The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-09

0fCroot
wa. ded 10 Be tho eprssnon Of idea the pic
tuTc utter failure
the Garden Of EdenO sre beautiful compositions but
present no striking original features and turn
10 10 tne Sacrncs oI AoeI anq % cam ~ IN h ths picture
Cam for the purpose OF bringing into full reiei all
tbe evil and feIoctI Of his nature ny sulen, down
as 1t cfetps OnR the ground. little tur her on,
wholly in shadow Abel kneels in alteration before
his altar, from which, sprit-iike, fame and smoke
ascend 10 heaven Aconventonal artist would have
reversed the distribution OF tight and shade.
still more striking is the succeeding picture
Human blood has been shed for the frs time the first
human soul that left the earth has returned sol
tary, to it's Creator. he murderer still ives but
sul uncursed In rug0ed, narrow ravine shut in
by rocks that assume fantastic shapes Of horror from
the Imagination, lies the fret human victim OF vio.
lence, extended at full length on the sand that for
the first time drinks human blood. The mu derer
Leaning agaInst boldly pTojeet1g rock stares with
one hand he sill clutches the instrument OF his
CRIME. Stoid as the rock against which he leans,
he seems to be unconscious of the approaching
storm; OF the thunder oud on whOs) dark page
the lightning, in characters OF fire writes bis eternal
Still turning on we come to another series OF pic
tures, forming the conclusion OF the first in tho
great tragedy Of human history The race OF Cam
has ipied, and has ileu the earth win vIoeuce
and wrong, SO tnat God has repented m OF the
work of his hands. The ark has been built; the
family of Noah, with the beasts and fowls have
been shut In; the fountains OF the great deep have
been broken up, and the windows of heaven opened;
and the waters have increased upon the earth, until
its whole surface with the exception OF few noun
submerged,
selected by DorS for his first illustration of the
DeuPe
mon place illustrations OF tais awful catastrophe ne
VIII be better alb 10 appreciate the force aud orgi
nality OF DoTe's rcndering. lake, tor example one
OF the most ambitious attempts OF modern times,
that of Carl ScbOrn, IN the New Pluako HEX at
Munich We see rocky. peak, crowded with
human beings, some of whom hug their ido's to
their breasts others offer treasure to those in places
that seem more secure while others threaten the
advancing waves VITA the curses OF their gods.
matte display IN Dores picture. He repres sOts tue
inundation of the world, the death of a whole
lhe spectator-t spectator can be Imagl ned-jees
confused mass OF naAed human beings thousands
and thousands IN numbcr, wildly strugg ing up tho
rocky side OF q mounta the strong treadlng nder
FOOT the weak in the renz ed rusn saetv from the
wrath OF he pursuing waters. They carry no lido s;
| they have long ago thrown thin away; they
offer no treasure for assistance This no time Tor
Threatening heaven, nor even Tor PRAYER, intermn-
Pled with he crow ds are q kinds OF beasts mon
| sters of the antedtluvian wold hppOpotami, ele-
pba IS, serpcnts, wolves lears and llols-jostling
and treadinP down their human fello y-mortals IN
tie awful struggle for lle. Tne conception and the
execution OF this picture are tru grand. 1t IS the
J Woi IL contlct With late Close study reveals in
the minute figures that crowd the mountain side, an
astonishing variety of individual action, winch
strengthens ra her than weakens the unity of the
composltion, Every ono OF these minute figures
obeYs the same dread pauic; and all the minor de-
tai o tho picture are wrought out with admIa ole
skill and feellnD The sense OF unspeakable horror
that peTvades the scene heightened by a skllful
| contrast Far away in the disance, smooth
stretch of wa,er floats the ark peaceful, unendan-
! gered, and beyond reach.
