The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-02 00:00:00

OUR PARIS LETTER.

THE EXHIBITION OF MODERN ARTISTS.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, FRIDAY EVENTNG.

The annual exhibition of modern artists opened
to-day in the Falai,' de l'lndustrie.Champs ElysCes.
A very unnecessary notice posted on the doors

states that the oommittee reserves to itself the right
of refusing admittance when the rooms are too full.
There is nothing like the curiosity to see the exhi-
bition on the first day which is familiar in Trafal-
gar-square. The vast space easilyabsorbs the hun-
dreds of artists who have their entries, and the
general public wait for Sunday. There was nothing
like a crowd to-day in any one of the rooms.
After a hurried inspection, confined principally
to the great room—the salon earri-1 think it may
be safely said that the Exhibition is a better one
than has been seen for several years.
The picture which holds the place of honour in
the salon d'honneur is a representation not by a
Frenchman, but a German, of the review in Paris
of June 6, 1857, on the return from which the
Emperor of Russia was shot at by Berezowski. The
author is M. Ernest Meister, born at Coblentz, a
pupil of the Dusseldorf Academy, and of M.
Wachsmuth. In the foreground we see the Em-
peror Napoleon, the Czar, and the King of Prussia,
on prancing horses, going to the review. Behind
them are striking portraits of the Czarewitch
and his brother, the Crown Prince of Prussia,
General Fleury, and Marshal Niel. The painter
seems to me to have taken more pains with
Napoleon 111., who is the central figure, than with
the others. The King of Prussia is terribly
" sketchy," and many of the other portraits are
unfinished. In this salon there are, as usual, a
number of pictures which may be called official—
battle pieces and portraits of generals, senators,
and councillors of state in uniform. One of the
largest and certainly not the worst is a representa-
tion by a German artist, M. Meuzel, of Breslau, of
the coronation of the King of Prussia at
Konigsberg on Oct. 18, 1861. On walking round
this salon one is struck by No. 671, " The Review
at Longchamps on Oct. 25, 1867, by Napoleon 111.
and the Emperor of Austria, by M. Decaen ;" No.
1,167, "The Empress visiting the Cholera Patients in
the Amiens Hospital," by M. Guerie ; No. 1,253,
" Tho Battle of Konigsgraetz," by M. Otto Hayden
(a Pruiaian); No. 1,989, "The Emperor Napoleon
holding the plough at St. Helena, December,
1815," by M. 011ivier Pichat ; a portrait of the
Queen of Spain on horseback, accompanied by her
husband, and followed by the principal personages
of her court ; two pictures of the Chateau of
Pierrefords—one of the ruins as they were
a few years ago and the other of the present ap-
pearance of the chateau as restored. No. 363,
" General Washington meeting the Duke de. Lam-
m), on Oct. 18, 1781, and deciding to attack New
Gloucester." No. 741, A first-rate picture of
hounds in a forest, by a Belgian, K Depratere ;
and No. 1,235, a wonderful " Moonlight Scene,"
at Verona, by a German artist, M. Henning'. I
do not shrink from predicting that this canvas will
become celebrated. The sky is overcast with fly-
ing black clouds, threatening immediate rain.
The moon itself is not seen, but the
glitter of moonlight on the water under a
bridge in the background is one of the most skilful
and truthful things I ever witnessed. The candle
and lamplight' from the houses on the banks of
the river, admirably add their contingent to the
effect of the night scene. I reserve for the last the
gem of the whole exhibition, No. 1,072, M.
Gerenne's Jerusalem. This composition is in a
totally different style from anything hitherto ex-
hibited by the great artist. At first sight, looking
at the picture, as it should be looked at, from the
distance of about ten paces, you are struck with
the effects of the landscape—a lurid sun dimly
visible through the clouds and mist which hang
over Jerusalem. In the foreground are sparse
olive trees growing amidst dwarf rounded rocks.
Along • serpentine road through the rocks is a
proosesion of horse and foot wending its way
towards Jerusalem. There are Roman officers and
soldiers on horseback, several foot people, and
'some women in various costumes. Some plebeians