from the wind, which 
 blows stiffly. His hands are pushed deeply in- 
 to his pockets. Although simple in subject, it 
 is seriously painted, and with great care. 
 
 "The Little Dress-Maker" is one of the dain- 
 tiest of the group, and one that appeals to you 
 with the tenderest sympathy. In the little doll 
 mother you can trace all those beautiful attri- 
 butes which cluster around home life and make 
 it sacred. This embryo mother is deeply ab- 
 sorbed in making a dress for her little doll, 
 which to her childish fancy is as dear as the 
 real. Sitting on a step in front of a door lead- 
 ing out of the room is the motherly little girl. 
 Her hair is brushed down primly over her tem- 
 ples and gathered into a knot on the back of her 
 head. She is a picture of tidiness as she sits ply- 
 ing the needle whose every stitch is sealed with 
 love. The doll, which she holds between her 
 knees, seems watching patiently the bit of pink 
 out of which a new dress is being shaped. On 
 the floor in front of her is a little box filled with 
 bits of rags, the belongings of the doll-child, 
 136 
 
while on a chair to the right is a small toy dress- 
 er. The little girl wears a brown-black waist, 
 greenish-blue apron and a brown-red dress, 
 and a blue handkerchief is around her neck. 
 On the floor is a pair of scissors. There is some- 
 thing so peaceful and beautiful in this minia- 
 ture domestic scene that one can almost pict- 
 ure out the future of this child. You feel the 
 emotion of the artist whose heart was touched 
 by the beauty of the incident, and who has 
 transmitted to posterity that which he so deep- 
 ly felt; something which all who see the pict- 
 ure may share. 
 
 UDWIG KNAUS^Z 
 Among the painters of 
 child life who have hon- 
 ored the present century, 
 Knaus stands as one of 
 the best. As an interpre- 
 ter of childish character 
 as found in the villages 
 and hamlets of "the 
 
 Fatherland" no one has 
 
 surpassed him. He has studied all the charac- 
 teristics of childhood and has caught with rare 
 skill those attributes that belong to rustic life. 
 Like Edouard Frere, he has sung the song of 
 the "inglorious folk of the by-way," only with 
 more realism than his gentle brother. There is 
 a mingling of the grave and the gay that is de- 
 lightful, in the subjects chosen by this master, 
 and while his manner differs widely from that 
 of his French contemporary, the same serious 
 love of children is felt in his efforts. It is said 
 of him that he entered the Berlin Academy 
 with limited resources, and as soon as they 
 were exhausted he was dismissed, as not pos- 
 sessing any especial talent. Ten years later he 
 was selected as professor of painting in the in- 
 
 137 
 
 FRERE 
 
 "The finest character- 
 istic of modern art 
 is its sympathy. In 
 ancient times the best 
 art frequented the 
 palace; now it lingers 
 in the cottage. And 
 he who of all men 
 truliest represents 
 this sympathetic 
 tendency is rightly 
 named Edouard Frere- 
 Edouard the Brother." 
 John Ruskin 
 
LNAUS stitution. Knaus has been honored by almost 
 every civilized country and his works are 
 treasured by all connoisseurs. This collection 
 possesses two choice examples of his art, the 
 larger, called "Mud Pies," being exception- 
 ally fine. 
 
 In a low-toned landscape, several children 
 are seen engaged in making mud pies. On the 
 right side of the canvas lies an old log, the 
 nearer end of which is flat on the top, forming 
 a table on which the mud is being kneaded 
 and shaped. Standing at the end of the log is 
 a little boy who is perhaps enjoying his first 
 pair of trousers; his back is turned toward us 
 and his attitude is the very essence of child- 
 ishness. His clothes, which are a dark olive 
 brown color, seem to fit too snugly about his 
 shoulders, causing the trousers to hitch up at 
 the sides, and the absence of a button or two 
 adds to the picturesqueness of his costume. 
 This youngster is busily engaged in flattening 
 out some mud on the log in front of him. His 
 tow-colored hair shines with silken-like gloss, 
 and hangs in ringlets about his neck. At his 
 side is a tot of a girl whose face is framed in 
 golden hair. She, too, is absorbed in kneading 
 mud. A blue cap crowns her head, and the 
 sleeves of her waist being rolled up, show that 
 her arms still retain the dimples of babyhood. 
 Her dark blue dress, tucked up behind, dis- 
 plays a pair of rosy bare feet. Sitting on the 
 log is a larger girl, a fine type of German child- 
 hood. She seems to be head steward and is 
 giving orders to a wee child who runs toward 
 her in a stumbling baby-like way, with both 
 hands full of dirt. She fairly beams with hu- 
 mor as she notes the earnestness of the little 
 one who waits on her. This smaller girl is a 
 picture of childish innocence, as she runs with 
 
 138 
 
wide open mouth. Her hair, all matted and 
 tangled, is of reddish golden hue. She wears 
 a dress of warm red, from underneath which 
 a bit of white skirt draggles. In the lower left 
 hand corner a serious little maiden is digging 
 up mud with her hands from a shallow ditch 
 that runs across the commons. She is a bru- 
 nette with a red cap and blue dress, and seems 
 to feel the gravity of the occasion. Quite a 
 distance back is a boy who knows how to save 
 labor. He stands with his legs wide apart and 
 a pile of mud between his feet. Holding his 
 hands in such a way as to avoid soiling his 
 clothes, he calls lustily for some one to come 
 and carry the mud for him. He is a lazy, un- 
 kempt youngster who might nevertheless de- 
 velop into a genius, his face displays so much 
 intelligence and character. He is barefooted, 
 but a long blouse adorns him. Back of him a 
 swine-herd is seen driving swine across the 
 commons. Still farther back some houses 
 crown the sloping green with here and there 
 a gnarled old apple tree to add to the pictur- 
 esqueness of the scene. The color of the pict- 
 ure is rich, deep, and harmonious, and in it one 
 of those scenes from childhood that most of us 
 rememberisbroughtbeforeuswith vjvid truth. 
 "The Truant" is an incident of boy life that 
 comes within the universal experience of man. 
 In the center of the picture is an old lady whose 
 temper has been wrought up to a high pitch. 
 Her face and clenched fist plainly indicate the 
 penalty in store for the offender, a bright little 
 boy who trots doggedly in front of her. He is 
 nude and carries his clothes in his hands. In 
 the background is a shallow stream, where his 
 companions are seen paddling in the water. A 
 larger boy stands on a sand bank and taunts 
 his unfortunate companion. This is undoubt- 
 
 139 
 
 KNAUS 
 
 "I will not venture to 
 compare this greatest 
 of German genre 
 painters with Hogarth, 
 mainly because the 
 two stand so wide 
 asunder, and yet they 
 are similar in satire, 
 in shrewd insight 
 into individual 
 character, as well as in 
 sympathy with nature, 
 in her unsophist- 
 icated form." 
 
 J. Beavington 
 Atkinson 
 
 No. 4 
 "THE TRUANT" 
 
KNAUS edly the bad boy of the neighborhood. The 
 light from the lowering sun gives a ruddy, 
 golden glow to everything, and falling on the 
 flesh of the naked bathers lends them a glow 
 of color that is very beautiful. The front of the 
 picture rocks, weeds, flowers, and a bit of 
 old fence over which vines trail is in shadow. 
 A ray of light striking on the old lady's white 
 waist throws the shadows into purpling grays. 
 The drawing and coloring is strong and true, 
 possessing all of the seriousness that is a dis- 
 tinct characteristic of the artist. 
 
VIII 
 
 ARL 
 
 Carl Becker, one of the 
 most distinguished of liv- 
 ing German artists, is 
 noted as a technicist of 
 great skill. He chooses 
 subjects that afford him 
 an opportunity to display 
 his powers. His pictures 
 are quite popular -with the 
 collectors of our country, as well as those of 
 Europe. A picture from his brush here is call- 
 ed "A Petition to the Doge." It is an incident 
 of the palmy days of Venice and presents a 
 scene of much elegance. Standing in the inner 
 court of his palace is the Doge, tall, dignified 
 and dressed with official pomp. His robes are 
 of dull gold and red, trimmed with ermine; a 
 red cap adorns his head. He is reaching out 
 his hand to a lady who, dressed in black, is de- 
 livering a paper to him. She is in a kneeling 
 posture and presses the form of a little child 
 closely to her side as if fearful of some impend- 
 ing danger. Just back of the lady, and half con- 
 cealed in shadow, is a man whose presence 
 seems ominous. In the court are a number of 
 figures, among them a beautiful young page 
 who seems deeply concerned in the affair. To 
 the left stands a halberdier, stiff and official. 
 His uniform is of somber purple-red, black and 
 fawn color. The interior of the court and cham- 
 
 141 
 
 No. 33 
 
 "THE PETITION 
 TO THE DOGE" 
 
BECKER ker is very elegant with its elaborate hanging 
 and inlaid floor. The picture is rendered with 
 great technical strength, and is rich and glow- 
 ing in color. The painting of the flesh is mas- 
 terly,and the expression of the faces, especially 
 of the woman and child, is beautiful. The dra- 
 pery is also finely characterized, Becker being 
 noted for his skill in the painting of brilliant 
 stuffs. 
 
 'NDREAS ACHEN- 
 ACH^CThe art of 
 Achenbach was natural- 
 listic and remarkable for 
 iits dramatic effect of light, 
 kshade and motion. He 
 [was essentially a painter 
 >of startling effects and 
 as especially fond of 
 painting wild and tumul- 
 tuous seas under the influence of a storm. He 
 was one of the leaders of the once famous 
 Dusseldorf school. There are two of his best 
 canvases in this collection, both representing 
 "WINDY DAY AT nature in unrest. The "Windy Day at Schev- 
 SCHEVENING" ening" is a scene on a wild and picturesque 
 coast, a bluff above the sea where some quaint 
 low stone buildings are grouped. A dangerous 
 storm cloud envelops the sky, and the waves, 
 dashing madly against the shore, are torn into 
 a seething mass of foam that is caught up by 
 the furious winds. White sea gulls flit here and 
 there, adding to the dreariness of the scene. A 
 rift of sunlight falling on the buildings in the 
 center of the picture, striking their red tile 
 roofs and creamy white walls, produces a 
 startling effect. The earth is scant of verdure 
 and is covered with sand, which is blown and 
 whirled about by the wind. Some peasant 
 women, huddled together, are struggling to 
 142 
 
gain the bluffs overlooking the sea, the blow- 
 ing sand partly obscuring their figures. At one 
 side is an old fortification where some rusty 
 cannon are half buried in the earth; near by 
 an old woman crawls on the ground striving 
 to gain a view of the sea. Some men on a tur- 
 ret are tugging helplessly at a signal flag which 
 is almost blown from the staff; just beyond is 
 a watch tower. The effect of the wind, the 
 gloom of the sky and the marvelous sunlight 
 are rendered with realistic truth. 
 
 The same power for delineating the storm is 
 shown in "ClearingUp Coast of Sicily." The 
 sun is partly gone down behind a cloud that 
 lies low in the horizon, turning its edges into 
 gold. The horizon is warm and glowing; the 
 higher clouds are dark and gloomy, but bars 
 of light radiate from the sun, tearing their way 
 through them. The sky is grand in its wild- 
 ness, and the water, while not painted as well 
 as the sky, yet is fine. As a whole, the gloom 
 of the coming night is rendered with great 
 skill, showing a serious study of those turbu- 
 lent expressions of nature which Achenbach 
 rendered with honesty and great seriousness. 
 
 ARL LEOPOLD MUL- 
 LER C^ 4K Muller is 
 a Professor in the Acad- 
 emy of Vienna and a 
 painter of many distin- 
 guished pictures. His 
 style is chaste and free 
 from sensationalism, and 
 his coloring of a rich 
 transparent kind that is 
 always delightful. In the five small sketches 
 in Egypt, which represent the artist in Mr. 
 Walters' collection, there will be seen the re- 
 sult of the thoroughness with which the artist 
 
 143 
 
 ACHENBACH 
 
 "The tendency of 
 Achenbach's genius 
 is realistic in the 
 highest and best sense 
 of the word. He ex- 
 plores nature in 
 her most secret traits, 
 in order to seize upon 
 what is characteristic 
 in essence, 
 form and color." 
 
 Henry Ottley 
 
 No. 55 
 
 "CLEARING UP 
 COAST OF SICILY" 
 
 No. i 
 
 "FIVE STUDIES 
 
 FROM LIFE IN 
 
 EGYPT" 
 
MULLER stu dies his subjects. These little pictures are 
 framed into one long panel and are quite deco- 
 rative in effect. In the center of the panel is 
 a study of the head of an Egyptian beauty. 
 The face is a refined one. Her almond-shaped 
 eyes, strange and dreamy in expression, are 
 of that dark and liquid brown that belongs to 
 the Orient. Her mouth, -which is rather vol- 
 uptuous, is charming. The nose is very ex- 
 pressive, and her shapely neck is lost in filmy 
 white drapery. The head is crowned with a 
 wealth of brown-black hair, on top of which 
 is a bit of red drapery, brought in dark contrast 
 against a cool amber-toned background. The 
 rich warm blood of the East courses through 
 the soft olive-toned flesh. While the features 
 are very carefully painted, there is nothing 
 about them that suggests laborious work. 
 
 The panel on the right of this represents an 
 old, tumbled-down fire-place and hearth on 
 which are scattered bits of brick, tile, ashes 
 and debris. It is done with an exquisite touch. 
 The ashes on the hearth are so lightly painted 
 that you imagine that a draft down the chim- 
 ney would send them flying. On the left of 
 the center panel is a study of a room, with 
 walls of red and buff tile, set in stripes. A fire- 
 place blackened with soot, some old chairs, 
 and a broken doorway through which you get 
 a glimpse of light, completes the picture. It is 
 charming in color; warm and oriental in the 
 extreme. 
 
 The two pictures at either end of the frame 
 are carefully painted profile studies of girls, 
 evidently painted from the same model. Like 
 the other panels, they possess a great deal of 
 beauty and blend with them into one harmoni- 
 ous whole. 
 
 144 
 
UGUSTE PETTEN- 
 KOFEN^"The Mar- 
 ket of Sznolnok, Hun- 
 gary," is a noted example 
 of the 'work of Petten- 
 kofen, who is celebrated 
 for his unusual skill in 
 finish and truth of atmos- 
 phere. He has been a 
 faithful studentof certain 
 old Dutch and Flemish masters, and his pict- 
 ures possess much of their seriousness. This 
 canvas is small, notwithstanding which the 
 figures are executed in a manner that would 
 put to shame many more pretentious paint- 
 ers. Here are picturesque low huts with 
 thatched roofs, market stalls, and the various 
 carts and vehicles incidental to a market. 
 Groups of people stand about in bright col- 
 ored costumes, talking and bartering. Vege- 
 tables, flowers and stuffs give bright bits of 
 color. In the foreground are scattered pump- 
 kins, melons, geese, ducks and cabbage. To 
 the left, and coming toward you, is a cart to 
 which three horses are hitched. They are ad- 
 vancing at great speed, and cause clouds of 
 dust to rise from the road. The picture is quiet 
 and gray in tone, and in coloring rather cool. 
 The carefulness of finish and the skillfulness 
 with which the figures and animals are stud- 
 ied make it one of the most remarkable of the 
 small canvases of the collection, and unlike 
 anything ever seen by the writer. 
 
 No. no 
 
 'THE MARKET OF 
 SZNOLNOK, 
 HUNGARY" 
 
 "A long study of 'The 
 Hungarian Market* 
 has induced this 
 pleasant recapitula- 
 tion of the facts of this 
 artist's career, and 
 begotten the desire to 
 make the name of the 
 Austrian Meissonier 
 a more familiar 
 household word in the 
 western world." 
 
 Stranahan 
 
IX 
 
 OSEPH M.W.TUR- 
 NER tf^ What Byron 
 wrote of Venice, Turner 
 painted in brilliant, scin- 
 tillating colors. He was 
 not only a man of marked 
 genius and originality as 
 a painter, but was a poet 
 of the most ideal type. In 
 his painting he was not 
 always ;true to individual nature; he sought 
 rather to depict the emotional picture which 
 took form while he contemplated her. Within 
 him were vast resources of the stuff which 
 dreams are made of. Scientific facts, botanical 
 truths, never bothered him, because he dealt 
 with feeling alone. Possessing the genius for 
 work, and an utter disregard for conventional 
 forms, he developed great powers in certain di- 
 rections, light, color and atmosphere being his 
 supreme attainments. In these respects he car- 
 ried his art beyond that of any previous epoch. 
 The unfathomed depth of shadow and the brill- 
 iant dazzling light of a noonday sun were his. 
 Speaking of his paintings, the late William M. 
 Hunt said, "One hundred years from now Tur- 
 ner will be counted among the greatest who 
 ever lived. He could carry the scale higher and 
 farther than any one else; his colors are irides- 
 cent. The Venetians could get such colors only 
 by painting transparently, but his is solid 
 146 
 
throughout." No one looking at this picture 
 will doubt this estimate of Turner's genius. 
 
 The one picture by Turner in the collection, 
 his"Grand Canal,Venice,"is a triumphin these 
 respects. Pitched in a high key, the entire can- 
 vas revels in a pale yellow-white atmosphere 
 of the dreamiest sort, into which everything is 
 painted with a solid, sure touch. The sky is of 
 a warm, silvery blue-gray tone, flakey white 
 clouds forming an archway which curves 
 gracefully down until lost in the horizon where 
 mystery reigns supreme. On either side and at 
 the back are buildings of a warm whitish color 
 which seem to shimmer and dance in the hot 
 sunlight in which they arebathed. These lights 
 are painted with a firmness which shows a 
 thorough grasp of the subject. The shadows of 
 the most tender blue-gray have a color effect 
 like that of an opal. They mingle with the sky 
 and form a background more dreamy and po- 
 etic than can be imagined. It is a picture of 
 light, distinct and original. In the center of the 
 canvas boats and gondolas are grouped into a 
 highly picturesque mass of color. Here emer- 
 ald and sapphire, indescribable blue and am- 
 ber, are set amid pearls, forming a revelry of 
 color which charms the senses. These objects 
 recede in a long row until lost in the distance. 
 Buildings and boats are reflected in broken 
 colors in the water, their beauty enhanced by 
 the tremulous effect produced by the slightly 
 agitated surface of the canal. It is a poem of 
 strange and mysterious beauty, a dream of 
 Venice, such as could only come from a super- 
 sensitive, poetic nature. Such was Turner's. 
 
