The Express.
London, England, 1849-11-20 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

PAsue, NOVIXIIIt 18.

What will be thought in England of a perpetual
cxhibiiion of modern art in France? What would
be thought of such an attempt in England ? Would
it not be ridiculed as it dryings? Yet the subject is
seriously disc;:ssed here, and is about to be put into
execution.

The galleriesof the Pales Royale—l be 4 the re-
public's patdon, the Niels National—are about to be
opened to a permanent exhibision of modern art. The
committee chosen by the Minister of the Interior
(which of them I cannot say) to propose measure* in
favour of art, has taken the important resolution of
prop wing the abolition of au annual exhibition of
modern pewee, and of substituting for it a peen a
neat exhibition, which is to be thrown open to the
public, if funds ite forthcominc, on the
lrith of next ApriL The galleries of the
Palais Royal would be at tt e entire dis-
posal of every artist, subject of cruise to the ap-
proval of an intelligent July, and there he may hang '
whenever it pleasesboth !unite( and the jury all the
plc urea that be likes and that the aforesaid Jury do
not object to. This is the least feasible portion of a
vast project. In order to complete this revolution in
every received mode of exh;billoo, there is to be a
grand national show of pictures every three years;
and then the greatest rigour will be shown in reject-
ing all but first-rate works. This trionnial festival of
art would be made a pompous ceremony by a solemn
distribution of prin.' ; and the p-omete-s of the plan
hope that the eminent men in art, not having the
fear before them of a circle of mediocrities, will send
their works to be exhibited. Wi.h regard to the
latter portion of this plan nothing cm be better, and
it would po eibly answer the object which is p-o Posed
to be attained, but it is verydoubtfol whether the idea
of a permanent extibition can be curled into t :ten-
tioe, the difficulties that are in the way being apparently
insurmountable. The committee hope, that a meet
severe judamett being exercised none but good pie-
tame will be ado:titled to the triennial exhibition ;!
will not the result be that the permanent exhibition
in the int.rvel must be full of mediocrities P After
the tevolteion of February there was a great joy ; for
it was said that every artist oilfht exhibit. Bet all
the mlebritire withheld their works and the exhibi-
tion was a micrable failure.
Perhaps, however, the falling off perceptible in the
exhibition of the last two years, and the failure of
evegoompetition fcrworksof art may be attributed to
that want of peacearcieecurity,without which tbe arts
sea arm bark& This is a time fertile in shove,

politically speaking, but it is evident that tra in
government cause equivalent mutations in re
nave been almost as mar of the latter in Fringe
since February as in the keener. Hopes may, how-
ever, be entertained that this last attempt to do some-
thing for art and artists may yet succ.cd.
Meanwhile the revolution seems to produce se few
new men in art as it has dose in polities. Bees ohm
nada ago a public competition was ordered to to*
Ow lee the pupase of obtaining the best model fie
• Nab to the Arehbishop of Paris, who was shot at
tboberriendes. The trial took ylsee, and the pia,
reamed were all worse one than the other. A
semi competition has jest taken place, and is pa-
hap Meat defective than the other. Not one oldie
proinsbme now on view at the Bemuses can pew
sibly be amen as being above mediocrity. The seine
resell has already attended the competition for s
statue of "Liberty,* and we all know what a wretched
affair the new five franc piece of the French republic
ie. Men competition it is evident will not produce a
good
thing. The fault lies in the unsettled state of
If, however, artists are unable to produce any thing
worthy of admiration it is to be deplored far mere
that *ups very men should be allowed to spoil that
which is good and celebrated in the models of olden
times. Chance brought me a few dais ago to the
galleries of the Louvre. I walked into the lower
a ts exclusively taken up by sculpture—the
lOU of Milo, one of the grey t ornaments of the
Owe was in its ac spot, but how changed.
It has boo partially restored sa they call it. A
phobic bet, plaster draperies, and little bits added
on here mai Om, on the nose, and other parts of the
body, sale are the improvements: made to the first
work in the gallery. Other statues have received
additions, of which the details may be 'pared, bet
which spat as ill for the taste as they do for the
&dickey or the nabs; who made them.
A beet if Addis summgat ethers, has been painted
is Gila est Sea etal llketurately ; but who except
barbarians wield leen& a thing? The new arrange-
ment of the pieta= in the galleries above has been
described as defender, but it has cue advantage which
is not without its prioe. It enables the observer to
admire how chance presides over the choice of names
given to pictures. In close proximity to each other
are canvasses of a c mpletely different style, bearing
the name of the same artist. Amongst others, seve-
ral by Perugino, of one-half of which that master cep-
taialy never was the author; others by Garofalo, of
which one is an undoubted Holbein, as Mr. Waagen
shows satisfectorily ; Gicrgione, which may at best
be by Paris Bordone ; Gliirlanda,os, of which there is
not one real, if they are compared with those
in the Italian galleries ; Cuype, which a short
time ago were by Backhoysen, &c. &c. It must
be said, however, in praise of the persons who
are now superintendirg the new arrangements, that
in the new catalogue, of which the first volume hen
just appeared, comprising, however, the Italian school
only, the masters to whom pictures are attributed by
divers critics are mentioned, and other most useful
details are given. It may also be a matter worth
mentioning, gad which will not cause astonishment
when the mania for retouching old pictures is cos-
sidered, that there is not one of the pictures 'et the
whole Italian collection at the Louvre that has not
been restored. The new catalogue also gives the
priers originally paid for the pictures, and the sums
spent is restoration.
It is well known that if artists have suffered by
the revolution, dramatists have not been less lucky;
but as it is an ill wind that blows nobody
good, M. Arsenio Houssaye the author of a life of
Flemish painters, thieved hom M. Michiela of Brus-
sels, and of divers other shallow performances, has
become director of the Theitre Francais. The quarrel
between the celebrated tragedian Rachel and the old
committee is well known. Mdlle. Rachel is Intimately
connected with M. Homsaye, and her influence in
certain high quarters has led to that gentleman's ap-
pointment. Mdlle. Rachel withdraws her resigna-
tion, end the trial which was expected will not take
places, the old committee having been sent about its
business and all power vested in the new director.
May he be saccessiul in rendering the theatre a little
less doll than of old. Rachel, at any rate, says she
will play naught in future but comedy. The com-
mittee of the Theatre Frincsis refuses to give op its
offica to M. Areas Houssaye. They as they were
instituted by an imperial decree, and will not leave
without a vote from the Assembly.

DRAMA.