The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-02

when rocited by competent elocuuonlss, 1t
has done almost as much to perpetuate the fame
OF Sheridan as his gallant deeds in the field aud
the doughty little General is one Of the frat to
acknowledge his Indebtedness to the poet.
AS Mr.. Read Is an artist as well as poet, 1t
is natural that he should desire TO represent the
subject of his verses on canvas. He conse-
quenuy visited New Orleans when Sheridan
was In command there, and made the necessary
studies of the General and the black steed that
bore him from Winchester to Cedar Creek on
that ,ventful day
The picture was commission from the Union
League of Philadelphia, and Mr.. Read having
established himself in a studio at Rome, de-
voted himself to the elaboration of what he in
tended should be his master piece. After the com
pletion of the picture, tho Union League granted
permission for its exhibition for limited
period, for the benefit of the artist and 1t was
accordingly placed in the hands of Mr. 7. B.
Pugh, who engaged the Academy of Fine Arts
for the purpose Of showing 1t to the public. A
private view of the work was given last even
ing, to which large number of ladies and gem
tlemen were invited and to-day the public exhi-
bition will commence.
The moment chosen for illustration Is the
arrival of Sheridan in the midst of his dlsor-
ganized army. The black horse, covered with
foam, Is dashing along at full speed and the
General swinging his sword above his head,
looks as If about to charge single-handed into
the ranks of the enemy. The horse and rider
are relieved against the smoke and dust of the
battle, amid which are dimly seen the forms of
the combatants. 1t is Sheridan and his steed
however that make the picture which is un-
doubleday the most meritorious work that Mr..
Read has ever executed. 7. Buchanan Read
is not ordinarily one of the most vigorous of
painters, and his subject must have inspired
him to an unusual degree to produce anything
as spirited as the heads of the rider
and the horse in this work. The pic
ture Is distinguished by many of the
most palpable faults of Mr.. Reads style, and in
some points it is exceedingly weak. The figure
of Sheridan is stiff and the action of the horses
legs suggests too palpably boys rocking-horse.
In spite of its deficiencies, however, the work is
one that does credit to the artist and it has all
the elements of popularity that will make 1t
favorite of the public.
In conjunction with the painting Mr.. Pugh
exhibits and receives subscriptions for chrome
photographic copies, 20 by 25 inches. This
chrome was executed at one of the best estab-
lishments in Europe, and in some respects 1t is
an improvement on the picture. The figure of
Sheridan in particular is better, and the legs of
the horse do not have quite such wooden
appearance as in the original. The chrome is
one that will undoubtedly have an extensive
sale both on account of its merits as a work of
art and the popularity of its subject.
Artistic Inspiration.
MIR. Edward Moran during the winter has been
engaged In working up his large picture illus
trative of passage from the Book of Job,
painting upon it whenever sublime mood came
upon him, and the work has now approached
point when the stimulant of an extraordinary
inspiration is necessary if the artist hopes 70
keep up to the level of his subject. The public
are curious about artistic methods: they long TO
peep behind the scenes at the theatre, to look in
| upon an artist when he is in the act of working
| chaos of colors upon his canvas into forms of
| grace and beauty, or to gaze upon poet with
| his eye in fine frenzy rolling evolving an epic
| from the depths of his inner consciousness.
| Such sights, however, are only accorded to the
| favored few, and we almost fear that we are be-
traying sacred confidence in telling our readers
| how Moran contriyes to get up an artistic inspi-
ration for the finishing touches of his Job pic
| ture. Moran intends that this shall be his
| masterpiece, and this Is the manner In which he
| evolves sublimity from tubes of cadmium,
| permanent blu9, light red and silver white.
| At the appointed hour Messrs. Mackay
| and Craig of the Arch Street Theatre make their
| appearance, and find Moran, with the ends of
| his mOustache well stiffened with mastic var
| nish, and large family Bible open before him
| at the passage in the Book of Job which he has
| taken for the subject of his great work. The
| three confreres shake ha9ds In silence, and then
| Moran goes to the corner of the room and turns
| on the water into the wash-hand basin, which
for all essential purposes sufficiently Stimulates
the rushing of mighty waters Mackay takes
| the Bible into another corner, and commences
| to read aloud the most elevated passages In the
| Book of Job, and Craig sits at the piano
and plays thunderstorm galop
Moran gazes Mt his canvas for
moment, and then after running his fingers
through his hair, he takes in hand his larges
brushes, and in q moment more the canvas Il
covered with huge blotches of cadmium anC
white which gradually resolve themselve
into golden-tinted clouds or feathery spray
and as Mackay reads, and Craig thump
on the piano. and the water in thu
wash-basin Kisses and splutters, the artist work
| on with fiery energy until the shades Of evenin.
fall upon the scene, and the three friends en-
brace and depart their several ways, Moran t,
| get his dinner and Mackay and Craig to dres
for the evening performance at the Arch.
| II is obvious that under such influences a
these Moran can scarcely fail to produce
picture that will place him in the front rank O
| American artists. Even in its comparatively
crude and unfinished condition, this illustration
of the grand old Hebrew poem indicates powe
and pOetical feeling that are ahead of any thinl
that Moran has yet done; and we take the libert.
| of giving voice to rumor that the artist intend
| tn offer IL to the Academy of Fine Arts aa ,