 TURNER 
 
 No. 157 
 
 "GRAND CANAL 
 VENICE" 
 
 "Turner is a most in- 
 structive subject 
 for the student of art, 
 because he is always 
 and above all 
 things the artist. 
 With all his study of 
 objects and effects, 
 he was never a 
 naturalist. The real 
 motive of every one of 
 his compositions is 
 to realize some purely 
 artistic conception, 
 not to copy what 
 he saw; consequently 
 he lived in a state 
 of mental activity and 
 feeling which can 
 not be the least under- 
 stood until we know 
 what the artistic 
 intelligence is, and 
 what are its necessities, 
 its purposes, 
 and its aspirations." 
 Hamerton 
 
 147 
 
No. 118 
 "A ROMAN 
 EMPEROR- 
 CLAUDIUS" 
 
 AURENZ ALMA- 
 TAD E M A C^ One of 
 the distinct characters in 
 the art of the century is 
 Tadema. He possesses a 
 strong individuality and 
 a style that is purely his 
 own. No painter living 
 has greater genius for in- 
 
 vention than he; he has 
 
 a refinement, a certain repose, a wonderful 
 knowledge of the various objects which go to 
 make up his pictures that is unequaled. In 
 subject his pictures are usually classic, but 
 while true to the sentiment of those ages they 
 are yet filled with a warmth born of a living, 
 sensitive spirit in touch with the beauty and 
 life about him to-day. In his creative life Tad- 
 ema lives in a purely classic atmosphere. What 
 Fromentin did for the Orient Tadema has done 
 for the beautiful ideals of the Greeks and Ro- 
 mans of the ages long ago. True to the epoch 
 from which his subject is chosen, he breathes 
 into the pictures which others would paint 
 with severity a love and a tenderness which 
 prove him to be a poet-painter of the first rank. 
 A picture by him received the unanimous 
 vote of the jury at the World's Fair of 1893, a 
 distinction conferred on no other artist exhib- 
 iting. This collection is rich in the work of 
 Tadema. It is doubtful if five as great pictures, 
 of equal merit, of any one painter can be found 
 in any single collection in the world. 
 
 "A Roman Emperor," is the largest of his 
 canvases in the gallery and one that is unsur- 
 passed in intensely dramatic effect. On the 
 floor of a large room one sees the dead bodies 
 of Caligula and the occupants of his household. 
 The soldiers, fearing that they have missed 
 148 
 
some member of his family, have returned ; 
 searching, they find Claudius concealed be- 
 hind some tapestry. A soldier is seen pulling 
 the hanging to one side; he stands in a mock- 
 ing attitude as if paying homage to his great- 
 ness. Claudius stands as pale and rigid as if 
 dead. Terror and cowardice are depicted in 
 every muscle and tendon of his body; he seems 
 paralyzed with fright, his eyes fairly start from 
 their sockets. The light falls squarely on this 
 figure, which, with his robe of light greenish 
 blue and white surrounded by the pale olive 
 tones of the tapestry, makes a wonderful mass 
 of color in light, against which the soldier who 
 holds the drapery comes in bold relief. The 
 painting is startling in its realism the ghastly 
 pallor of his face, the deathlike glare of his 
 eyes, the open mouth through which almost 
 comes a groan of despair, only checked by his 
 intense fright. It is indeed a triumph of dra- 
 matic art. On the extreme left, beyond the 
 murdered emperor and his family, are the sold- 
 iers with their trappings of war, armor, shields 
 and draperies. In this group are some women 
 whose heads and the upper part of their figures 
 only are seen, but are painted with a relief that 
 is remarkable. This group with its rich color 
 and texture is set against a background of 
 warm reds, yellows and plum colors. The 
 floor, which is beautifully inlaid with tile, is 
 of fine design and painted with rare skill. Just 
 to the left of Claudius, and back of the soldier 
 who exposes him, is a piece of furniture of rare 
 beauty. Then there is the wonderful marble 
 with its rich color and texture that only Tad- 
 ema can paint. The entire picture is executed 
 with a power supremely dramatic. 
 
 "Sappho" is one of Tadema's most poetic 
 compositions. In it the wonderful gifts of the 
 
 149 
 
 ALMA- 
 TADEMA 
 
 " 'The Roman Emperor" 
 is in its artistic merits 
 a picture thoroughly 
 representative of the 
 artist's work, 
 being full of beauty 
 and color of an inim- 
 itable kind, deep 
 and minute in explicit 
 finish, but by no 
 means small in 
 executive feeling." 
 
 Critique 
 
 No. 32 
 "SAPPHO" 
 
ALMA- 
 TADEMA 
 
 "As for the 'Sappho,' 
 
 the light of the 
 
 summer blue sea, 
 
 the gold of the poet's 
 
 lyre and the white 
 
 of the sun-warmed 
 
 marble are now only 
 
 memories in England, 
 
 for the picture has 
 
 found a far-away 
 
 home." 
 
 The Art Journal 
 
 artist are brought into full play. Sappho was 
 a Greek poetess so talented and beautiful she 
 was called "the tenth muse" by her contempo- 
 raries. Being enamored of a young poet named 
 Alcaeus, she is here seen in his presence, ac- 
 companied by her scholars. The scene is laid 
 in an open theater of semi-circular form built 
 of creamy white marble. Sitting in a graceful 
 chair is Alcaeus, playing an accompaniment 
 to his poems on a lyre inlaid with an exquisite 
 design in mother-of-pearl of some legend or 
 story. The character of his face is strongly 
 brought out, and as he sits touching the strings 
 he seems to forget his surroundings and be- 
 come completely absorbed in his song. He 
 wears a robe of a light warm pinkish yellow 
 which sets off the bronzed flesh of his face and 
 arms. Opposite him, sitting on the lowest tier 
 of seats, is Sappho. She leans forward with 
 her chin on her hands, which rest on the top 
 of a little bronze stand in front of her, on the 
 lower part of which is a figure of Fame in 
 bronze. She is listening to the poet's impas- 
 sioned words with enraptured attention. The 
 drawing of her figure is purely Greek in charac- 
 ter and is a charming example of Tadema's art. 
 She sits in an unconscious, abandoned po- 
 sition which is very beautiful. Her face clearly 
 expresses the delight she derives from the 
 songs of the bard. On the stand in front of her 
 is a wreath of laurel. Just beyond is Sappho's 
 sister. She is wonderfully lovely in face and 
 figure as she stands with one hand resting on 
 Sappho's shoulder while with the other she 
 holds a manuscript. Her hair, hanging loosely 
 over her shoulders, is garlanded with flowers 
 and her dress is of a pale lavender fabric cov- 
 ered with a rich pattern. Back of her, on a 
 higher seat, are three of Sappho's scholars, 
 150 
 
whose beauty is only equaled by the pleasure 
 expressed on their faces. The two sitting be- 
 hind Sappho are dressed in gray-green and 
 buff. The third is in a salmon-colored dress. 
 Her head is beautiful in type and crowned 
 with reddish bronze hair. She sits gazing 
 across the sea with her arm resting on the 
 back of the seat. She is the picture of graceful, 
 dreamy beauty. Beyond the theater,and lining 
 the water's edge, olive trees picturesquely 
 stretch their spreading branches. They are of 
 the tenderest warm olive green, the rich color 
 of their trunks coming in beautiful harmony 
 with the deep blue of the sea, a blue that only 
 Tadema can paint. No finer setting for these 
 figures could be found than this wondrous sea. 
 The theater of pinkish creamy white and the 
 color scheme of the figures, with their pale 
 lavender, pink, buff, green, salmon, yellow, 
 are like a cluster of tea-roses in a vase of deep 
 blue green. The faultless drawing, the color 
 harmonies, the calm blue of the sky, all com- 
 bine to make it one of the most charming pict- 
 ures of the collection. Refined, beautiful and 
 poetic, it is filled with the artist's best inspi- 
 ration. 
 
 The next picture, the subject of which, "The 
 Triumph of Titus," was suggested by Mr. 
 Walters, contains all those qualities of skill in 
 drawing and color found in the other two, and 
 added to them is a certain elaboration of de- 
 tails that in its way is unsurpassed. On a little 
 canvas, upright in shape, you see a stairway 
 composed of several landings, leading down 
 from a temple. Titus has returned from Jeru- 
 salem with spoils of conquest taken from the 
 sacred temple which have been distributed 
 amid religious ceremonials in the temple of 
 Jupiter Victor at the Palatine. On the stairway 
 
 ALMA- 
 TADEMA 
 
 "To our mind 
 Mr. Tadema is fortu- 
 nate, inasmuch as 
 he practices, without 
 any sacrifice of 
 science, a kind of 
 excellence which is 
 readily intelligible; for 
 the sympathy 
 even the unlearned 
 sympathy of the 
 many is a cheering 
 thing which few great 
 artists would be 
 indifferent' about 
 possessing." 
 
 The Art Journal 
 
 No. 12 
 
 'THE TRIUMPH OF 
 TITUS" 
 
ALMA- 
 TADEMA 
 
 "It may be said ad- 
 visedly that no 
 pictures of the present 
 day exhibit more 
 thorough excellence 
 than those of 
 Mr. Alma-tadema, 
 though for the most 
 part Greek and Roman 
 antiquity are the 
 source from which 
 the inspiration of his 
 art is derived. 
 Mr. Tadema's pictures 
 as works of art are 
 never sacrificed to the 
 mere pedantic 
 display of 
 
 skill and learning." 
 Prof. John Weir 
 
 you see Titus clad in gold armor, being escort- 
 ed in triumph from the temple. He is led by his 
 daughter, who holds his hand, according to a 
 custom which enacted that the triumphator 
 should be accompanied by his youngest child. 
 Just in front of them is Domitian, brother and 
 successor to Titus, who turns as if engaged in 
 conversation with his niece. Preceding this 
 group is Vespasian, the father of Titus, who, 
 according to the custom, officiates as a priest. 
 He wears a robe of white and bears in his 
 hands the vessels used in the ceremonies. 
 The figures of this group, which is a part of 
 the great shadow that covers the lower half of 
 the canvas, are modeled and rounded out per- 
 fectly. The drawing and the character in the 
 faces are a triumph of skillful art. These fig- 
 ures and the deep shadows filled with som- 
 ber purples, blues and*olives are low in tone, 
 but the upper landing of pale pink marble is 
 flooded with dazzling light. At the top of the 
 stairway are rows of priests robed in white and 
 bearing aloft bunches of yellow palms. In the 
 center is the altar on which are the many 
 spoils of victory. From this landing, the large 
 massive columns of the temple rise majestic 
 in form, while between them the deep, beau- 
 tiful blue sky is seen. At the lower edge of the 
 picture are several heralds preceding Titus. 
 Only the upper part of their figures is re- 
 vealed. They are crowned with wreaths, and 
 bear long reed poles in their hands. The white 
 robes, the flesh tones, the yellow palms, the 
 pink stairway, are all bathed in a flood of brill- 
 iant luminous light, accented by the deep shad- 
 ows of the lower part of the canvas; they make 
 a mass of color charming beyond description, 
 and from the standpoint of Tadema's art this 
 is as wonderful a bit of painting as could be 
 152 
 
found. While painted realistically, it is yet a 
 poem of rare beauty and is beyond question 
 one of the artist's greatest works. 
 
 Another canvas, also upright, is called, "Sis- 
 ter Is Not In." In the center is a door draped 
 with tender olive-colored hangings. In front 
 of it is a young girl of great beauty of face and 
 form. As she stands with her arms extended 
 she holds the drapery tightly together, thus 
 closing the doorway. Just back of her a young 
 man's face is seen through an opening in the 
 curtain. To the left of them and concealed be- 
 hind the end of a divan the sister is seen, her 
 face beaming with mischievousness. The girl 
 standing in front of the doorway is beautifully 
 proportioned, and her costume does not con- 
 ceal the graceful lines of her figure. There is 
 a refinement about the picture that is very fas- 
 cinating, and although less important in sub- 
 ject than its companions, it is none the less 
 beautiful. 
 
 RITON RIVIERE fi^C 
 Briton Riviere undoubt- 
 edly is one of the strong- 
 est of English painters. 
 His art rises above the 
 commonplace into the 
 irealms of poetry. He 
 finds his greatest inspi- 
 ration among the ruins of 
 by-gone ages, which he 
 clothes with beautiful sentiment. "Syria The 
 Night Watch" possesses great dramatic power 
 and beauty, and is one among the many great 
 pictures of the collection. There are but few of. 
 the better class of English pictures in America; 
 many think that all English art has been re- 
 duced to the literary painter, whose only aim 
 and end is to tell some story. This canvas will 
 
 153 
 
 ALMA- 
 TADEMA 
 
 No. 14 
 
 "MY SISTER IS 
 NOT IN" 
 
 No. 19 
 
 SYRIA THE NIGHT 
 WATCH" 
 
RIVIERE 
 
 "The artist's potent 
 
 individuality reveals 
 
 itself in the dramatic 
 
 elements 
 
 of the design." 
 
 F. G. Stevens in 
 
 The Portfolio 
 
 be a revelation to such persons; it 'will deliver 
 a message of far greater import; it is like a 
 vision, a dream of mystic beauty that will al- 
 ways linger with you. Rising in bold relief 
 against the sky are seen the ruins of some an- 
 cient temples, telling their silent story of the 
 genius of the artists of the past. They have 
 outlived those who created them, and stand 
 like monuments over the desolation and decay 
 that speak of ancient grandeur. Man with his 
 varied experience has departed. This was the 
 arena wherein love, sorrow, hope and despair 
 mingled and men worked out their destiny. 
 Now desolation reigns supreme. The won- 
 drous civilization of this once famous city has 
 become the abode of wild animals. Bathed in 
 a glory of mellow, moonlit atmosphere, these 
 great piles of stone stand like ghosts of former 
 ages. The power with which the desolate 
 stillness is painted is wonderful. You feel the 
 influence stealing in on you. Something has 
 disturbed this great silence. Three ponderous 
 lions advance stealthily and cautiously toward 
 you, contemplating the condition about them. 
 Their step is as light as that of a cat. They come 
 from around a bit of the ruins that throws deep, 
 long shadows across the front of the picture. 
 One of them, as if hearing the scream of some 
 wild bird as it flies overhead, crouches slightly 
 and glares upward. The lion in advance turns 
 his head to one side and the light, striking his 
 eyes, makes them gleam like coals of fire. The 
 picture is marvelous in its beauty. The warm 
 silvery moonlight veils everything in a myste- 
 rious, dream-like atmosphere. The drawing of 
 the lions is fine, and the color is handled with 
 power and great feeling. 
 
 154 
 
EORGE H. BOUGH- 
 TON C^C One of the most 
 popular of our artists, and 
 one whose works are ex- 
 tensively reproduced, is 
 George H. Boughton. 
 The chief characteristics 
 of his art are the elegance 
 and the refinement of his 
 composition, and the pur- 
 ity of histypes. His early life was givento paint- 
 ing the peasants of Brittany, in which he was 
 unusually successful. John Ruskin compared 
 some of his simple bits of child life of this period 
 to the work of Frere. Afterwards he took his 
 subjects largely from life as it existed among 
 the Puritans of our early history,painting them 
 with marked distinction, but of later years he 
 has devoted himselfto delineating themoreele- 
 gant life of England. Boughton is immensely 
 popular among the literary people of London; 
 his art appealing to their sympathies by its 
 story-telling qualities. 
 
 "The Waning Honeymoon" is a canvas of 
 this late manner. On a stone seat under some 
 beautiful shade trees sit a man and wife. He 
 is at the right with his back against the tree, 
 sitting stiff and unconcerned and pretending 
 to read, while with one hand he pats the family 
 dog, who seems to offer his sympathy. Behind 
 him, on the opposite side of the tree, sits the 
 wife, her face glowing with color. She is trying 
 hard to be dignified. Her sympathetic heart 
 goes out to him, but she will not show truce. 
 She holds a cluster of autumn roses which she 
 would like to give him, but he must speak the 
 first kind word. Leading away from her is a 
 well-worn pathway that passes through a land- 
 scape full of flitting shadows, like the expres- 
 
 155 
 
 No. 42 
 
 "THE WANING 
 HONEYMOON" 
 
 "What Boughton 
 does best in figure 
 painting is women and 
 children, his types 
 being never without 
 grace of figure 
 and gesture, and 
 having often for senti- 
 ment something of 
 that reserved 
 gentleness which 
 belongs to lives that 
 have to be passed 
 less in pleasure than 
 in patience." 
 
 Sidney Colvin 
 
No. 73 
 
 "VENUS 
 
 AND NEPTUNE' 
 
 BOUGHTON si n of ner young face, while on the opposite 
 side of the tree, and passing in front of her 
 husband, is a pathway leading in another 
 direction. These two roads might lead them 
 widely apart. Spring has passed, the sum- 
 mer ended and chill winter is approaching. 
 With it has come the waning of the honey- 
 moon. It is a bit of sentiment, yet true to life; 
 one of those cloud-shadows that gives place to 
 brighter sunlight. 
 
 "Venus and Neptune" represents a bit of 
 coquetry between an old tar and a pretty fisher- 
 maiden. The man is large and wears the light 
 blue suit common among the Holland fisher- 
 men, while the lass has on a white dress with 
 dainty figures in it. The picture is strong, be- 
 ing very solidly painted and with the figures 
 well modeled. 
 
 OHN EVERETT MIL- 
 LAIS ^Q Millais is a dis- 
 tinguished painter of the 
 English school whose 
 pictures are refined and 
 beautiful in sentiment. 
 |He was one of the first to 
 [join the "Pre-Raphael- 
 ' ite"movement in English 
 >art. During this period he 
 won great distinction by his ideal composi- 
 tions representing life among the Huguenots. 
 In later years he abandoned the movement 
 and now paints in an entirely different man- 
 ner. His pictures are always popular and are 
 extensively reproduced. The single represen- 
 tation of this painter in the collection, "News 
 from Home," is very different from his usual 
 subjects and is quite pretty in sentiment. The 
 chief actor is a British soldier in full uniform 
 of red. He is evidently on guard duty, and has 
 
 156 
 
 No. 94 
 
 'NEWS FROM 
 HOME" 
 
just received a letter. He stands leaning on MILLAIS 
 his gun while reading it. The painting of the 
 uniform and trappings is excellent. The face 
 is interesting and refined in type, and his ex- 
 pression shows his deep interest in the con- 
 tents of his letter. The figure is broadly lighted 
 and the color is glowing and harmonious, the 
 reds being exceptionally good. Strong in draw- 
 ing and solidly painted, it stands well among 
 the great canvases by which it is surrounded. 
 
