The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-17
THE LUXEMBOURG PALACE

CABLE despatch announces as one of the
results of the ombardment of Paris that the
works of art in the Luxembourg palace and
its museum have been destroyed. This state
ment must be taken with many grains of al
lowance, as it is understood that oil the port
able works of art in the various palaces and
museums of Paris were long since removed
to places of safety, and even if the Luxem-
bourg palace has been penetrated by the
Prussian shells, it is scarcely probable that
all its art treasures have as yet been de-
stroyed. Even if the palace should be made
a ruin, with all its contents, the loss will not
be 30 great as IL some of the other palaces of
Paris were the sufferers, as the paintings in
the Luxembourg are by modern artists, aud
few of them are of equal value with those de-
posted in other places.
The Luxembourg is situated south of the
Louvre on the other side of the river Seine.
1t was built by Marie de Medicis, and it was
bequeathed by her to her second son, the
Duke of Orleans, from whom it was called
the Palais d Orleans. 1t subsequently passed
into the hands of a number of lordly owners,
and at the breaking out of the revolution of
1701 it was occupied by the brother of the
king who afterwards became Louis XVIII.
The Directory held its sittings there, and it
was afterwards occupied by the Consul and
the Senate In 1S49 it was tenanted by Louis
Blanc, who held his socialist meetings in it.
The palace is in the form of regular square.
In the centre of the facade of the Rue de
Tournon is pavilion, capped by a cupola
and embellished with statues The front
towards the gardens presents three prin-
cipal buildings connected by two gale
ries, one of which was used as a
museum for the exhibition of the
work of living artists. The Senate of the
late Empire held its sessions in the Sale du
Senat, semicircular hall of ninety feet in
diameter, the ceilings of which are decorated
with allegorical pictures of Patriotism, Wis
dom, Justice, and Law The Sale du Trone
is magnificent saloon, covered with sculp-
lures and gliding. The most important pic
lures in this hall are Napoleon at the In
valides;' Napoleon l inspecting the forty
flags taken at Austerlitz;" 'rhe Return of the
Pope to Rome in 1849;" Napoleon III visit
ing the new Louvre" and ''The Distribution
of the Eagles in tho Champ de Mars in 1852.
These paintings are by Hesse. The Cabinet
de PEmpereur, which adjoined the Sale du
Trone, contains several good paintings, the
principal of which are portraits of the ex-
Emperor and Empress; Napoleon signing
the Peace of Campo Formio, and ''Napoleon
III returning from st. Cloud. The
library of the palace, which is very
complete, contains about 10000
volumes. The bedchamber of Marie de
Medicis, a splendidly-furnished apartment,
contains some valuable works by Rubeus,
Poussin, and Philippe de Champagne. The
chapel of the palace is small but richly deco
rated and contains some fine paintings, con-
spicuous among which is an altar piece by an
American artist, MIR. Simon White, the sub
ject being the Alteration of the Shepherds.
The Museum or Gallery of Modern Art was
foundedby Marie de Medicis, and formerly con-
tanned twenty-five pictures by Rubens, which
have been removed to the louvre. These
were allegorical representations of the history
of that queen. This gallery now contains
number of the best works of living French
artists which were purchased by the Govern
ment, after each annual exhibition under the