The New York herald., 1868-06-04
Modern French Art.
of modern French art

The fecundty of modern French art Is Illustrated
by the number Of works at the present annual ex-
hbiton in the Palais de rIndustre, Paris. Incud
ing paintings, drawings, statuary, engravings and
Autographs, there 4,2l3 works, OF which 1851
oil paintings. OF the latter one by Jean Louis
Brown is particularly interesting to Americans.
It was painted for A. T. Stewart, and
represents "Washingt0n and the Duke de
Lauzun Before Yorktown" 1t is described
as fine picture. Auguste Bonheur exhibits IA
Group Of Sheep near the Seashore" which the
Paris correspondent of the Home Journal says
minds In its conception Of Landseers celebrated
picture called 'Peace," SO well known by the en-
craving Bouguereau contributes "a Pastoral
Scene" and children Asleep" fully up to his pre-
vious works and probably destined for America. The
same correspondent whom we have mentioned writes
from Paris:-"Strange as it may seem, neither
Bouguereau nor Merle, as artists, are held in high
esteem here. Parisan taste runs more In the DASH
ing brilliant style Of colOrs and the works of Rous-
seau, Diaz, Dupre, Deacroix, Decamps and q few
others bring relatively speaking, enormous prices.
In most Of these pictures everything is sacrificed to
color. Drawing design and beauty Of form are COM
pletely set aside. Look at most of the French
pictures and how little do they mean
How different the German. Avoiding these conven-
tiOnaites. German pictures always aim to tell some
thing and they never offend good TASTE The reason
for this is simple-a German thinks before he paints
while the exctable Frenchman finishes first his pic.
ture and is then quite puzzled how to baptize it,"
Jules Breton sends to this exhibition "The Heotrope'
and ''The Potato Gatherers.n Brion gives "Reading
the Scriptures" an interior Of Protestant house in
Asace. Desgones sends two marvels OF mechanical
skill in his unrivalled line Of still.life pictures.
Gustave Dore gives Scene in a Monastery" great
contrast to his last years picture, representing the
deni monde gambling at Baden Baden. Dubufe
exhibits a portrait of the young Prince
Paul DemidOf. Duverger's empty Cradle;n
"An Interior at Beyat', and 'sThe Seam.
Stress" by Edward Frere; "The Execution
of Marshal Ney," by G6rome; "Penelope'' and
"Phryne," by Charles Marchal; "The Finishing
Touch'' and "The Fast Day. by Toumouche;
''The First Drawing Lesson, by vautier, q Swiss
artist; an Official but unnattering portrait of the
Empress Eugenie by Niennot; humorous picture,
the only Of the kind in the collection, and that by
a German named Saal, representing grizzly bear
that cooy Overlooks an artist who is sketching
among the mountains; and finally remarkably
good picture, "Hearts Sorrow by Emile Saintin,
for many years a resident OF New York. are among
the most noticeable works at the present exhibition
which appears to be decidedly below the usual
and the very few good ones, IL must be admitted that
art as well literature has fearfully declined in
France" Perhaps the comparative nferorify OF the
exhibition Is however, but q result OF the exlaus-
ton occasioned by special efforts to make grand
display at the Universal Paris Exposition OF last
year.