No. 158 
 "THE MILK MAID" 
 
 "The simple genre 
 which Chardin intro- 
 duced became, a 
 little later, a more 
 sentimental genre in 
 the treatment of 
 Jean Baptiste Greuze, 
 of whose works 
 sentiment is the 
 key-note." 
 Stranahan 
 
 ORKS IN OIL MIS- 
 
 JEAN BAPTISTS 
 f GREUZE <^ The works 
 lof Greuze possess a grace 
 (that was peculiarly his 
 ;own, and have steadily 
 ' grown in favor. He was a 
 Ipoet like Chaucer or Her- 
 Irick,* particularly sensi- 
 tive to the quaint and dainty sentiment found 
 in women and children. In painting the latter 
 he was particularly successful and his child 
 heads are highly prized. "The Milk Maid," the 
 one example of his skill to be seen here, is very 
 tender in sentiment and color. It is like the 
 quaint visions of those old English poets whose 
 verses are the perfection of sentiment. She is 
 a dainty little tea-rose of a maiden, with big 
 violet eyes whose depths seems those of heav- 
 en, lips full of rich sweetness like the choicest 
 wild berries and cheeks of creamy white with 
 blushes like the hues of old-fashioned carna- 
 tions. Tender half shadows play here and 
 there on her face, their quality as light and 
 transparent as the dew-drop. Her hair is like 
 the sheen of the spider web when it is touched 
 by the first ray of the morning sun, and seems 
 to shimmer in a play of golden light. It is a 
 song of rustic gladness transposed into living 
 colors, a poem from a by-gone day of youth 
 158 
 
just budding into consciousness. Every touch, 
 every stroke of the brush seems charged with 
 the vital elements and grace of youth. It is like 
 the sweet-brier in its wild, unconfined beauty, 
 and filled with the very essence of artless, 
 graceful rusticity. 
 BARTHOLOMEUSVAN DER HELST 
 
 This portrait, "Anna Maria Schumann," 
 although painted some three centuries ago, is 
 as clear and fresh as if finished but yesterday. 
 The subject was a lady noted for her mental 
 attainments, which are clearly indicated in 
 the picture. The head shows all the careful- 
 ness of the old Dutch artists, who were thor- 
 oughly sincere in everything they painted. 
 This picture has the distinction of being the 
 only old master of the collection. Surrounded 
 as it is by the best work of the most celebrated 
 artists of modern times, it recalls the fact that 
 far back in the past men understood the art of 
 painting and worked according to methods 
 that guaranteed preservation of their efforts 
 for the benefit of the world for centuries to 
 come, a thing that many great artists have 
 failed to consider, and which some of our dis- 
 tinguished living painters still fail to heed. 
 ADOLPHE YVON 
 
 Yvon, a pupil of Delaroche, and painter of 
 many distinguished pictures, was an officer of 
 the Legion of Honor and the recipient of many 
 other rewards. This portrait head of Napoleon 
 III was painted from life by Yvon as a study 
 for his celebrated picture of the battle of Sol- 
 ferino. It is strong, carefully painted, displays 
 a very fine appreciation of character, and has. 
 the stamp of real dignity about it. His coat is 
 profusely decorated with souvenirs of honor. 
 The color is quiet and rather gray. It is a 
 modern historical portrait of great interest. 
 
 159 
 
 "WORKS 
 IN OIL 
 
 No. 72 
 
 "ANNA MARIA 
 SCHUMANN" 
 
 No. 131 
 
 "PORTRAIT OF 
 NAPOLEON III" 
 
WORKS 
 IN OIL 
 
 No. 20 
 'DAMASCUS" 
 
 No. 140 
 "DEVOTION" 
 
 "Chaplin is a man of 
 
 light and pleasing 
 
 talents. The 
 
 eighteenth century 
 
 has bequeathed to 
 
 him in part the secret 
 
 of its easy and 
 
 voluptuous grace." 
 
 Ernest Duvergier 
 
 de Hauranne 
 
 ALBERTO PASINI 
 
 The picture which stands for Pasini among 
 the famous canvases here has a peculiar charm 
 of its own, and is full of airiness. The author 
 of it was an honorary professor of the acade- 
 mies of Parma and Turin and distinguished 
 for his little pictures of Eastern subjects, in 
 which buildings and small figures are painted 
 with great beauty. The little canvas, "Damas- 
 cus," reveals a charming bit of architecture, 
 a building constructed of stucco. Its quaint 
 windows, strange green lattice-work, blue- 
 gray, pink and plum-gray tiles, and dull .red 
 roof give a beautiful effect of color, which is 
 heightened by windows of colored glass and 
 a wrought iron railing. In the small square or 
 court that composes the foreground is a large 
 circular pool of water from which some horses 
 are drinking. Back of this is another group of 
 horses; their owners, standing near, are en- 
 gaged in conversation and their forms and 
 those of the horses are reflected in the pool. 
 These figures and horses, although small, are 
 extremely well drawn and painted. The rich 
 colors of the animals and of the costumes of 
 the men are charming. It is a clear, bright, 
 little gem, beautiful and refined in painting. 
 The horses and dainty figures are almost like 
 those of Fromentin. 
 CHARLES CHAPLIN 
 
 A painter of gracefulness, Charles Chaplin, 
 whom many have likened to Watteau, is rep- 
 resented by a charming little picture, full of 
 religious feeling. In "Devotion" two little chil- 
 dren kneel at a wayside shrine. Pure and in- 
 nocent, they lift their hearts in prayer. In front 
 of them is a basket of wild flowers freshly gath- 
 ered in the fields, and near them lies a shep- 
 herd's crook. The sentiment of the picture is 
 1 60 
 
very beautiful and almost like a Frere in its 
 appreciation of childhood. 
 ANTOINE EMILE PLASSAN 
 
 Plassan is represented by four small bits of 
 life. "Devotion" is a picture of a young girl, 
 partly disrobed, contemplating an image of 
 some saint or guardian angel. It possesses 
 much beauty. In "Prayer" a young girl kneels 
 beside her bed. Her bared shoulders and the 
 light falling on them are beautifully painted. 
 The picture is exquisite in finish and senti- 
 ment. "Disappointment" and "The Model" 
 display the same carefulness of finish as the 
 others. The last one is a delightful study of a 
 young model who has fallen asleep. The paint- 
 ing of the flesh is glowing and tender in color. 
 SIMON SAINT-JEAN 
 
 There are two small still-life pictures by this 
 artist, who was noted for finish and the rich 
 beauty of his color. One is a fine study of or- 
 anges, grapes and raspberries, painted with 
 great skill. The fruit is almost as juicy and 
 tempting as the real, the peeled orange being 
 unusually well done. They are painted in open 
 air and grape leaves lie about them. The other 
 is an arrangement of roses, daisies and nas- 
 turtiums, showing the same realism and del- 
 icacy of finish. They look as though just culled. 
 EDOUARD DETAILLE 
 
 One of the strongest of living military paint- 
 ers, Edouard Detaille, who, like De Neuville, 
 was a soldier during the Franco-Prussian war, 
 has here a fine picture of a mounted picket 
 guard in full uniform, painted with the skill 
 which has made his work famous. Erect and 
 soldierly in bearing is this French trooper, 
 planted so firmly in his saddle. His uniform 
 and accoutrements are painted with great 
 elaboration of detail and his uniform is filled 
 
 161 
 
 WORKS 
 IN OIL 
 
 No. 83 
 "DEVOTION 1 
 
 No. 77 
 'PRAYER' 
 
 No. 66 
 
 "DISAPPOINT- 
 MENT" 
 
 No. 99 
 'THE MODEL" 
 
 No. 76 
 'STILL LIFE' 
 
 No. 21 
 'THE PICKET' 
 
WORKS 
 IN OIL 
 
 No. 17 
 
 "TOREADORS 
 
 BEFORE ENTERING 
 
 THE ARENA" 
 
 "Vibert's pictures are 
 
 remarkable for 
 
 delicacy of touch 
 
 and nice feeling for 
 
 color. He, as all 
 
 the other Parisian 
 
 artists, studies nature 
 
 constantly." 
 
 Miss Brewster 
 
 with a solidly painted figure. The charger is 
 executed with almost the finish of a Meisson- 
 ier, and shows a thorough study of the anatomy 
 and bone structure of the horse. The land- 
 scape is lighted by a warm evening glow 
 which gives a ruddy cast to the coloring. It is 
 a fine example of one of a remarkable group 
 of painters, now passing away, whose works 
 will stand as a living record of the history of 
 the present time. 
 JEHAN GEORGES VIBERT 
 
 This painter is a Parisian, pure and simple, 
 a man of great original talent and brilliancy 
 in the handling of color. The picture described 
 below is a delightful example of his skill and 
 differs from his usual subjects, having much 
 about it that suggests Madrazo. The subject 
 is completely Spanish, being "Toreadors Be- 
 fore Entering the Arena." A number of tor- 
 eadors are at prayer prior to a bull fight. It is 
 a strange exhibition of man's selfish nature; 
 this effort to get himself into a high spiritual 
 condition just before entering upon the torture 
 of wild beasts. Kneeling upon a carpet in front 
 of an altar, on which are a crucifix, tapers and 
 other sacred objects, are several actors who 
 are to try their skill with ferocious and mad- 
 dened bulls. They are gayly attired and be- 
 spangled, and form a brilliant galaxy of showy 
 splendor. Back of the kneeling figures stand 
 two handsome toreadors, who are engaged 
 in conversation and appear unconcerned in 
 what is transpiring. They are picturesquely 
 dressed and hold sombreros in their hands. A 
 senorita is seen leaning over the railing of the 
 altar gossiping with people on the outside. 
 The picture is full of vital character and draw- 
 ing and reveals in its finish the thoroughness 
 of Vibert's method. 
 162 
 
GEORGE CLAIRIN 
 
 There is a splendidly painted picture here 
 by Clairin. In it skillful painting and charm- 
 ing color vie with each other for supremacy. 
 It is a subject chosen because of its fitness for 
 the display of his powers. "Entering the Ha- 
 rem" is a canvas of peculiar beauty, both from 
 the decorative and realistic points of view. In 
 fact, it is like many of the pictures of the day, 
 as the subject is but a pretense for the display 
 of technical skill. In this respect it is certainly 
 a remarkable canvas. In the center of the com- 
 position is an Oriental of distinction, about 
 to enter his harem. He is tall, dignified and 
 splendidly formed, and wears a robe of filmy 
 cream white silk as light as gossamer,in whose 
 shadows yellow and pearl tints play. This robe 
 falls from the top of his head to the ground. 
 Underneath is a garment of warm pink that is 
 charming in tone, and in the midst of this mass 
 of delicate texture his face is seen, a strange, 
 ashen gray color, but of a fine Eastern type. 
 He stands on a magnificent rug of red, velvety 
 in texture, and just back of him is a Nubian in 
 dark and somber garb, evidently a body-serv- 
 ant. He holds a drawn sword in his hand. Be- 
 yond is a tapestry of beautiful design. Standing 
 farther back is a servant who is drawing aside 
 some rich curtains from a door through which 
 you get a glimpse of the luxuriousness of the 
 interior of the harem. Through an archway 
 of highly polished stone inlaid with creamy 
 yellow and pale blue can be seen walls sump- 
 tuous with pale and dainty color in which sal- 
 mon, light buff, dull red and turquoise blue are 
 woven into intricate designs. Sitting about the 
 floor are the inmates. In one corner of the 
 picture are some bits of still life, exquisitely 
 painted, but thrown in simply for effect. Here 
 
 163 
 
 WORKS 
 IN OIL 
 
 No. 144 
 
 "ENTERING THE 
 HAREM" 
 
WORKS 
 IN OIL 
 
 No. 35 
 
 "THEJUNGFRAU, 
 SWITZERLAND 
 
 No. 115 
 'A PORTRAIT" 
 
 No. 23 
 
 "MOONLIGHT IN 
 HOLLAND" 
 
 "The water has found 
 
 in Clays a marvel- 
 
 ously exact painter; he 
 
 gives it movement, 
 
 limpidity, life, and 
 
 with happy talent he 
 
 knows the spots 
 
 where the sun's rays 
 
 cross it to 
 
 fill it with light." 
 
 Critique 
 
 orange,lemon,red,green and black are massed, 
 giving a strong contrast to the more delicate 
 color of the other parts. 
 ALEXANDRE CALAME 
 
 Calame painted the sublime poetry of the 
 mountains of Switzerland, his native country, 
 with great power and rugged truth. He shows 
 a supreme effort in "The Jungfrau," which is 
 a remarkable rendering of the wildness of the 
 Alps. The great mountains rise in grandeur, 
 their tops piercing the heavens. Cloud shad- 
 ows cast a shroud-like gloom here and there, 
 while the white crowns of never-melting snow 
 that have laid there perhaps for thousands of 
 years loom up with ghostly effect. Great shafts 
 of sunlight tear through the solemn grandeur 
 of the distance. Rocky hills, dashing streams, 
 and misty waterfalls make up one of those 
 sublime symphonies of nature that no man has 
 painted with more feeling and truth than Ca- 
 lame. 
 CHARLES L. MULLER 
 
 This painter is represented by a strongly 
 painted, somber-toned portrait of a lady with 
 finely modeled features. There is something 
 out of the ordinary about the canvas. It seems 
 an echo of the past; it might have been execut- 
 ed by one of the old Italians. The color is rich 
 and strong and very beautiful in tone. 
 PIERRE JEAN CLAYS 
 
 "Moonlight in Holland" is by Pierre Jean 
 Clays, who, although a Belgian, paints pict- 
 ures distinctly Dutch in style. The sky in this 
 one is bright and silvery, showing the moon 
 high in the upper sky. The atmosphere is fine; 
 the distance, full of mystery, forms a back- 
 ground for some boats whose sails are full of 
 rich brown gray coloring. The picture is full 
 of fine qualities and shows the thorough habit 
 164 
 
of Dutch and Belgian artists of studying the 
 
 phenomena of atmosphere peculiar to their 
 
 climate. 
 
 VICTOR CHAVET 
 
 "The Amateur" is a little picture of marked 
 interest because of its refinement and finish. 
 A gentleman of distinguished appearance and 
 a faultless wig is leaning over a table writing 
 something in which he is greatly interested. 
 The table is covered with a fabric of Oriental 
 design. The gracefulness of his form is en- 
 hanced by a long gray coat, red breeches, and 
 w.iite hose. Behind him stands a boy who 
 holds a small portfolio of prints; and farther 
 ba^k are some pictures leaning against the 
 wall. The little canvas is modest and unas- 
 suming, but painted with exquisite skill. 
 ANTOINE ROTTA 
 
 A fine specimen of modern art is "A Hope- 
 less Case" by Rotta, who is distinguished 
 among contemporary Italian genre painters. 
 A young girl has brought a dilapidated old 
 shoe to the village cobbler, who doubts the 
 possibility of mending it. The expression of 
 his face tells the girl of the hopelessness of the 
 case, which causes her to hang her head in 
 despair, while she toys with her dress. The 
 old cobbler is a fine character, and every part 
 of the picture is realistic to a high degree. 
 The coloring is strong, rich and deep, a char- 
 acteristic of the modern Italian school. 
 ALFRED STEVENS 
 
 Stevens, who was distinguished for his sin- 
 gle female figures dressed in elegant cos- 
 tumes, has two quiet and characteristic pict- 
 ures, "Palm Sunday" and "News from Afar." 
 Both canvases display Stevens' mastery of 
 modern types. The latter represents a woman 
 who has just received a message of sad import. 
 
 165 
 
 WORKS 
 IN OIL 
 
 No. 64 
 'THE AMATEUR" 
 
 No. 22 
 
 THE HOPELESS 
 CASE" 
 
 No. 87 
 "PALM SUNDAY' 
 
 No. 132 
 NEWS FROM AFAR' 
 
WORKS 
 IN OIL 
 
 No. 71 
 "THE DISPUTE' 
 
 No. 92 
 "THE NYMPH" 
 
 No. 89 
 
 THE HEALTH OF 
 THE KING" 
 
 No. 6 
 
 "CONSULTING 
 LAWYER" 
 
 HIS 
 
 "Vautier never expects 
 us to be satisfied 
 with the costumes 
 in place of the 
 characters of the 
 people he represents; 
 on the contrary, his 
 figures, in their faces 
 and in every line of 
 detail, express their in- 
 dividualities 
 with marked force." 
 Critique 
 
 She has laid the letter on the table and stands 
 with one hand pressed to her heart. Her face 
 is beautiful and her expression betrays the 
 pent-up emotion which fills her soul. She is 
 dressed in a gown of fawn-colored satin that 
 is painted with much skill. The table is cov- 
 ered with a green cloth and on it is a vase in 
 which is a spray of flowers. 
 E. KURTZBAUER 
 
 "The Dispute" represents four men playing 
 cards. They are arguing about some point jft 
 the game. The character of the men is fine in 
 its realism, a feature of the old Munich school. 
 JEAN JACQUES HENNER 
 
 A dainty little nude figure,"The Nymph," is 
 by Henner, a famous master of breadth, who 
 paints delicate flesh and broad effects of light 
 that are lost into dark shadowy backgrounds 
 with Correggio-like effect. This little picture 
 is exceedingly charming; its luminous paint- 
 ing of flesh fairly shines. 
 FLORENT WILLEMS 
 
 A painting by Willems shows several cour- 
 tiers rising from around a table and clinking 
 their glasses high above their heads with a 
 "Health to the King." It is bright in color and 
 elaborate in finish, a good example of modern 
 Flemish art. 
 BENJAMIN VAUTIER 
 
 Vautier's "Consulting the Lawyer" is one 
 of the many fine bits of character painting in 
 the collection and is devoid of much of the 
 superficial still-life that often mars pictures of 
 this class. A hale and typical disciple of Black- 
 stone, of fine face and bearing, is busily en- 
 gaged in examining some papers. He holds a 
 quill pen in his mouth while reaching for a doc- 
 ument. He wears a coat of brown-red plush, 
 and a ruffled shirt bosom and is altogether a 
 166 
 
real, old-school gentleman. His client is a fine 
 old man, too, with a nervous, smoothly shaven 
 face. He is explaining some difficult points to 
 the lawyer. The room is plain but full of rich 
 and deep coloring; the background of shelves 
 laden with books is especially interesting. 
 JOHANN WILHELM PREYER 
 
 This "Still Life" by Preyer, is an arrange- 
 ment of oysters, a bit of lemon, some nuts and 
 a slender glass partly filled with wine, painted 
 with the close realism that was characteristic 
 of the Dusseldorf School. It is equal in this 
 respect to the works of the old Dutchmen who 
 painted similar subjects. 
 MIHALY MUNKACSY 
 