| Another scene he waters have risen up and
covered the earth unG one solitary barren peak of
rock one remains unsubmerged The wild storm
| mas passed away; vast, black waveles unveXed by
winds, uniform by torrents, the aveng'ng aud re-
morseless deep creeps slowly up TO devour its last
victims, satiaed with death and now secure Of these
| On the top OF this narrow peak hudd es group of
little Chr dIen, the youngest of whom stretches down
its iny hand to assist It's mother The father, grasp
ing his wife with hand chngs with the osher to
| the rock Hope and strength have faIled and he
can Climb further. A tlgress with her whelps
rendered inofensve by the supreme peril shares the
rock with her children, bat takes no notice of Them
| Holding one OF her yOun IN her mouth, she casts
melancholy, yearning look over the Intern na Ole
In the third of this grand series we are shown the
subsdence of the flood Fac ark is resting
| on he summit of Mount Ararat. From be
hind its enormous bulk stream forth the rays
| OF the rising sun-it IS the dawn OF the new era
white vapors ascend hom the humid ground, like
! smoke OF thankful sacrifice. The rocky sides OF
Mount Monnt ATarat are strewn with the carcasses OF
coniusion ns they lett by the roceding torrents
whIe above them futters the white dove, returning
to the ark with the olive twlg in her mouth.
1t ls relief to turn from the epical sublimty
and tragic horror OF these il ustrations to the
sweet pastoral beauty that is found in "Ihe Meet
and 'Isaac receiving Re6ecca." The first
4yeThows with grace, charming sentiment, and
Eastern feeling; the second Is marvel of beautiful
| conception and execution The BRIDE seated on o
| dromeoarv, nchy and enthusiastically caparisoned
has approached the abode of her husband. She
prepares to descend; a slave presents the pa IN OF
his han9 as step for the deica foot oil the young
gil. Inc patriarch approaches to receive her,
his hand resting on the shoulder of slave.
Eut what words can 0scribe he luminous atmo-
sphere, the strange and picturesque caravan, the
dellcaIely moulded couds tine transparent shadows,
the leauty, variety OF the figure grouping? The
picture seems Ike the realization OF wonderful
dream q vision out of the sleep of ages pons.
To describe these pictures one by one would re
qure not merely an aruce, out volume almost as
large as the Bibe whose leaves turning; and
we must pass reluctantly over compositions ON which
we would gladly dwell at length
Dore is 1ond OF placing minute figures on an ex
tended landscape, so as to give the impression OF
immense space. "rhe Cedars of Lebanon conveyed
style of treatment. In this picture the horizon
placed near The top OF the page In the distance grow
the majestic cedars, about whose giant poles the
wood cutters swarm ike ligmes Nearer are seen
rude, massive trucks and dragged of by teams OF
horses and oxen, urged on and assisted by crowds
drivers and workmeD. Every nook and corner ol
the picture IS lGll OF busting llie MOI partc o D
space Is vacant wasted Yet all this VARIETY and
tnness obained without the slightest loss OF UNITY
of effect
Dore's love of the grotesque and of queer humor
occasionally breaks through his enforced decorum
as in hs wonderful realization of Ezeklels vision o
the VALLEY OF lrY Bones" Ii IS ghastly compost
ton. We can almost heaI the multitude OF bones
dash and rattle as they fly together And it Is
humorous, too. There is seen bewidered skeleton
iumbling round Tor missing arm, which brother
ske eton, who doubtless practical joker m the
flesh, hides away from bin One unfortunate crea
ture las let bis skull slip through his bony fingers
ana clutches olndly alter 1t as It fails
Another, who has picked himself eltlrelY up
and put his bones together III complete order, SIT,
Rlinnlng horribly ghastlY smllo, and pokIng run
at his less expert companions In the distance the
rehabllhated ske O ons disappear, IN long and din
procession, through the dusk OF gathering night.
In genera, D0re has restrained IN these lllustra
tons hls inOrdinate passion for the Iotesque and
horrible, and his morbid tendency gioo niness
put these traits in hel full power in such
subjects as "lhe Fate of JezebePs Remains" >" The
Death OF Ac an" "ihe Punishment OF the sons o.
Koran, and few others. II ls surprising that he