 During the early part of Munkacsy's career 
 he painted a series of remarkable pictures, in- 
 spired by incidents of life in his native country, 
 for which he was eminently fitted and which 
 he rendered with distinguished power. The 
 struggles through which he was passing at 
 this period seemed to fit him for rendering 
 scenes of unusual pathos. In after years when 
 fame and fortune came to him the seriousness 
 that marked his early life was lost in the af- 
 fectations of a gilded notoriety. The one pict- 
 ure by him which is hanging on the walls 
 among this great company is one of the best 
 of his early works. It is called "The Story of 
 the Battle." In a room with arched ceilings 
 and beautifully broken walls are several per- 
 sons around a table listening to a youth who 
 is giving an account of a battle. His face is 
 pale and shows that he has been through great 
 suffering; one hand rests on a crutch while 
 with the other he emphasizes his story with 
 gestures. Sitting in front of him is an old gen- 
 tleman, probably his father, and behind him 
 is a youth, in an attitude of close attention, 
 
 167 
 
 WORKS 
 IN OIL 
 
 No. 10 
 'STILL LIFE" 
 
 No. 106 
 
 "THE STORY 
 OF THE BATTLE' 
 
WORKS 
 IN OIL 
 
 No. 24 
 
 "PORTRAIT 
 OF WASHINGTON' 
 
 No. 104 
 'THE CATSKILLS' 
 
 seems to be trying to mentally grasp the 
 incident related. On the farther side of the 
 table sit two men who thoughtfully listen to 
 the recital. Near them stands a girl. A mug 
 and glasses on the table speak of good cheer. 
 The costumes are picturesque and effectively 
 arranged, as is everything that enters Mun- 
 kacsy's pictures. The types effaces are studied 
 with realistic truth to nature and the color, 
 though strong, is yet sober and very effective. 
 GILBERT STUART 
 
 Stuart was, perhaps, the greatest portrait 
 painter our country has produced, and one 
 among the foremost of his time. He is repre- 
 sented by his famous portrait of Washington, 
 a performance of great value and merit. As 
 a painter, Stuart was deservedly noted for his 
 flesh coloring. His style was elevated and 
 pure. The head of Washington is masterly in 
 drawing and painting, the flesh being remark- 
 able. The glowing rich carnations in it are 
 mingled with silvery gray half tints in a man- 
 ner which is very fine. He used color in his 
 pictures with a mottled touch peculiarly his 
 own. There is an air of dignity about the head 
 that befits the subject; it is one of the treasures 
 of our early art in a field that was prolific of 
 skillful men. 
 ASHER B. DURAND 
 
 In a large canvas, "The Catskills," dated 
 1859, by the venerable Asher B. Durand, the 
 rendering of detail is a prominent feature. It 
 is in many respects a fine picture and one can 
 not get away from the fact that in it are qual- 
 ities that are wofully absent from much of our 
 present landscape art. While it may not hold 
 together as a whole, and you find yourself 
 picking out parts, yet there is a sincerity, a de- 
 votion to nature that is refreshing. Durand 
 168 
 
was a refined, beautiful type of the early Amer- 
 ican painter. 
 CHARLES LORING ELLIOTT 
 
 A portrait of the painter Durand, from the 
 brush of Charles Loring Elliott, shows a man 
 of refined feeling who looks as though he might 
 have belonged in the same sphere as Whittier 
 and Longfellow. The picture is remarkably 
 good in execution, and shows Elliott to have 
 been one of the best portraitists of our country 
 and among the best of his time. His brush- 
 work was skillful, his color robust, and he pos- 
 sessed an appreciation of character that is in 
 bold relief against some of our modern por- 
 trait artists who have reduced the art to the 
 province of still-life. 
 
 The "Portrait of the Artist, by Himself," is 
 a strong piece of painting, showing Elliott 
 with a broad brimmed hat and a great cloak 
 which gives him a picturesque, unconven- 
 tional air. His rich dark healthy complexion, 
 piercing brown eyes and long black hair mark 
 him as a distinct character of his day. Elliott 
 was indeed an honor to our early art. He was 
 thoroughly sincere in all he painted. 
 WILLIAM O. STONE 
 
 A splendid portrait of Mr. W. W. Corcoran, 
 whose munificent gift placed one of the grand- 
 est art institutions of our country in the Cap- 
 ital City, occupies a place on these walls. The 
 refined face reveals a beautiful spirit which 
 seems to illumine the canvas. The tender, 
 mild, yet earnest expression of the eyes, and 
 the silken white hair, are rendered with beauty 
 and feeling. 
 GEORGE A. BAKER 
 
 In the"Portrait of George A.Baker," painted 
 by himself, we see that Baker's art was not 
 so vigorous as Elliott's, yet it is strong and 
 
 169 
 
 WORKS 
 IN OIL 
 
 No. 114 
 
 "PORTRAIT OF 
 A. B. DURAND, N. A. 
 
 No. 130 
 
 "THE ARTIST, 
 BY HIMSELF" 
 
 No. 146 
 
 "PORTRAIT OF 
 W. W. CORCORAN" 
 
 No. J47 
 PORTRAIT OF THE 
 
 ARTIST, 
 BY HIMSELF" 
 
WORKS refined, and holds its own, even hanging as it 
 IN OIL does in close proximity to some of Bonnat's 
 
 greatest "works. 
 
 NO. 129 His "Portrait of a Lady" is a picture of the 
 
 A PORTRAIT" artist's daughter. It shows us a face beaming 
 with life. It is painted delicately and with an 
 appreciation of feminine grace that is delight- 
 ful. Baker was a sincere and earnest man and 
 his nature is reflected in his work. 
 
XI 
 
 HE WATER-COLOR 
 GALLERY ** East of 
 the Oriental room is a 
 small gallery dedicated 
 to drawings and water- 
 colors. It is quiet and 
 harmonious in decora- 
 tion and arrangement, 
 and although small,with- 
 in its confines are many 
 art treasures of great value. There are a num- 
 ber of charming drawings by the great men of 
 Barbizon as well as by other masters of dis- 
 tinction. The drawings of Millet, Diaz and 
 Rousseau will be found especially interesting. 
 The drawings of Bida, whose illustrations of 
 religious subjects are among the best of the 
 century, are all here; also work by the brilliant 
 Fortuny, Jacquemart, Zamacois, Israels and 
 others. An important collection is that of the 
 water-colors of Leon Bonvin, the Messonier 
 of wild flowers and weeds. The visitor will 
 see nearly every picture ever produced by this 
 wonderful artist, who never could be persuad- 
 ed to paint cultured flowers, choosing only 
 those of the fields and byways. We would 
 give the place of honor to the drawings of Jean 
 Fran9ois Millet because of their matchless 
 beauty, unlike that of any other artist. They 
 are as complete as his matured paintings. In- 
 deed Millet, in whatever material he worked, 
 
 171 
 
WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 248 
 
 "THE 
 
 SHEPHERDESS" 
 
 No. 226 
 'THE SOWER* 
 
 realized always that which he sought with 
 deep never-failing seriousness. 
 JEAN FRANCOIS MILLET 
 
 The drawing of "The Shepherdess" is made 
 with crayon and tinted suggestively with pas- 
 tel; a favorite method of Millet's, and one in 
 which he was incomparable. The poetic side 
 of peasant life is beautifully brought out in this 
 charming pastoral. A peasant girl stands knit- 
 ting while attending her flock. She, like the 
 squirrel or the tiny bee, thinks of the days to 
 come, of the winter with its frosts, its blights. 
 She is thinking with her hands, while her 
 faithful flock, huddled closely together, taste 
 the sweets of the tender young grass. The 
 warm, soft light with which the sky is flooded 
 throws a halo about her form that is like the 
 aura surrounding those beings seen in visions. 
 Patience, love and contentment are her attri- 
 butes; beauty her being. All the tenderness 
 and domestic love of Millet's nature is felt in 
 this beautiful picture. 
 
 "The Sower" is a wonderful drawing of a 
 subject that brought forth the most cruel and 
 bitter criticisms from those who could not and 
 would not understand him. Here was a pict- 
 ure that meant something; just what no one 
 knew. Each critic, influenced by prejudice, 
 saw an imaginary meaning which came from 
 his own distorted fancy. All of them agreed, 
 however, that the sentiment expressed by the 
 artist was dangerous; none stopped to feel its 
 beauty or try to learn its silent lesson. To me 
 all that Millet did is full of lessons and preg- 
 nant with meaning. He is a veritable revela- 
 tion, a message of humanity for humanity's 
 sake. In it one feels Millet's big heart. The 
 man is sowing. He is doing it cheerfully; 
 it is his work, his mission. He does it not in 
 172 
 
selfishness, but that others may reap blessings 
 from his labor. Some seeds may fall in stony 
 ground and some by the wayside, but those 
 that fall in good ground shall bear fruitage and 
 give life to many. Whoever has toiled in the 
 field in the early spring, when the rich loam 
 is freshly turned, has seen the birds of all kinds 
 busily getting life and sustenance out of it. 
 The ploughed field, the sower, and the crow 
 are inseparable. They are a part of the season. 
 Millet knew this because he lived with nature. 
 The sky in this beautiful picture is full of prom- 
 ise. No rainbow spans it, but life, light and air 
 vibrate in every part. Even the man in the 
 distance seems happy in his work. The crows 
 that fly with broken movement through the 
 sky add beauty to the scene. The heart of Mil- 
 let felt its charm and he drew it with all the 
 power of his great nature. Nothing could be 
 finer, more expressive. 
 
 "The Sheepfold" is the original design 
 from which the beautiful painting in the main 
 gallery was executed. It is done in black cray- 
 on and is fairly flooded with light. No draw- 
 ing without the use of color could surpass it 
 in its light, its atmosphere. 
 
 In this little room is the original design from 
 which the famous "Angelus" was painted. 
 The sentiment of reverence for the hour, the 
 simple devotion, the religious feeling ex- 
 pressed are supreme. From far across the low 
 flat plains come the sounds of the bells, caus- 
 ing faithful believers to turn their thoughts 
 away from the fields, from the unproductive 
 soil, from pain, sorrow and care. They call 
 upon their simple hearts to be lifted up, away 
 from the present unto a hope of better things. 
 How beautiful is the composition of this little 
 picture and how simple the elements compos- 
 
 173 
 
 WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 "He could express 
 the thoughts which 
 filled his sleeping and 
 waking hours with 
 an ease and 
 simplicity, a clearness 
 and directness, 
 which nothing could 
 hinder or obscure. 
 All his noblest qualities 
 are present here. 
 His wonderful powers 
 of draughtsmanship, 
 his mastery of form, 
 his tender and 
 profound feeling 
 we find them all." 
 Julia M. Ada 
 in The Portfolio 
 
 No. 201 
 "THE SHEPHERD 
 
 AT THE FOLD 
 BY MOONLIGHT" 
 
 No. 200 
 'THE ANGELUS' 
 
WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 235 
 
 EDGE OF THE 
 FOREST" 
 
 No. 218 
 'DON QUIXOTE" 
 
 ing it ! But how great must have been the man 
 whose hand could infuse into this simplicity 
 a sentiment that has touched the hearts of all 
 nations. 
 NARCISSE DIAZ 
 
 One can see in the water-color, " The Edge 
 of the Forest," the beauty of simplicity. Here 
 is a motive many have passed unnoticed, yet 
 Diaz has made of it a beautiful picture. It is so 
 large in every respect, save actual dimensions, 
 that you marvel at its effect. It is only five by 
 eight inches in size but the grand old forest of 
 Fontainebleau is wonderfully realized in it. 
 Across the foreground extends a row of splen- 
 did oaks, whose long branches reach out and 
 mingle affectionately with each other. These 
 trees are in shadow,but beyond them the grand 
 mass of foliage is lighted up by brilliant sun- 
 light, which touches the trunks and boughs of 
 the trees, giving them a charming pink gray 
 tone. Through the foliage at the top are seen 
 bits of blue sky. This is without exception one 
 of the daintiest and yet broadest landscapes 
 in the room. 
 MARIANO FORTUNY 
 
 Fortuny, who was always brilliant, never 
 displayed greater power with his brush than 
 in "Don Quixote," which, from a painter's 
 stand-point, is a supreme attainment. The 
 Spanish hero is seen in a half-sitting position 
 arranging some details of dress and evidently 
 preparing for one of his extravagant adven- 
 tures. The peculiar costume, which evidently 
 was the inspiration of the picture, is painted 
 with that mastery that was Fortuny's alone. 
 Everything is characterized with an unsur- 
 passed vitality. The costume, the metals, the 
 flesh, all the different textures, are brilliantly 
 rendered. The bared upper half of the figure is 
 
 174 
 
especially fine ; the bones, muscles and ten- 
 dons are all strongly indicated. The piece of 
 metal furniture on which he sits, and its elab- 
 orate design, the effective arrangement of the 
 background, as well as the other accessories, 
 are rendered with a skill that belonged only to 
 this artist, who was a great master of effect 
 and picturesque light and shade. 
 
 In "The Mendicant" my elbow touches an 
 old friend; at least my sympathy goes out to 
 him. I have seen many editions of him. He 
 is like a dried-up weed in the midst of a forest 
 filled with beauty and life, or like an old shoe 
 that has seen its best days. This tree may have 
 borne fruit in the far-off past, but now it can 
 only cast a shadow. Like the branch of a weed 
 reaching out for the dew-drop is his outstretch- 
 ed hand. Perhaps some one will render aid so 
 that life may hold its frail parts together for 
 a little while longer. There is something pa- 
 thetic in the picture, aside from the greatness 
 with which Fortuny has expressed himself. 
 As a painting it is powerful and makes one 
 think of the sullen expression with which he 
 painted the figure in the "Door of the Serag- 
 lio," one of the Hundred Masterpieces. In its 
 technique it is not as strong as the "Don Quix- 
 ote," but there is a depth of feeling expressed 
 that is of a higher order and which makes it a 
 picture that sets one's imagination to work. It 
 is of a more universal interest. These two, 
 with the great picture in the main gallery, 
 "The Rare Vase," make a trio of water-colors 
 by Fortuny that are simply wonderful. 
 EDUARD ZAMACOIS 
 
 Another gifted Spaniard, Eduard Zamacois, 
 is represented by the water-color, "Waiting 
 at the Church Porch." The coloring in this 
 picture is much brighter than in the two For- 
 
 175 
 
 WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 237 
 "THE MENDICANT" 
 
 No. 254 
 
 "WAITING AT THE 
 CHURCH PORCH" 
 
WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 "Zamacois, with a 
 
 manner almost as 
 
 perfect as Meissonier's, 
 
 is a satirist; he is a 
 
 man of wit, whose 
 
 means of expression 
 
 is comparable to 
 
 a jeweled and dazzling 
 
 weapon, so much 
 
 so that to express his 
 
 rich and intense 
 
 color, his polished 
 
 style, he has been said 
 
 to embroider his 
 
 coarse canvas with 
 
 pearls, diamonds 
 
 and emeralds." 
 
 Eugene Benson 
 
 No. 246 
 
 "XANTHE AND 
 PHAON" 
 
 tunys, which are subdued in tone. The reds of 
 some of the draperies are remarkably brilliant. 
 A number of servants in gay attire are waiting 
 on the steps of the church, while their masters 
 worship within. The nearest one, in a richly 
 embroidered red coat, leans against a column, 
 engaged in conversation with an old man sit- 
 ting on the steps, who with much animation 
 emphasizes an argument with gestures. Back 
 of him is an elderly lackey listening atten- 
 tively to their talk. Near them is a group of 
 persons whose faces show feelings of disgust. 
 The bearing of the fellows is pompous; they 
 evidently feel the importance of their position, 
 and are drawn and painted with consummate 
 art. It is one of the strongest water-colors in 
 the collection. 
 LAURENZ ALMA-TADEMA 
 
 There is a bit of history connected with the 
 little water-color, "Xanthe and Phaon," that 
 is charmingly romantic. Alma-Tadema once 
 painted a picture he called "The Question." 
 George Ebers, enamored by its beauty, caught 
 the inspiration and wrote a beautiful ideal story 
 based upon it, which he dedicated to the artist. 
 Complimented by the tribute, Tadema entered 
 fully into the spirit of the work when the wish 
 was expressed by a friend to possess a picture 
 painted by him from a scene in the book, to 
 represent Xanthe and Phaon, the two princi- 
 pal characters. It is not necessary to read the 
 book in order to see that Tadema has realized 
 a beautiful ideal, for this is one of the most 
 beautiful water-colors of the collection, and 
 one in which Tadema has painted his most 
 poetic feeling. On an elevated marble seat 
 sits the beautiful young girl, Xanthe, her head 
 crowned by a wealth of golden red hair. One 
 arm lies gracefully along the back of the seat, 
 176 
 
the elbow of the other rests in her lap. Her 
 fingers are touching her mouth. She seems in 
 deep study; she is halting between two opin- 
 ions. Stretched at length on the seat is the 
 youthful Phaon, who, with upturned face, 
 pleads his case. They are lovers, but have 
 drifted apart by a series of misunderstand- 
 ings. Xanthe has come to this seat beside the 
 fountain and found Phaon asleep. She chides 
 him for sleeping while the sun shines and ac- 
 cuses him of rioting and keeping late hours. 
 Phaon explains that during the nights he has 
 watched her father's olive groves, driving 
 away those who would destroy them. Thus 
 paving the way, Phaon asks "The Question" 
 as to her love. This is the moment that Tad- 
 ema has beautifully illustrated. Xanthe's lap 
 is filled with luscious roses, such roses as only 
 Tadema can paint. Some of them have fallen 
 at her feet. Over the seat is a Stella on which 
 are some Greek inscriptions and a branch of 
 olives. At the left a stairway leads down from 
 the seats, with roses scattered on it here and 
 there. Beneath the lovers is a pool of crystal 
 water, in which the blue sky, the marble walls 
 and the two figures are reflected in a charm- 
 ing mass of color, on the surface of which the 
 petals of roses float. Above is the sky, blue 
 and undisturbed save by some white clouds 
 that drift in the far-away distance. The calm 
 sea is a strange blue-green color that is in- 
 comparable in its depths. Nothing could be 
 more beautiful, or ideal. The girl's face is 
 charming. Her costume is of grayish pink. 
 The youth is of dark complexion; he has black 
 hair, and wears a yellow-gray robe. The blue 
 of the sky, the creamy white marble and the 
 roses make an array of beautiful colors gem- 
 like in their purity. 
 
 177 
 
 WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 "The great aim of 
 Tadema's art is to 
 bring his Egyptians, 
 Romans, and 
 Greeks within the 
 scope of our sympathies, 
 or at least of our 
 comprehension of 
 them as men and 
 women; not as 
 simply Romans, or 
 Greeks, or 
 Egyptians." 
 
 Helen Zimmern 
 
WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 245 
 
 VTWIXT VENUS 
 AND BACCHUS" 
 
 Nos. 250-251 
 
 "TWO PORTRAITS 
 
 OF HIMSELF" 
 
 No. 221 
 
 'COURTYARD OF 
 
 THE ARTIST'S 
 
 STUDIO" 
 
 "The day when 
 
 M. Meissonier sets 
 
 the signature at the 
 
 bottom of the finished 
 
 task, he is satisfied 
 
 that he has poured his 
 
 talent completely 
 
 into his picture. * You 
 
 could not get from 
 
 him at any price 
 
 a work which he does 
 
 not himself judge to 
 
 be carried out to 
 
 its full intensity." 
 
 Albert Wolff 
 
 "'Twixt Venus and Bacchus" is good in 
 color and textures, and under the name of al- 
 most any other artist would rank high, but as 
 a Tadema, compared with the picture just de- 
 scribed and the great examples of his art in the 
 main gallery, it loses. It is beyond dispute that 
 nowhere is Alma-Tadema so finely repre- 
 sented as in this collection. Nothing by him 
 sent to the English exhibit, or the Loan Col- 
 lection, at the Chicago Fair, equaled the great 
 canvases found here. 
 JEAN LOUIS ERNEST MEISSONIER 
 
 Two portraits of himself, drawn in red and 
 black chalks, give us Meissonier at the age of 
 forty. They are beautifully finished, present 
 two very different views of the artist and show 
 him to have been rather slender at that age. 
 They are as carefully drawn as a line engrav- 
 ing, and are valuable as early portraits of the 
 great man who forged his way through all ob- 
 stacles until he became one of the distinct 
 characters of his time. 
 
 One of Meissonier's finest water-colors is of 
 the open courtyard of his studio. It has all 
 of the strength and depth attained by him at 
 his best in the stronger medium of oil. A beau- 
 tifully caparisoned cavalier, graceful and ele- 
 gant of figure, is seen leaning against the wall 
 of a court. His aspect is one of gayety, as with 
 upturned face he seems to be singing a ditty 
 to some fair one above. In his hands he holds 
 a slender whip which he bends into a graceful 
 curve. He is the height of picturesque beau- 
 ty in his black slouch hat, gray coat, broad lace 
 collar, tan colored boots and broad leather 
 straps across his shoulders, from which hangs 
 a sword. His face fairly beams with life. His 
 ruddy complexion, sandy hiied hair and artis- 
 tic costume make a charming effect of color. 
 
GEORGE H. BOUGHTON 
 
 The two water-colors by Boughton are good 
 examples of his style. "The Fairy Tale" is 
 painted in the extreme pre-Raphaelite man- 
 ner. An old woman who has been gathering 
 fagots is sitting on the ground telling fairy tales 
 to a little girl whose every nerve is alert with 
 interest. As an example of a phase of English 
 art which for some years held sway it is fine. 
 Autumn with its sober tints is well expressed, 
 and though one may not like the almost pain- 
 ful manner in which each dead leaf is painted, 
 yet there is so much that is serious about the 
 picture that you can not help being deeply in- 
 terested. 
 
 "A Brittany Interior" is a fine bit of painting, 
 very different from the former in treatment. 
 There is a Frere-like spirit in it. A young peas- 
 ant woman is rocking a cradle in which is a 
 sleeping child. The light falls from a quaint 
 window, touching the figure of the girl in a 
 beautiful manner. It is peaceful and homelike 
 in sentiment and in its treatment is more sim- 
 ple than "The Fairy Tale." 
 JULES FERDINAND JACQUEMART 
 
 Jacquemart is noted for his etchings of still- 
 life and objects of art. Hamerton says of him, 
 "I never knew the glory and beauty of noble 
 old work in the precious stones and metals till 
 Jules Jacquemart taught me. The jewels of the 
 Louvre were familiar to me, but a veil hung 
 between me and their true splendor; and it was 
 only when Jacquemart had etched them one by 
 one that I learned to know them truly." The 
 one picture by him here is a water-color which 
 shows him to have also possessed splendid tal- 
 ent in landscape painting. Jacquemart sang 
 few songs but sang them well. The song of the 
 mountains was never rendered more beautiful- 
 
 179 
 
 WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 252 
 "THE FAIRYTALE' 
 
 No. 241 
 
 'A BRITTANY 
 INTERIOR" 
 
 NO. 220 
 
 A LANDSCAPE' 
 
WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 228 
 'MARINE" 
 
 No. 232 
 "MARINE 1 
 
 "Isabey takes the first 
 
 motifs at hand; a 
 
 stile, a stone, a yawl, 
 
 painted by him has 
 
 a spiritual air; his 
 
 rapid and nervous 
 
 touch has the certainty 
 
 of dash of 
 
 a sweeping hand." 
 
 Th6ophile Gautier 
 
 ly than it is in the water-color, "A Landscape." 
 You are up, way up, on a hill overlooking an 
 undulating valley, studded with habitations of 
 men and culminating in rock-ribbed hills that 
 lift their proud heads to meet the sky. Mon- 
 arch-like, they stand robed in purple grandeur. 
 The receding hills and dales are clothed in 
 warm pinks, tender greens and purpling shad- 
 ows, on which the summer sunlight loves to 
 linger. Over them hangs a veil of mist that adds 
 a charm to the scene and which is painted with 
 a great appreciation of the picturesque. There 
 is a calm peacefulness in the picture that is felt 
 as soon as you look at it. Jacquemart died in 
 the prime of life. He only painted a few pict- 
 ures, eighteen in all. 
 EUGfeNE ISABEY 
 
 Here are two fine examples of Isabey's ma- 
 rine painting. In No. 228 is a splendid gray sky, 
 strange in its effect. The sea stretches away to 
 the left and in the distance are some high blue 
 gray cliffs. Near the front of the picture is a 
 rocky ledge on which some fishermen have 
 built their huts. They are positive in color, and 
 very rich and shadowy in effect. Near these 
 huts are two small fishing boats. The fore- 
 ground is a surf- washed beach over which you 
 can almost see the water creep and recede. 
 
 In No. 232 the hulls of two old boats lie on the 
 beach. The one in the foreground is strong and 
 sober in color, and vigorously painted. Back 
 of it is a second boat, its picturesque effect 
 heightened by the foggy atmosphere that in- 
 tervenes. Beyond is a promontory, bold and 
 rugged; a fisherman's hut stands near. In the 
 foreground, with its warm-colored rocks and 
 dark pools of water, some fisherwomendressed 
 in red and blue form a mass of rich color. These 
 boats and bluffs come in sober tones against a 
 180 
 
cloudy whitesky through which bits of blue are 
 seen. The picture is -wonderfully interesting. 
 FRANCIS HOPKINSON SMITH 
 
 The latest acquisition to the collection of 
 water-colors is a splendid example of this art- 
 ist, who is a native of Baltimore. It is called 
 "Over a Balcony." The placing of this picture 
 upon the walls is a fitting testimonial to the 
 merits of the painter, who seems to flit here and 
 there as free as the wind, gleaning fresh gems of 
 beauty from almost every clime. This is Ven- 
 ice, always beautiful; you are looking from a 
 balcony above, and directly over, the Grand 
 Canal. This point of view throws the horizon 
 high up in the picture, thus giving a very broad 
 sweep of the limpid waters. To the right, and 
 occupying the edge of the picture, is part of a 
 tall building or palace, whose outline sharply 
 cuts against the receding objects. Projecting 
 from its front is a quaint balcony, supported by 
 huge lions' heads, and filled with plants and 
 flowers, set in vari-colored pots. They are all 
 sharply defined and give great accent to the 
 picture. From this point, and extending away 
 in picturesque perspective, are the palaces 
 which front on the canal, with here and there 
 bits of gardens. This line of buildings culmi- 
 nates in the grandly imposing domes of Santa 
 Maria della Salute, which rises god-like out of 
 the waters. Behind and above them is painted 
 a sky which revels in the glory found only 
 in the Adriatic; it is luminous and beautiful. 
 From this great mass of light the eye sweeps 
 back in successions of delight alongthe waters 
 of the canal, whose bosom images the sky in 
 all its simple beauty, and is broken here and 
 there by gondolas and poles which give accent 
 to the water textures. It is a fine realization of 
 air, space and color, subdued and subjective. 
 
 181 
 
 WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 272 
 
 "OVER A 
 
 BALCONY" 
 
WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 249 
 "A DUTCH 
 INTERIOR" 
 
 No. 240 
 'HOLLAND' 
 
 JOSEF ISRAELS 
 
 Israels is the greatest of living Dutch paint- 
 ers. No one living can equal the pathos with 
 'which he can express himself; indeed, there is 
 a power in his work which has molded the art 
 of figure painting in this country, even. The 
 art of Israels differs from that of any contempo- 
 rary painter. His depth of color is marvelous. 
 He is a master of both oil and water-colors, 
 working in either with equal facility. His wa- 
 ter-color here is "A Dutch Interior." In a cool, 
 shadowy room a child sleeps in a plain wooden 
 cradle. The mother is busily engaged in knit- 
 ting, her back turned towards a quaint window, 
 such as are found only in Holland. A little 
 kitten sits on the floor, playfully watching the 
 woman's hands ply the needles. It is a poem of 
 domestic happiness, told in a way befitting the 
 simplicity of the life. Repose isats most beau- 
 tiful characteristic. Seriousness is the founda- 
 tion of Israels' art, and beauty the frame-work 
 of its construction. The life and work of this 
 great Dutchman has been one of sturdy and 
 gradual growth; he has never wavered from 
 the ideal towards which he has journeyed. His 
 great painting, "Alone, "shown atthe World's 
 Fair of 1893, is one of the grandest expressions 
 of hopeless melancholy in existence. 
 FELIX ZIEM 
 
 There are a number of water-colors in the 
 room by this artist. In them are to be seen 
 many of the qualities found in his pictures in 
 the main gallery, 'they are most of them Ve- 
 netian in subject, with morning and evening 
 effects. One among them is so unlike the pict- 
 ures by him already described that on seeing 
 it you think of the painters of the country in 
 which the scene is laid. The atmosphere in this 
 little picture," Holland," is especially beauti- 
 182 
 
ful, and as in all of Ziem's pictures, the sky is a 
 prominent feature. Warm gray clouds float 
 through a murky, creamy sky. A low, flat plain 
 forms the distance, which is dotted with pict- 
 uresque trees and windmills, deep and rich in 
 color. These effects are reflected in some wa- 
 ter that divides the distance from the fore- 
 ground, a flat stretch of land rather marshy in 
 character. Standing at the edge of the water 
 are some cows. The quiet, peaceful sentiment 
 and the warm, gray tone throughout the pict- 
 ure are very fine. It is an excellent piece of 
 painting. 
 ISIDORE ALEX. AUGUSTIN PILS 
 
 The drawing in "Artillery Practice" shows 
 Pils to have been a thorough student of mili- 
 tary life. These artillerymen are going through 
 some manoeuvres of the drill. The group in 
 front, shifting the position of a cannon, is es- 
 pecially fine. You feel the exertion they are 
 making to move it. The picture fairly bristles 
 with energy; indeed, you realize at once Pils' 
 mastery of drawing. Its color is strong and 
 vigorous; the strength of the medium being 
 tested to its fullest extent. 
 
 In No. 227, by the same artist, a Zouave in 
 full uniform stands resting on his gun. He is 
 a typical French soldier, and in his uniform 
 of blue and red, with yellow hose, makes a 
 picturesque figure. The picture is strongly and 
 boldly painted. 
 ARY SCHEFFER 
 
 A remarkable drawing by Scheffer, whose 
 manner was extremely chaste and pure, is his 
 " Dante and Beatrice." In it all the character- 
 istics of his art are exemplified. The figure of 
 Beatrice is full of innocence and beauty. The 
 finish is exquisite and yet very broad. 
 
 WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 222 
 
 'ARTILLERY 
 PRACTICE" 
 
 No. 227 
 THE ZOUAVE' 
 
 No. 211 
 
 'DANTE AND 
 BEATRICE" 
 
 183 
 
WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 238 
 "THE FISH 
 MARKET" 
 
 No. 207 
 
 'THE TEMPTATION 
 ON THE MOUNT" 
 
 No. 239 
 
 PEN-AND-INK 
 DRAWING" 
 
 No. 223 
 'A LANDSCAPE" 
 
 FREDERICK WALKER 
 
 " The Fish Market " is finished with the skill 
 of Teniers. On a large slab of marble in front 
 of a stall is a varied collection of fish, all sizes 
 and colors. The keeper, a fat old man, stands 
 commenting on the quality of his goods to a 
 maiden who looks wistfully at them. At one 
 side a youthful Lord Fauntleroy, with hoop in 
 hand, is leaning over a tub in which something 
 has attracted his attention. The stall is painted 
 green, the keeper's garb is blue, and the young 
 girl is dressed in dark yellow. The picture is 
 strong, and elaborate in its execution. 
 JEAN MARIE SAINT-feVE 
 
 "The Temptation on the Mount" is a fine 
 drawing made from the original painting by 
 Ary Scheffer. Christ is represented as standing 
 on an eminence. He is calm and dignified in 
 his bearing. Close by him is the tempter, every 
 feature lighted with devilish cunning. The 
 characteristics of the original painting arefine- 
 ly translated into white and black. 
 THEODORE ROUSSEAU 
 
 A pen-and-ink drawing by Rousseau shows 
 the patient carefulness with which he studied 
 tree forms. He characterized both the trunks 
 and foliage with a bold, free line ; after which 
 the various tones were washed in with simple 
 flat tints. The picture is so true and effective 
 that one can almost feel the dark, rich velvety 
 green of the foliage, notwithstanding it is sim- 
 ply a monochrome. The relationship between 
 the trees and sky is especially strong. 
 
 Another beautiful drawing is "A Land- 
 scape." There is an air about it that is so quiet, 
 so peaceful. While there was a vein in Rous- 
 seau's nature that enabled him to paint a wild, 
 turbulent landscape, filled with foreboding 
 gloom, at the same time no one could render 
 184 
 
the repose of a still summer day with greater 
 success than he. This picture is drawn with 
 black crayon, the effect heightened by the use 
 of hard pastel. The scene represents a small 
 woodland glade in which Rousseau was espe- 
 cially fond of working. Slender young trees 
 line its edge and a peasant's cottage nestles 
 among them. A pool of quiet water in the fore- 
 ground mirrors the objects near by. The upper 
 sky is clouded, but the clouds are so light they 
 seem to be lifting up. 
 HENRIQUE DUPONT 
 
 Dupont's drawing for the engraving of "The 
 Marriage of St. Catherine" by Correggio is as 
 fine a piece of reproductive drawing as was 
 ever executed from an original. It is in black 
 and white, yet all the beauty of the picture has 
 been translated into this one simple medium 
 with a delicacy and faithfulness that is remark- 
 able. Dupont was one of the most distinguished 
 engravers of the century. Enamored of this 
 beautiful masterpiece, he desired to make an 
 engraving of it that should be the crowning 
 work of his career. As the authorities declined 
 to permit the great work to be removed from 
 the Louvre, Dupont was employed ten months 
 in producing this elaborate and careful draw- 
 ing, as the only means of securing the spirit of 
 the original. That he succeeded perfectly the 
 drawing attests. Every characteristic of the 
 great Italian is preserved. 
 FELIX O. C. BARLEY 
 
 Darley was one of our most original artists, 
 and his illustrations and pictures were favor- 
 ably known in continental Europe. "On the 
 Trail" is one of the best drawings ever made 
 by him. It is an incident of the life of the In- 
 dian, that primitive American who is now al- 
 most driven from his native country. In a deep 
 
 185 
 
 WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 205 
 
 'THE MARRIAGE OF 
 ST. CATHERINE" 
 
 No. 210 
 ON THE TRAIL' 
 
WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 206 
 
 MOONLIGHT ON 
 THE THAMES" 
 
 No. 208 
 
 "ANDALUSIAN 
 BULLS" 
 
 No. 224 
 
 "THE CONVERSA- 
 TION" 
 
 No. 234 
 
 "SOLDIER'S 
 
 EXPERIENCE" 
 
 forest, where mystery and loneliness dwell, a 
 party of Indians are tracking an enemy. They 
 are cautious and alert, as if sensing the prox- 
 imity of what they are seeking. The leader of 
 the party is sprawling on the ground with one 
 ear pressed tightly to it, listening for the sound 
 of footsteps. This was a custom among the 
 North American Indians, some of whom could 
 hear the approach of men or horses in this way 
 a long distance. The drawing of the figures, 
 the careful study of the types, the wildness of 
 the forest, all bespeak the ability of the artist. 
 PIERRE JEAN CLAYS 
 
 A water-color of great truth and beauty is 
 "Moonlight on the Thames," by Clays, who 
 has caught the strange mystery of the light of 
 the moon, with murky, yeasty water shimmer- 
 ing in a subdued, strange glow. The sky is 
 covered with white clouds through which the 
 moonlight is thinly sifted. Against it the brown 
 sails of some boats are painted with charming 
 effect. 
 ROSA BONHEUR 
 
 Among the drawings by distinguished art- 
 ists, two by Mile. Rosa Bonheur are remarka- 
 ble as showing the carefulness with which she 
 studies animals. The "Andalusian Bulls," 
 with long, curly hair, not unlike that of the buf- 
 falo, are drawn with a realistic skill and evi- 
 dently with great truth to the models, and"The 
 Conversation" shows the love ofttimes dis- 
 played between man and his faithful friend. 
 A shepherd is seen talking with his dog. They 
 seem to be giving mutual exchanges of affec- 
 tion, while the flock is grazing near by. 
 R. C. WOODVILLE 
 
 The "Soldier's Experience," is by Wood- 
 ville, who was one of our early painters, and 
 delineated incidents of every-day life. A sol- 
 186 
 
dier is relating his adventures to an interested 
 audience that listens with amazement. The 
 picture is well drawn and shows the artist to 
 have been in advance of those of his times who 
 tried to paint this kind of subject. 
 WILLIAM HUNT 
 
 This artist was a relative of Holman Hunt, 
 the great Pre-Raphaelite, and was distin- 
 guished for his still-life. He was one of the best 
 water-colorists of England in this field, and 
 No. 230 is an excellent example of his work. 
 F. GIACOMELLI 
 
 No one ever studied birds with greater love 
 than Giacomelli, who arranged them into 
 charming little groups, decorative in effect. 
 Here are a score or two of little birds sitting 
 closely together on a twig. They are chatter- 
 ing glibly of matters of import to birdland, or 
 probably arranging a rehearsal for a concert 
 that will bring notes of joyousness to many 
 ears. Their plumage is varied and charming- 
 ly painted. 
 
 WATER- 
 COLOR 
 GALLERY 
 
 No. 230 
 "STILL LIFE" 
 
 No. 247 
 'BIRDS" 
 
"By instinct, the 
 
 result of a mysterious 
 
 transmission, of 
 
 which science can 
 
 only note the effect, 
 
 he was a painter, 
 
 a musician, an artist, 
 
 sensitive to harmonies 
 
 of all kinds." 
 
 Philippe Burty 
 
 EON BONVIN^: It is 
 almost vain to attempt to 
 write anything of the life 
 of this Bonvin, because 
 nothing can convey an 
 idea of his character or 
 unique skill half so well 
 as his miniature water- 
 colors. But all will be 
 
 interested in an inkling 
 
 of the life, environments and sorrows of this 
 strange man, a life not "writ in sand," but in liv- 
 ing colors. The sorrows, the joys, all the varied 
 emotions that moved him found expression in 
 his pictures. Bonvin possessed the soul of art. 
 He was as timid as a child. His nature was 
 filled with the grand harmonies of music, but 
 he sought in vain for an outlet through that 
 medium; for, having a wife whose thought was 
 of gain and who knew nothing of these gifts 
 and could not understand him, Bonvin's life 
 was rendered miserable. Filled with emo- 
 tion, he would seat himself at an instrument to 
 .study the great masters, Beethoven, Mozart or 
 Bach, only to hear the sharp voice of his wife 
 demanding a cessation; as that style of music 
 was not pleasing to the customers of their inn, 
 and they must have patronage. So the soul 
 of Bonvin sought a more silent expression 
 through his pictures. But peculiar in temper- 
 ament, he could not turn to the great center of 
 art, Paris; his companions, the weed and the 
 wild flower, were not to be found there. So 
 singular was his sensitive nature that he could 
 not paint the cultured flowers, refusing when 
 solicited, saying, "I can not paint this." The 
 dead weed, the spotless daisy, the sweet violet, 
 the tall spears of grass were his friends. He 
 could go to the tiniest wild flower that grew, 
 188 
 
and tell his sorrows, and with smiling faces BONVIN 
 these wee, modest ones would comfort him. 
 Often in the dead of night, when slumber held 
 those about him in her silent chains, Bonvin 
 would sit in his room painting bits of still-life 
 that are unequaled in their way. After spend- 
 ing many hours in silent communion with 
 these matchless drawings, I make bold to say 
 that in all the history of art only one Leon 
 Bonvin ever existed. And his life as written 
 in his works can only be found and read in 
 this little room, as nearly all his works are here. 
 
 Turning away from the shadows that hov- NO. 268 
 ered over his domestic life, Bonvin always 
 found sympathy in the fields. As he was pass- 
 ing, a beautiful rose lifted its head and spoke 
 to him, and with a skill worthy of a Meissonier 
 he painted it with its branches against a sil- 
 very sky, in all its dewy joyousness. 
 
 Then again some lovely white asters turned NO. 265 
 to him and smiled. With consummate art he 
 expressed the gladness of their beauty. Pure 
 and white, with yellow centers, they are set 
 gem-like against the early morning sky, their 
 petals and leaves rendered with marvelous 
 skill. 
 
 In another picture night is stealing on, but he NO. 263 
 has gone forth, and seen, amid the gathering 
 darkness, a slender bush whose form is shaped 
 into wondrous lace against a crimson sunset. 
 Gloom and mystery are expressed in the sky, 
 which is worthy of Rousseau, the painter of 
 the great "Winter Solitude." 
 
 The day has been unusually hard; he goes NOS. 255 and 271 
 to the field. The tender little spears of grass, 
 with their varied kin, and the big sturdy thistle 
 give him a joyous welcome. The sky bright- 
 ens, the landscape of gloom gives place to one 
 scintillating with light, amid which he paints 
 
 189 
 
BONVIN his friends the grasses and weeds, and tells 
 their story of grace and beauty; while birds 
 perched on their tiny stems give back the 
 gladness of morning in happy song. 
 
 NO. 261 Or, filled with the sentiments of the hour, 
 Bonvin expresses his feeling in some lovely 
 bluebells that lift their heads to a rainy sum- 
 mer sky. 
 
 NO. 257 Then in another the sadness of his environ- 
 ment has fallen like a shroud over him. A 
 leaden-gray evening sky is broken by a small 
 patch of pale, sickly, yellow light. Out of the 
 almost blackness of this gloom a few slender 
 dead weeds lifted their heads, and he painted 
 them. 
 
 So he went on and on; you can read each 
 step as you gaze at these wonderful little wa- 
 ter-colors. Grapes not much larger than a pin 
 head are rounded and developed with a truth 
 to nature beyond a parallel in art. Oranges, 
 pomegranates, mustard cups, napkins, rad- 
 ishes, carrots, dried herrings, old bottles, any- 
 thing, served as models. 
 
 NO. 256 A glass filled with the tops of blue grass and 
 tiny field flowers whose blossoms are not much 
 larger than the seeds of the grass, are painted 
 with charming beauty. 
 
 NO. 269 In another, a slender glass, partly filled with 
 white wine, stands on a table near great bunch- 
 es of green and blue grapes, a decanter, two 
 large pears, some nuts, and a knife, all seem- 
 ing as large as life, and yet painted in a space 
 of less than four inches. 
 
 NO. 26* Some old-fashioned pinks, red and white, 
 are stuck in a glass. They are very small, yet 
 their textures and forms are rendered so beau- 
 tifully that they seem like the real. 
 
 NO. 262 A cluster of violets are so freshly and sweet- 
 ly painted that they would lose nothing out 
 190 
 
No. 262 
 
 "L6on Bonvin has 
 expressed all , 
 
 the variety of beauty, 
 all the profound 
 poetry, that 
 is contained in 
 these humble models." 
 Phillipe Burty 
 
 among their native verdure and we even seem BONVIN 
 to catch their perfume. 
 
 A portrait of his wife standing in a kitchen 
 culling vegetables is as fine as that of any 
 master who made a specialty of such subjects. 
 It is as serious as though painted by Leys. The 
 reds of the drapery are as brilliant as those in 
 the Zamacois water-color. The copper stew- 
 pan is painted with a skill equal to that of For- 
 tuny, and the wonderful shadows of the room 
 have the depth of Isabey. 
 
 Such the work and such the life of Leon Bon- 
 vin. He seemed to have been cast in a condi- 
 tion that he could in no way lift himself out of, 
 and left with scarcely anyone who could un- 
 derstand or sympathize with him. The owner 
 of these pictures, whose purchase of them was 
 the only encouragement he ever received, and 
 who bought everything he painted, often ad- 
 vised him to take his work to Paris. But he 
 shrank from the excitement of the city and 
 found his only solace in the solitude of nature. 
 
 You turn and see standing in the corner of 
 the room a picture of night,dark and indistinct. 
 There are the outlines of distant buildings, 
 and some weeds in the foreground are defined 
 against the sky, where the moon hangs in 
 all her serene beauty. Mystery enshrouds all ; 
 it is a night in which strange things might oc- 
 cur. In such a scene and such an hour we can 
 imagine the poor, hopeless artist. When a 
 cloud like that of night had swept over his 
 soul, he sought the woods, and there, among 
 his only friends and neighbors, the grass, the 
 flowers, the tiny weeds,the strong thistles,they 
 found the body of Leon Bonvin. 
 
 Surely the longing of his beautiful soul now 
 knows that which was denied him while 
 among men. As for his works, they will live 
 
 191 
 
 No. 266 
 
BONVIN 
 
 "His works are the 
 
 complete confession of 
 
 the whole man, 
 
 and his life is open 
 
 as the day; both 
 
 one and the other have 
 
 left profound 
 
 memories in the 
 
 minds of those who 
 
 have studied 
 
 them." 
 
 Philippe Burty 
 
 to tell the silent story of his life. That they 
 have never been separated, all who have seen 
 them will be thankful. That they have fallen 
 into hands that will treasure them because of 
 their intrinsic beauty,makes one feel that, after 
 all, perhaps these pictures owe to the unhap- 
 py condition under which they were created 
 much of their beauty. The sorrows of Millet 
 brought into his works an element which un- 
 der happier conditions might never have been 
 expressed. 
 
LEXANDRE 
 
 'Bida was a student under 
 'Delacroix, and no artist of 
 | the century has made a 
 |deeper study of the relig- 
 ious side of Oriental life 
 /than he. As an illustrator 
 of Bible subjects he is un- 
 IWdoubtedly one of the most 
 'conscientious and careful 
 among the artists of his day. Bida's drawings 
 are studied with painstaking skill. They are 
 always true to the life and costumes of the pe- 
 riods and countries illustrated. The spiritual 
 side of the religious sentiment is also always 
 strongly developed. Gerome and he studied 
 and traveled extensively in the Orient togeth- 
 er, and between the two there existed a strong 
 friendship. "When the remarkable drawing, 
 "Prayer on the Housetops," was shown to 
 Gerome he studied it in silent admiration, then 
 exclaimed, "I have done nothing to equal 
 this." The drawings of Bida are highly prized 
 by those who are fortunate enough to own 
 them, and many of his choicest are among the 
 treasures of this household. In the Louvre a 
 number of his best works are honored as they 
 deserve. 
 
 "Prayer on the Housetop" is now one of 
 this collection. Prayer, a distinct part of hu- 
 man emotion, never found a finer expression 
 than in this drawing. All the spiritual com- 
 munion that is a part of Oriental religion is 
 brought vividly before you. Standing on the 
 top of a house, with folded hands and covered 
 head, the devotee, his face up-turned, utters 
 his prayer. His figure, a dark and somber robe 
 covering it, with statuesque, bronze-like ef- 
 fect stands full against the evening light. Be- 
 
 193 
 
BIDA 
 
 No. 204 
 "AND JESUS SAID: 
 
 THIS DAY IS 
 SALVATION COME 
 TO THIS HOUSE." 
 
 NO. 202 
 
 "MOSES" 
 
 "This artist repre- 
 sents with 
 wonderful power the 
 life and scenery 
 of Oriental countries, 
 and his scriptural 
 scenes are not 
 surpassed in force 
 and directness 
 by any other painter 
 of like motives." 
 Clara Erskine 
 Clements 
 
 side him, and prostrate on the roof, is a man 
 who silently listens, or utters his own devo- 
 tional plea to the great Allah. On buildings 
 farther away, others are seen. Beyond them, 
 bathed in a strange atmosphere, are the domes 
 of mosques and temples. In the upper sky are 
 some clouds that run horizontally across the 
 picture and give a strange effect to the scene. 
 The composition of the picture is so pure, so 
 simple, and so devotional in feeling that you 
 can not stand in front of it without realizing 
 the emotion it strives to express. 
 
 Another important drawing is"Christ Bless- 
 ing the Household of Zachariah." "And Jesus 
 said: This day is salvation come to this house." 
 A more beautiful ideal of Christ was probably 
 never drawn than this exquisite one of Bida's. 
 Jesus stands in the door of the house of Zach- 
 ariah, in the midst of a flood of light which 
 falls on his back, throwing the front of his fig- 
 ure into shadow. "With one hand he holds the 
 door ajar ; the other is outstretched toward the 
 master of the house, who stands in an attitude 
 of welcome. The drawing displayed through- 
 out the picture is masterly. The greatest 
 charm, however, is the magnificent rendering 
 of light. It is simply indescribable in its effect. 
 
 There is a grandeur in the life and character 
 of Moses that has engaged the attention of the 
 greatest masters of all ages. In his drawing 
 of the Hebrew law-giver, Bida has represent- 
 ed him as tending his flock. He is sitting on a 
 rock, in a wild mountainous landscape, and 
 clothed in a robe which falls in simple folds. 
 He appears to be in deep meditation, the char- 
 acter of the man being strongly and carefully 
 brought out. Back of him is a ledge of rocks, 
 between which bits of sky show. This draw- 
 ing, dark shadowy and somber, bears an ex- 
 194 
 
pression of gloom that is very dramatic, and is BIDA 
 a worthy conception of this great personality. 
 In another, on the steps of a temple, whose 
 columns rise grandly, are grouped "The Fool- 
 ishVirgins," bearing their empty lamps. Some 
 are standing, while others lie sleeping on the 
 floor. Back in the shadowy doorway are those 
 who knocked at the door, only to be disap- 
 pointed. There is much beauty in the graceful 
 figures of the women and a certain indolence 
 is expressed in them that is in keeping with 
 the subject. 
 
 No. 229 
 
 THE FOOLISH 
 VIRGINS" 
 
XII 
 
 "If I should now 
 
 be asked what is in 
 
 my opinion the 
 
 master quality 
 
 of Barye, I should 
 
 say that it was force. 
 
 That and order 
 
 are the merits of the 
 
 master upon 
 
 which we must 
 
 above all insist." 
 
 M. Eugene Guillame 
 
 HE BARYE COLLEC- 
 TION *Sfc Barye, above 
 all things, was original. 
 Gericault paved the -way 
 for Delacroix. The great 
 Millet was the culmina- 
 tion of a movement in- 
 augurated by Chardin. In 
 fact, almost every dis- 
 tinct evolution in art has 
 been the result of gradual growth, or develop- 
 ment, but there was no prophet, no John-the- 
 Baptist, to prepare the way for Barye; he was 
 alone, and was understood by very few. Dur- 
 ing the early period of his childhood, while yet 
 at play, the love of animals showed itself, when 
 every substance that would yield to his touch 
 was shaped into miniatures of them. One of 
 the great lessons to be learned from the life of 
 this master was the persistency with which he 
 met and overcame all obstacles, surmounted 
 all difficulties. He studied the character,habits 
 and peculiarities of animals with a tenacity 
 that is unparalleled in the annals of art. Not 
 content with the materials of the plastic art, 
 every conceivable method of art expression, 
 oil, water-color, pencil, crayon, pen and etch- 
 ing point, each found in him a student, strug- 
 gling for mastery. Barye was a colorist of 
 strange weird power; he always found the 
 tones best fitted to his subject. This is not 
 196 
 
alone true of his paintings, but also applies to 
 his immortal bronzes, where color and texture 
 are strongly felt. 
 
 For three thousand years the grand possi- 
 bilities of life in the animal kingdom as themes 
 for art had been lost sight of, save in the half- 
 animal and half-human types found in pict- 
 ures of mythological subjects, or when used 
 as motives in entirely conventionalized forms. 
 Suddenly some unseen force awakened the 
 slumbering powers of Barye's genius into a 
 living flame whose brilliancy was to light the 
 way to a greater appreciation of one of the 
 great links in the chain of constantly evolving 
 life. Like the persistency of Truth was the 
 gradual growth of interest in his matchless 
 works. At first the bigoted and prejudiced 
 power that presumes to dictate what shall con- 
 stitute art met every new work with ridicule or 
 bitter denunciation. Repeatedly were the 
 works of this man of destiny rejected, and 
 medals awarded to men whose coming and 
 going we now see caused scarcely a ripple on 
 the great ocean of creative art. But while those 
 in authority were denying his talent, the pub- 
 lic hailed with delight the advent of each new 
 piece. Poverty, the crucible in which genius 
 is often tried, was not unknown to him, his 
 early work being entirely lost under the name 
 of his employer, but genius will show itself; 
 only, however, as the direct result of persistent 
 toil. It is a pleasure to know that one of the 
 first to appreciate and lend substantial aid to 
 him was the proprietor of this collection of his 
 works. There existed a friendship between 
 him and the artist that covered thirty years and 
 never dimmed. A short time before Barye's 
 transition, as trustee of one of the great art in- 
 stitutions of this country, this friend placed an 
 
 197 
 
 THE BARYE 
 COLLEC- 
 TION 
 
 "A complete sincerity, 
 and profound 
 knowledge have 
 served and 
 illuminated his 
 genius. The 
 structure of beings, 
 their attitudes, 
 their movements, 
 their instincts, he 
 has penetrated and 
 expressed with the 
 calm haughtiness of 
 a Lucretius who 
 sees in the 
 balance of life and 
 death the play 
 of unflinching law." 
 M. Poubelle 
 
THE BARYE 
 COLLEC- 
 TION 
 
 "The genius of 
 
 Barye, like many 
 
 great artists of our time, 
 
 has to our shame 
 
 be it repeated 
 
 been earlier 
 
 and more generally 
 
 recognized in 
 
 America than in 
 
 Great Britain. 
 
 The better half of all 
 
 his portable works, 
 
 in its finest 
 
 examples, is at 
 
 the present 
 
 moment in the 
 
 United States. 
 
 Baltimore is the 
 
 resting-place of the 
 
 greater number of 
 
 the master's 
 
 productions." 
 
 The Art Journal 
 
 "The water-colors 
 
 of Barye are no 
 
 less remarkable than 
 
 his bronzes. They 
 
 have the same 
 
 qualities, grandeur of 
 
 aspect and intensity 
 
 of life." 
 
 Eugene Veron 
 
 order in his hands for copies of all his avail- 
 able works. When told this, Barye threw up 
 his hands, and exclaimed, "My God, my coun- 
 try never did this for me !" 
 
 In the room dedicated to Barye in this house 
 are the priceless originals which represent al- 
 most the entire work of his life. Thus the most 
 comprehensive collection of Barye's work is 
 to be found in the house of his friend. In the 
 beautiful square in front of it is the first mon- 
 ument ever erected to his memory. It consists 
 of five bronzes,cast by Barbedienne,the famous 
 "Lion in Repose," very large, and four groups, 
 "Peace," "War," "Force Protecting Labor" 
 and "Order Protecting the Industrious and 
 Learned Nations." 
 
 The visitor will be struck by the strange ex- 
 pression found in the water-colors and studies 
 in oil which adorn the walls of the Barye room. 
 In some of them the artist has advanced far in- 
 to the province of Eugene Delacroix. There 
 is a peculiar tone in some of them that looks 
 as though they had had their source in molten 
 bronze. In one, you are in a damp, marshy 
 place where rank verdure grows and in which 
 venomous reptiles have their haunts. On the 
 limb of a tree, a strange swampy growth, amid 
 dark rich foliage worthy of Rousseau or Diaz, 
 are coiled brilliantly colored serpents. In an- 
 other is painted a wild mountainous country, 
 in the midst of whose solitude is a lion, the 
 sole master of the field. Another represents a 
 desolate sea-shore, showing a broad expanse 
 of water as a background against which the 
 ponderous form of an elephant is seen. The 
 wild deer, the fierce tiger, the beautiful leop- 
 ard, whose spots tell with delightful effect 
 against deep olive-toned foliage and moss- 
 covered rocks indeed in the entire array of 
 198 
 
drawings, not only the skill, but the tempera- 
 ment of the artist is revealed in a wonderful 
 way. 
 
 From these let us turn to the grand originals 
 in bronze that will live throughout the endless 
 cycles to come. Varied as is the collection in 
 subject, from the most pretentious groups to 
 the tiniest objects, all are treated with serious- 
 ness. Here you will find the marvelous "Or- 
 leans Groups," those grand conceptions, dis- 
 playing the terrible force of wild animals 
 struggling for existence, which in their pow- 
 er are unsurpassed in any epoch of art. 
 
 "The Tiger Hunt" is a powerful study of 
 action. On the back of a huge elephant are 
 three natives engaged in deadly combat with 
 two fierce tigers, one of which has leaped near- 
 ly on to the men, who are fighting him off with 
 spears. On the opposite side of the elephant 
 the other tiger crouches close to the ground, 
 ready to spring. The action is so spirited that 
 you almost expect him to leap. It is so true, so 
 vital, and expressed with such skill and reality 
 that you marvel. 
 
 Thereissomethingstrangely beautiful about 
 "The Hunt of Wild Ox," in the arrangement 
 of the component parts, as well as in the ac- 
 tion. There is no contrast of position; instead, 
 the movement all runs in one direction. The 
 two men in armor are almost identical in dress 
 and action; the horses are not unlike, and the 
 wild ox, who is crushed to the earth by the 
 weight of the horses, faces in the same direc- 
 tion as the rest, producing almost a symphony 
 of line. Underneath the group, and below the 
 prostrate ox, are its victims, a horse and man. 
 At the rear is a dog that has been killed. Tak- 
 ing all in all, this is not only one of the most 
 brilliant and beautiful of Barye's composi- 
 
 199 
 
 THE BARYE 
 COLLEC- 
 TION 
 
 "A powerful genius, 
 all observation 
 and patience, which 
 no contradiction ever 
 moved, and which 
 struggled for 
 sixty years, less with a 
 desire to shine 
 than with the thought 
 of satisfying itself 
 by rendering 
 homage to truth." 
 M. Eugene Guillame 
 
THE BARYE 
 COLLEC- 
 TION 
 
 "Carrying his eager 
 researches to the 
 regions beyond animal 
 limits, to the infinite 
 of the spiritual world, 
 he has come upon 
 and questioned as a 
 philosopher and natur- 
 alist, both in the 
 attitude and expression 
 of beasts, that name- 
 less spirit which 
 animates and directs 
 them in the eternity 
 of silence to 
 which nature has 
 condemned them." 
 Theophile Silvestre 
 
 tions, but also one of the most original and 
 worthy of notice. 
 
 The same may be said of "The Hunt of the 
 Elk," distinguished for its beautiful, symmet- 
 rical lines. The action displayed is terrible in 
 its realism. In it man and beast are engaged 
 in a deadly hand-to-hand encounter. The ar- 
 rangement of this group is more compact than 
 that of the "Tiger," or the "Ox Hunt." 
 
 In "The Hunt of the Bear," the last of this 
 distinguished set of bronzes, there is some- 
 thing that reminds one of Millet; the drawing 
 and treatment are large and massive, with very 
 little detail, and like "The Hunt of the Elk," 
 it is close and compact in composition. 
 
 "The Silver Lion" is a beautiful piece, un- 
 surpassed in the realm of animal sculpture. 
 His noble bearing stamps him truly the king 
 of beasts. The action is wonderful; you can al- 
 most see him stealthily walking past, his eye 
 apparently directed to some object far away. 
 Power and force are written in every muscle. 
 This great work was given by the city of Paris 
 as the Grand Prize at the Longchamps Races 
 of 1863. Barye, upon being commissioned to 
 make it, carefully estimated the amount of 
 silver required. On its completion, finding it 
 lacked a small quantity of the amount he had 
 been allowed, he had what remained made in- 
 to a bar and carefully screwed underneath the 
 base, thus satisfying his conscience. "When, 
 after long and fruitless efforts, the present 
 owner succeeded in securing the work, and 
 informed Madame Barye, the wife of the art- 
 ist, of the fact, she became very anxious to ex- 
 amine it, making known for the first time the 
 incident related. She turned it over and, with 
 her face beaming with joy, exclaimed, "It is 
 there ! " As long as the masterpiece remains 
 200 
 
in the hands of its present owner will the 
 evidence of the simple honesty of his friend 
 be a source of pleasure. It is the dream of the 
 owner of this matchless work to see a colossal 
 bronze reproduction of the Silver Lion placed 
 on a simple foundation to commemorate the 
 life of General U. S. Grant. Certainly it would 
 be a grand thing and would go far towards off- 
 setting the miserable array of public statuary 
 in our cities. 
 
 The variety of Barye's work, both as to sub- 
 ject and manner of treatment, seems always 
 fresh and inspiring, whether in the realms of 
 mythology or in the delineation of a simple 
 bird or a small lizard. There is sometimes a 
 drollery expressed in a small space of two or 
 three inches that causes one's face to wreath 
 in smiles, as in "The Dancing Bear," or the 
 " Heron and the Tortoise." 
 
 You have but to turn around here and your 
 eye falls on another expression of animal life 
 delineated with a power that is wonderful. I 
 mean the "Jaguar Devouring a Hare," one of 
 the best things from the master. Hungry and 
 famished, a jaguar has pounced upon a help- 
 less hare. Crouching flat to the ground, he 
 crushes his teeth into its body and sucks its 
 warm life blood, the effect of which, touching 
 the sense of taste, causes sensations of delight 
 to quiver through his form sensations which 
 he feels to the tip of his tail ! 
 
 "The Walking Wolf" belongs in the first 
 rank of Barye's works. It was dedicated to his 
 friend, Theodore Rousseau. The presence of 
 this animal might be expected in the mysteri- 
 ous shadows that lie afar down the mid-dis- 
 tance of the matchless landscape, "Winter 
 Solitude." 
 
 Character is the chief point in the grotesque- 
 
 201 
 
 THE BARYE 
 COLLEC- 
 TION 
 
 "This exhibition of 
 Barye's works is impos- 
 ing, as well from 
 number as from the 
 quality of the pieces 
 composing it. It 
 appeals to the feelings 
 also, because it 
 bears testimony of an 
 immense labor, and 
 of that indefatigable 
 conscientiousness 
 which is the honesty 
 of art." 
 
 Charles Blanc 
 
THE BARYE looking dromedary whose angular, awkward, 
 COLLEC- shambling movement is naively given, and 
 TION again in the clumsy, rollicking action of the 
 "Elephant Running." 
 
 A remarkable group, in many ways, is the 
 " Elk Surprised by a Lynx." The action and 
 the ferociousness of the lynx are expressed 
 with directness and power. An elk has been 
 caught by a lynx, whose teeth and claws are 
 fastened into the back of its neck. The fleet- 
 footed stag is helpless, and with head thrown 
 back, sinks to the earth in agonies of pain. 
 
 The "Panther Seizing a Stag" is like the 
 former in its realism. The conception and 
 modeling is broad and in spirit it is like the 
 "Hunt of the Wild Ox." 
 
 The "Python Crushing a Crocodile" is a 
 marvelous piece of drawing, and as a work of 
 modeling, nothing could surpass it. The slimy 
 texture of the huge reptile, the graceful curves 
 of its body, and the ease with which the coils 
 are rendered, make it a remarkable perform- 
 ance. The "Mounted Arabs Killing a Lion" is 
 a strongly composed group, and the "Tartar 
 Warriors Checking a Horse" is another in- 
 stance of Barye's power of rendering action. 
 
 In the collection are numerous models in 
 wax, a material much used by him. Here is 
 the original model of "The Walking Tiger," 
 one of Barye's greatest figures. The muscular 
 action, structure of the bones, massive vise- 
 like jaw, and stealthy tread will challenge the 
 art of any age, ancient or modern. The great 
 seated lion, called "The Philosopher," is grand 
 in its dignity. And so throughout the entire an- 
 imal kingdom this universal genius wrought 
 with equal power. 
 
 Not confining himself to the delineation of 
 animals, he also delved into the classic, the 
 202 
 
ideal, and portraiture, and wherever his hand 
 touched, there sprang forth revelations of 
 beauty. In "Roger Bearing Angelica on a 
 Hippograff," the skill in the rendering of ac- 
 tion, that was always fine in Barye, found its 
 most beautiful expression. The hippograff, 
 with its burden of beauty, fairly flies through 
 the air,and the nude form of Angelica is charm- 
 ingly drawn. "Theseus Slaying the Centaur 
 Bianor," is a masterpiece already rated among 
 the grand creations of plastic art, and the ver- 
 satility of Barye is brought vividly before us 
 as we contemplate his wonderful work in the 
 field of decorative art, chief among which is 
 the "Candelabra of the Three Goddesses," 
 which will compare favorably with the works 
 of masters who devote their whole lives to dec- 
 orative sculpture. Whatever Barye undertook 
 was always well done ; all things were serious 
 to him and found in him a serious interpreter. 
 Life was but a span; work alone could lead him 
 into the realization of the dreams of beauty 
 that filled his mind and were waiting to be cre- 
 ated. Men may come, and men may go, who 
 will meet the requirements of the purely tech- 
 nical, but many decades will pass before an- 
 other shall bring such originality of genius 
 into his work as did he. In the realms of his 
 chosen field of art,Anton Louis Barye is alone. 
 
 THE BARYE 
 COLLEC- 
 TION 
 
 "From whatever 
 distance and from 
 whichever side we look 
 upon Barye's 
 bronzes or plasters, 
 we find this impression 
 and this character: 
 his works remain 
 artistic, and, by the 
 pride of their carriage 
 and the clearness 
 of their outline, bear 
 a victorious com- 
 parison with the 
 greatest works of 
 Assyrian sculpture." 
 M. Eugene Veron 
 
XIII 
 
 HE PEACHBLOOM 
 VASE ^ Some years 
 ago the world was start- 
 led by the news that a 
 small vase, the property 
 of a lady of wealth, had 
 been disposed of at an 
 enormous price. The in- 
 cident was glibly com- 
 _ lamented upon by those 
 
 self-constituted learned men who dispose of 
 things beautiful, born of the celestial spheres, 
 with the same quill with which they deal out 
 intellectual beatitudes on pork or base-ball. 
 For them this little vase will have no message. 
 Its proportions are entirely too diminutive ; 
 but if all the beautiful thoughts, all the lovely 
 hues, all the sweetest odors, all the dainty text- 
 ures in fact, if all the beauty of the art and na- 
 ture of the land of the celestial were distilled 
 and refined into some material and shaped into 
 one object that object might be the Peachbloom 
 Vase. It is the perfect flowering of hundreds of 
 years of Oriental art, the culmination of cen- 
 turies of the most sacred devotion to the shrine 
 of beauty. It is a gem that needs no setting; so 
 frail, so perfect, that contrast with things less 
 esthetic seems almost sacrilegious. 
 
 Its form is pure, beautiful and self-poised. Its 
 color, while dainty, is matchless in its depth. 
 The bloom of the peach conveys only a shad- 
 204 
 
owy description of its delicate beauty. Its glaze 
 is of great perfection. When you gaze into its 
 depths the surface is lost and it is as if you were 
 looking into some crystal-like pool of water. 
 Its indescribable pink is threaded with fine 
 veins of mossy green that are charming. Its 
 beauty can not be measured by bounds or lim- 
 itations; there are no rules by which it can be 
 analyzed. You feel its power coming to you 
 like the odor of some unseen field of wild jessa- 
 mine. "Within the limitations of its simple form 
 there is embodied something which all the 
 wealth of the world can not create. A spirit is 
 expressed in it that all the centuries of our 
 boasted civilization can not duplicate. Go 
 where you will, in any clime, you may search 
 the treasures of all created beauty for its coun- 
 terpart. It is not to be found. Then can such a 
 marvel be measured by wealth, what though 
 it cost a million dollars, if ten million could not 
 reproduce it ? In a special case in the Oriental 
 Gallery will be seen a number of fine speci- 
 mens of this variety of porcelain, but once let 
 your eye feast on the exquisite simplicity of 
 this vase and you have advanced into a higher 
 realization of beauty. 
 
 The first introduction to this wonderful piece 
 of porcelain was one of exultation, of joy never 
 to be forgotten. Each successive sitting with 
 it brought new influences, new sensations of 
 delight, until its beautiful spirit had found an 
 abode where it will linger through eternity. 
 Its plain, simple surface is without a touch of 
 decoration, yet it is the perfection of decorative 
 art; its entire surface might be covered with 
 your hand, yet it contains a world of grace. It 
 is as if the spirit of beauty had found a new 
 birth, had been reincarnated into its simple 
 form. It is said that one of the porcelains that 
 
 205 
 
 THE 
 PEACH- 
 BLOOM 
 VASE 
 
THE was held sacred by the ancient celestials, 
 PEACH- whose blue color was likened unto the sky 
 BLOOM after a rain, became almost extinct, and the 
 VASE pieces of it being as rare as the most precious 
 stones, were worn as jewels. So who knows 
 but that, in the countless generations to come, 
 the fragments of this charming vase may like- 
 wise rival the precious stones of those days? 
 Surely nothing could surpass its intrinsic 
 beauty. Those who are fortunate enough to 
 have felt its charm can congratulate them- 
 selves on having seen something that has no 
 counterpart in the civilized world. 
 
 HE ORIENTAL GAL- 
 LERY ^t The Oriental 
 Gallery, to which the vis- 
 itor is introduced before 
 entering the main gal- 
 lery, contains one of the 
 most comprehensive and 
 important collections of 
 its kind to be found any- 
 where outside of the 
 
 great national museums of Europe. This is 
 especially true of the Chinese and Japanese 
 objects, representative of the golden ages of 
 their matchless art; some of the very choicest 
 specimens, now in existence, are treasured 
 within this room. 
 
 In their simplicity and gracefulness of form, 
 delicacy of texture, and purity of color nothing 
 could surpass the potteries and porcelains of 
 the Chinese. The records of that nation show 
 that pottery was produced by them some three 
 thousand years prior to theChristian era. From 
 that time to the early part of the last century 
 the art flourished, at times reaching a perfec- 
 tion never equaled by any other nation. Beau- 
 ty was the ideal, the very soul of their art, and 
 206 
 
nature the inexhaustible source of their inspi- THE 
 ration, the great school wherein perfect form ORIENTAL 
 and color -were combined in objects of unri- GALLERY 
 valed beauty. In their porcelains are found all 
 the varied colors and textures of both fruits 
 and flowers, the green sap of the verdure, the 
 ethereal blues of the sky, the rich warm red 
 of the blood of the ox, the delicate forms and 
 textures of the eggs of the fish, beautifully sug- 
 gested in the crackled effects, the deep black- 
 greens and texture of the melon, the delicate 
 hues of tea, and the bloom of the peach, the in- 
 comparable colors of the plum; in fact, the pos- 
 sibilities of nature's suggestiveness seem to 
 have been almost exhausted by them. 
 
 The opening of their ports and the conse- 
 quent introduction of western business, with 
 its so-called civilization, came like a blight to 
 the flower-like art of the Orient, causing it to 
 wither and die. Then the light which had il- 
 lumined the land of the celestial, whose beauty 
 was like the stars set into the fathomless blue 
 of the night, in so far as production was con- 
 cerned, was completely buried beneath the 
 rubbish of insincerity and multiplicity of com- 
 mercial institutions. 
 
 The Japanese, like their neighbors,date their 
 art far back into the dim past, and like them, 
 the art of this people is a growth that has be- 
 come a part of their being, distinct and charac- 
 teristic. Strange, weird and grotesque, their 
 forms,their decorations are so imbued with the 
 Japanese character that all attempts of others 
 to imitate them have proved futile. However, 
 the art of Japan has exerted such a wide influ- 
 ence over the art of western nations that to- 
 day it permeates almost all the schools of the 
 civilized world. As religions of the East have 
 always exalted beauty, fostered spirituality 
 
 207 
 
THE 
 
 ORIENTAL 
 GALLERY 
 
 "Regarding the 
 ceramic art from the 
 stand of true decorative 
 principles, whether 
 in its strongest 
 characteristic, or in 
 the more subtle refine- 
 ment and delicacy 
 of treatment both of 
 color and general 
 manipulation, there 
 can be no question 
 that the Chinese have 
 established their pre- 
 eminence in this 
 artistic development, 
 compared with all 
 that has been accom- 
 plished up to the 
 present time." 
 From the introduc- 
 tion to pamphlet on 
 the Orientals of 
 the collection 
 
 From a paper on 
 Japanese lacquers in 
 The Art Amateur, 
 October, 1880 
 "The largest and best 
 collection in the 
 United States is un- 
 doubtedly that of 
 Mr. W. T. Walters, 
 of Baltimore, and 
 dealers who ought to 
 know say that 
 there is no private 
 collection in Europe to 
 surpass it." 
 
 and suppressed grossness, so the beauty and 
 purity of their art is ever an inspiration to 
 higher and better forms, and leads you at once 
 to nature. 
 
 In this room the connoisseur will find an ex- 
 haustive collection of Chinese porcelain and 
 pottery. The Chinese collection alone num- 
 bers fourteen hundred pieces, and the Japan- 
 ese three or four hundred, -while other objects, 
 such as bronzes, ivories, lacquers, swords and 
 various appliances of swords, jades, crystals, 
 in fact everything of interest covering centu- 
 ries of history, are here to be seen a collec- 
 tion of over four thousand pieces. Arranged in 
 cases in the main gallery will be found a beau- 
 tiful and comprehensive collection of gold lac- 
 quers, covering a period of over eight centu- 
 ries, the finest collection of this kind of lac- 
 quer in the world. It is a delightful array of 
 the art that is above all Japanese in character, 
 in its beauty of color, strangeness of form 
 and gracefulness of line. Every touch, every 
 splotch, has meaning, has expression in these 
 matchless productions. The spaces wherein 
 the surface was not even touched by the hand 
 of the artist is still full of decorative suggest- 
 iveness. In other words, the Japanese artist, 
 with a sweeping line and a splash or two of 
 his brush, can fill a space with an ease and ef- 
 fect that no one else can approach. That free- 
 dom which artists of other nations seek for in 
 vain, and can only catch by accident, seems 
 natural with the Japanese. Accidents play no 
 part in the results obtained by the men of the 
 Orient, who attain only by persistent and 
 painstaking work in the production of these 
 lacquers, so spontaneous, so free and thor- 
 oughly decorative. Years of labor in the pro- 
 cess of lacquer-making have been essential to 
 208 
 
their production, work which never has been THE 
 and never will be rivaled. ORIENTAL 
 
 Aside from the Oriental collection will be GALLERY 
 found most beautiful specimens of the choic- 
 est ceramics of other nations. This room is, in- 
 deed, a veritable world of beauty, and becomes 
 a joy forever to those who study it long enough 
 to truly see it. 
 
 JAPANESE AND CHI- 
 
 'NESE BRONZES *^ 
 
 [Where there is so much 
 
 beauty and such infinite 
 
 variety it is impossible to 
 
 'describe all, but we can 
 
 not pass the bronzes 
 
 without stopping to do 
 
 homage to them. Of all 
 
 the materials through 
 which art has sought expression, none pos- 
 sesses a more sober elegance than bronze, and 
 no material in which the creations of genius 
 have been embodied has withstood the storms 
 of centuries with so little deterioration. That 
 silent sentinel of by-gone ages, Cleopatra's 
 Needle, in Central Park, shows the ravages of 
 time everywhere save where this beautiful 
 metal has been used. On its surface time has 
 failed to register. 
 
 In passing from the Oriental Gallery you en- 
 ter a little room, long and narrow, whose color 
 and effect are somber. In some way one is car- 
 ried in thought to the sacred temples of the 
 East, with their strange mysteries, for whose 
 service some of the greatest triumphs of Ori- 
 ental art have been executed. A finer expres- 
 sion of the sacred art of the East could not be 
 found than in the large bronze incense burner 
 which stands in the center of the Oriental Gal- 
 lery from the sacred temple of Kanyeizi in 
 
 209 
 
JAPANESE Uyeno, Tokio, to which it was dedicated in the 
 AND year 1700. The revolutions of 1867 proved dis- 
 CHINESE astrous to the revenue of the priests, who, be- 
 BRONZES ing compelled to part with this great work, sold 
 it to a collector in Tokio, from whence it passed 
 into this collection. It shows all the charac- 
 teristic ingenuity of Japanese art. A huge sea 
 dragon holds the lid, which is surmounted by 
 the god of the sea. It is symmetrically spiral 
 in form and is wonderfully impressive in size, 
 being some twelve feet high. 
 
 A description of the many remarkable works 
 in Japanese bronze would be too lengthy for 
 the space allotted here, but we must not forget 
 the Chinese bronzes which occupy one side 
 of the smaller room. Here the same distinct 
 personality thatissomarkedintheirporcelains 
 is seen in beautiful objects into which silver, 
 gold and varied metals have been beaten into 
 the bronze with charming effect. Here will be 
 found incised work as well as relief, in which 
 all of their quaint skill is expressed. One of the 
 most charming things in the Chinese collec- 
 tion is a vase whose smooth surface is irides- 
 cent with color into which flakes of malachite 
 have been introduced with unique effect. The 
 process by which this strange work was ac- 
 complished is unknown. As a collection it is 
 distinct because of the distinguished bronze 
 workers represented. It embraces the great- 
 est known to Chinese and Japanese art. 
 
XIV 
 
 HE HEAD IN 
 
 Among the many rare ob- 
 jects which have an abid- 
 ing place in this house- 
 hold, the one known as 
 "The Head in Wax" 
 holds an enviable place. 
 It has no parallel, save in 
 its counterpart, attribu- 
 _ ted to Raphael, which is 
 
 treasured in the museum at Lille, France, of 
 which this is a remarkable copy. It is so per- 
 fectly done that the most expert could not 
 distinguish one from the other. It was exe- 
 cuted by request of M. Alexandre Dumas, fils, 
 who feasted on its beauty while he lived. The 
 bust is about half life-size and represents a 
 young woman of remarkably fine face, Italian 
 in type, and of a blonde complexion. The hair, 
 which is rather sandy in color,is arranged sim- 
 ply on the forehead and gathered back over 
 the ears. The forehead is charmingly devel- 
 oped and has great expression. The brows are 
 full, extend well over the eyes, and are ex- 
 quisitely formed. The eyes are sensitive and 
 slightly sad in expression. The joining of the 
 nose with the brows is delicately treated, the 
 lines curving up and uniting with the brows 
 in a way that is simple and beautiful. The nose 
 is a little long, though not prominent, being 
 slender; the nostrils are delicately defined. 
 
 211 
 
 It is attributed to 
 Raphael because it is 
 so much in his 
 sentiment and style. 
 This, however, is 
 doubted by many who 
 attribute it to other 
 sources, as it is 
 not understood that 
 Raphael ever worked 
 in this material. 
 Be that as it may, 
 there is something 
 about it that shows 
 strongly the influence 
 of the great 
 Italian master. 
 
 R. B. G. 
 
"It is a head of 
 
 penetrating beauty. 
 
 The lips, thin, curved 
 
 and deliciously full 
 
 of life, are illumined 
 
 by an indescribable 
 
 smile. The waving 
 
 hair is of a dark 
 
 golden tone; the eyes 
 
 sapphire blue; the 
 
 lips carmined all 
 
 painted with the brush 
 
 in light tones which 
 
 have spent themselves 
 
 and acquired a 
 
 real softness. The 
 
 chin, the mouth, the 
 
 cheek, the arch of 
 
 the brow are of ideal 
 
 perfection. * * She 
 
 becomes a sort of 
 
 worship to those who 
 
 know her, and have 
 
 spent a quiet 
 
 half hour with her." 
 
 Louis Gonse 
 
 The mouth is one of her most delightful feat- 
 ures and is modeled closely to life, being free 
 from any attempt at idealization. The lips 
 seem to move,while around them hover intox- 
 icating smiles that wreathe and play like rip- 
 ples on water kissed by a summer breeze. The 
 lips possess all the fascinating beauty that 
 lingers around the corners of the mouth of the 
 matchless"Magdalene"of Correggio. The chin 
 protrudes slightly, giving strength of charac- 
 ter to the lower part of the face. The contour 
 of the head is very fine, being a beautiful oval. 
 The cheeks are slightly slender, and give a 
 spiritual effect to the face, which, with the full- 
 ness and warmth expressed in the other feat- 
 ures, make a charming character. Underneath 
 the brow, and looking out from the shadows 
 that lurk there, the eyes droop in innocent 
 modesty. They are of the strange pale blue 
 color only found among the darker races. The 
 neck and shoulders are shapely. The coloring 
 is chaste, pure and simple. Innocence and ten- 
 der maidenhood rest like a benediction on this 
 lovely head,whose beauty grows upon you un- 
 til you are fascinated by its spell. 
 
 It is well described in the following letter 
 from Dumas to a friend: "I would like to show 
 thee on a table near my book-case, before a 
 large silk hanging embroidered with fantas- 
 tic animals of all colors, the head of a young 
 girl in wax, an only copy which I have had 
 made of the one at the Museum of Lille, which 
 they attribute to Raphael. I believe it to be by 
 Leonardo, but my opinion does not alter the 
 fact. This head is divine. Gras copied it as 
 a labor of love. It is the great All in a small 
 volume, because its expression is the image 
 of life, and the material of which it is made 
 evokes a sensation of death." 
 212 
 
VORIES: "PSYCHE" 
 AND "PHRYNE"^& 
 Two of the most beautiful 
 ivories that are in exist- 
 ence give light to the room 
 in which they are placed. 
 They are "Psyche" and 
 "Phryne." The latter, 
 which is the latest acqui- 
 sition to the collection, is 
 the perfection of conscious female beauty. Its 
 style and qualities point to it as of the six- 
 teenth century, and it has been attributed to 
 Benvenuto Cellini, but is more likely to have 
 been by John of Bologna. The artist whose 
 hand formed this bit of ivory into the exquisite 
 embodiment of life surely dwells in the realms 
 of the beautiful in the great beyond. I can think 
 of nothing among the treasures of ancient or 
 modern sculpture more perfect. There may 
 be grander things, there may be higher real- 
 izations of ideal standards, but here is form in 
 its perfection, yet warm and sympathetic and 
 full of the charm of nature. So symmetrical, so 
 graceful, so exquisitely shaped is it that noth- 
 ing could compare with its peculiar fascina- 
 tion. 
 
 The figure is of slender type, with beauti- 
 fully rounded limbs, so slight and youthful that 
 she looks as though she might be one of those 
 nymphs of the woods who dance to the music 
 of the waterfall. The pose is of great simplic- 
 ity, being graceful and natural; when viewed 
 from any position you look in vain for a blem- 
 ish, a weak point. The textures and undulating 
 lines are so deftly wrought that you lose the 
 impression of the substance out of which it is 
 formed and seem in the presence of real living 
 flesh. The warm color of the ivory gives a 
 
 213 
 
IVORIES charm that is especially beautiful. While this 
 little figure is as perfect as one could wish and 
 reaches the ideal of perfection of form, yet 
 there is a truth about it which makes you feel 
 that it is a careful study from life. 
 
 The other ivory is a youthful "Psyche." 
 How light and airy is this charming figure 
 poised on tiptoe, her moth-like wings extend- 
 ed as if she were about to rise into the air. 
 She is the embodiment of youthful and uncon- 
 scious beauty, with limbs that still retain some 
 of the childish form whose every joint ispinned 
 with dimples. Chaste, pure and innocent, it is 
 as joyous and happy a thought as ever sprang 
 from the hand of a sculptor. The charming face 
 has all the quaintness of a Greuze, and the 
 wonderful growth of hair that is gathered into 
 a knot on the top of the head is so finely exe- 
 cuted that it seems to have the fluffy texture 
 of real hair. 
 
 What a beautiful trio these marvelous gems 
 of sculpture make, the "Head in Wax," the 
 "Psyche," and the "Phryne," unparalleled in 
 beauty, faultless in execution, and stamped by 
 the most refined genius! And yet the creator 
 of each of them is unknown. 
 
 There is a charm in old 
 miniatures that suggests 
 the perfume that comes 
 from pressed flowers that 
 have been carefully laid 
 away and treasured be- 
 cause of the memories 
 which they recall. With 
 miniatures comes the in- 
 fluence of bygone days, with its stays, bro- 
 cades, powdered wigs, and quaint old snuff 
 boxes. They belong to a time when culture 
 214 
 
and aristocracy were real. The miniature has a 
 character distinctly its own among the graphic 
 arts. It is the aristocrat of the arts of painting, 
 the very essence of dainty elegance and re- 
 finement. 
 
 Here areto be seen some charming examples 
 by the great French artist, Jean Baptiste Isa- 
 bey, who was a pupil under David, the leader 
 and apostle of classicism. Isabey shows the 
 influence of this famous school, which was 
 chaste and refined. The portraits of Empress 
 Josephine and Queen Hortense, No. 180 and 
 No. 181, are two of his best works. They were 
 both painted from life. They are exquisite in 
 finish, pure in color, and have an elegance 
 about them that befits the station of the sub- 
 jects. No. 182 is another remarkably fine por- 
 trait of Empress Josephine, and was painted 
 from life by E. Saint, a distinguished artist of 
 the period. This miniature was presented di- 
 rectly by the Empress to Marechale Bertrand; 
 it is so inscribed. The Empress is represented 
 as she is painted in David's great picture of the 
 coronation. 
 
 No. 183, by Jean Baptiste Isabey, represents 
 Empress Marie Louise, second wife of Em- 
 peror Napoleon. No. 184, by N. Fuger, of Vi- 
 enna, is a fine portrait of Marie Therese de 
 Bourbon, daughter of Louis XVI and Marie 
 Antoinette. No. 185 is a miniature of Madame 
 Elizabeth, sister of Louis XVI, and was paint- 
 ed from life by Sauvage. No. 186, by the same 
 artist, represents The Dauphin (Louis XVII). 
 A remarkable miniature, representing Empe- 
 ror Napoleon I in the uniform of a "Grenadier 
 de la Garde," is No. 187, painted from life by 
 Jean Baptiste Isabey. No. 188, by Talani, is a 
 cameo portrait of Empress Josephine. The 
 above miniatures, 180 to 188 inclusive, were 
 
 215 
 
 MINIA- 
 TURES 
 
 "Isabey was the head 
 of the miniaturists. 
 He painted with 
 decision and breadth 
 in locket pictures. 
 Failing as a historical 
 painter, he was a 
 faultless miniaturist at 
 a day when that art 
 was very fashionable. 
 He treated these 
 minute portraits with 
 a real breadth of 
 execution, 
 and had a long and 
 brilliant career." 
 
 Critique 
 
MINIA- among the objects inherited at St. Helena from 
 TURES Napoleon I by the Marechale Bertrand, from 
 whose grandson they came directly to this col- 
 lection. 
 
 No. 189, by E. Saint, is of Count d' Artois, 
 brother of Louis XVI, and afterwards Charles 
 Xof France. No. 191 is a portrait of Lord Fitz- 
 william, painted from life by Richard Cosway . 
 No. 192, by Pierre Adolphe Hall, a pupil of 
 David, represents the artist Girodet, a distin- 
 guished classicist of that period. No. 193, by 
 the same artist, is an exquisitely painted min- 
 iature of Queen Marie Antoinette. Hall has 
 been called the VanDyck of miniaturists, be- 
 cause of the quality of his work. No. 194, by 
 Muneret, a pupil of Isabey, represents the 
 Emperor Napoleon I, and Nos. 195 and 196, 
 by Camino, are portraits of the artist's grand- 
 child. This group of miniatures, while small 
 in numbers, is very choice in quality and adds 
 a distinct note to the great collection. 
 
 FINAL GLANCE *^ 
 There are so many things 
 of importance yet un- 
 l mentioned that it seems 
 almost a crime against 
 ithe beautiful to leave 
 them without a word of 
 recognition. There are, 
 for instance, the incom- 
 parable Chinese and Jap- 
 anese draperies, which are beautiful beyond 
 description; and the charming Marie Antoi- 
 nette Room, a perfect facsimile of her famous 
 boudoir, a dream of blue and white whose ele- 
 gance is of the daintiest sort. Turning from 
 this you enter a Dutch Room, wherein all 
 the sturdiness of the Hollandish character is 
 carved into wood or painted into tiles. Here 
 216 
 
and there throughout the house are mosaics, A FINAL 
 curios, jewels, statuary and drawings. The GLANCE 
 latter include many works of Gavarni, whose 
 delineations of character were never equaled. 
 Among other remarkable things are two large 
 volumes of original drawings by the most em- 
 inent artists of the world, in which each one 
 was requested to give his individual idea of the 
 sentiment, "Prayer," to be expressed in his 
 own way and confined to no especial religion. 
 The results are bound in two immense books 
 of matchless beauty. Since the descriptions 
 were written of the pictures found in this col- 
 lection, one of the best examples of George In- 
 ness has been added, thus honoring one whose 
 name in the future by virtue of his great talent 
 will rank among those whose works give this 
 collection its peculiar distinction. 
 
 So with the myriads of beautiful objects yet 
 unmentioned, I turn with a feeling akin to sad- 
 ness back into the humdrum of everyday, 
 commonplace things. But the memory of the 
 dreams of beauty seen and felt within this 
 modest house is still mine. 
 
 No sign is placed to tell of the matchless 
 treasures in the house on Mt. Vernon Square, 
 but when you have once entered its portals 
 you are lifted into a grander realization of life 
 and its possibilities. 
 
INDEX Achenbach 142 
 
 Alma-Tadema 148 
 
 Alma-Tadema (water-color) 176 
 
 Baker 169 
 
 Barye Collection, The 196 
 
 Becker 141 
 
 Bida 193 
 
 Bonheur 186 
 
 Bonnat 99 
 
 Bonvin 188 
 
 Boughton 155 
 
 Boughton (water-color) 179 
 
 Brandon 130 
 
 Breton 108 
 
 Bronzes, Japanese and Chinese 209 
 
 Cabanel 127 
 
 Calame 164 
 
 Carnino 216 
 
 Chaplin 160 
 
 Chavet 165 
 
 Clairin 163 
 
 Clays 164 
 
 Clays 186 
 
 Corot ii 
 
 Cosway 216 
 
 Couture 80 
 
 Dagnan-Bouveret 114 
 
 Barley 185 
 
Daubigny 33 INDEX 
 
 Decamps 75 
 
 Delacroix 64 
 
 Delaroche 41 
 
 De Neuville 116 
 
 Detaille 161 
 
 Diaz 27 
 
 Diaz (water-color) 174 
 
 Dupont 185 
 
 Dupr6 21 
 
 Durand 168 
 
 Elliott 169 
 
 Fortuny 84 
 
 Fortuny (water-color) 174 
 
 Frere 132 
 
 Fromentin 77 
 
 Fuger 215 
 
 Gallait 46 
 
 Gericault 63 
 
 Gerome 104 
 
 Giacomelli 187 
 
 Gleyre 82 
 
 Greuze 158 
 
 Hall 216 
 
 Head in Wax, The 211 
 
 Hebert 128 
 
 Henner 166 
 
 Hunt 187 
 
 Isabey, Eugene 71 
 
 Isabey, Eugene (water-color) 180 
 
 Isabey, J. B. 215 
 
 Israels 182 
 
 Ivories: "Psyche" and "Phryne" 213 
 
INDEX Jacquemart 179 
 
 Jalabert 59 
 
 Japanese and Chinese Bronzes 209 
 
 Jimenez 97 
 
 Knaus 137 
 
 Kurtzbauer 166 
 
 Leys 54 
 
 Madrazo 90 
 
 Meissonier in 
 
 Meissonier (water-color) 178 
 
 Merle 129 
 
 Millais 156 
 
 Millet i 
 
 Millet (water-color) 172 
 
 Miniatures 214 
 
 Miscellaneous Works in Oil 158 
 
 Muller, Charles L. 164 
 
 Muller, C. Leopold 143 
 
 Muneret 216 
 
 Munkacsy 167 
 
 Oriental Gallery, The 206 
 
 Pasini 160 
 
 Peachbloom Vase, The 204 
 
 Pettenkofen 145 
 
 Pils 183 
 
 Plassan 161 
 
 Preyer 167 
 
 Rico 92 
 
 Riviere 153 
 
 Rotta 165 
 
 Rousseau 7 
 
 Rousseau (water-color) 184 
 
Saint , 216 INDEX 
 
 Saint-Eve 184 
 
 Saint-Jean 161 
 
 Sauvage 215 
 
 Scheffer 69 
 
 Scheffer 183 
 
 Schreyer 124 
 
 Smith 181 
 
 Stevens 165 
 
 Stone 169 
 
 Stuart 168 
 
 Talani 215 
 
 Troyon 17 
 
 Turner 146 
 
 Van der Heist 159 
 
 Van Marcke 120 
 
 Vautier 166 
 
 Vernet 58 
 
 Vibert 162 
 
 Villegas 94 
 
 Walker 184 
 
 Water-Color Gallery, The 171 
 
 Willems 166 
 
 Woodville 186 
 
 Works in Oil Miscellaneous 158 
 
 Yvon 159 
 
 Zamacois 88 
 
 Zamacois (water-color) 175 
 
 Ziem 37 
 
 Ziem 182 
 
HIS book was issued by 
 J. M. Bowles, from the 
 press of Carlon and Hol- 
 lenbeck, Monument 
 Place, Indianapolis, in 
 April, Eighteen Hundred 
 and Ninety-five ^ The 
 head-bands, initials and 
 title-page were designed 
 
 ^ by Bruce Rogers ^B The 
 
 edition consist s~bfnine hundred and seventy- 
 five copies in red and black on Michallet paper, 
 and six copies on Whatman paper with the 
 initials rubricated by hand.