New-York tribune., 1871-04-07
AN ARTISTS HOME.
EVENINGS WITH GUsTAyE DORE.

artistic society Of the capital has been stunned and
dispersed by the national calamity like flock OF
singing birds in grove visited by lightning. Some
are wandering in pinched and improvident exile;
some are baslng in the Winter sunbeams of Naples
and Algiers some have crossed the Pyrenees, and
sought to forget the woes Of their country in the
midst of society where Frenchmen are welcome,
though France is detesed. The Channel Islands
have been filed with the frightened birds, who
have rested their weary feet these hosDtable
rocks, preferring to remain in the widest solitude,
which may still give them distant view of Nor
mandy, rather than to plunge into the unreenting
foreignness of AIbion for to the trne Partisan the
saddest of mortala is he who is doomed by fate to
nhale the fogs OF London, and TO suffer that carica-
ture Of cookery that fills with pungent odors the
classic neghborhood Of Leicester Square Yet,
Leiceger Square is fu to-day Of the badauds Of the
Boulevard.
Ii seems like recalling the days before the food to
remember the Joyous cotories that made such an
atmosphere Of mirth and taste in many salons of
P.rs just before the war; No other people have as
yet LEANED the art Of coming together and being
amused without preensOn and without effort as the
children of Paris knew it, do not refer to the spen
did banqnets Of the vulgar great or tho exquisite
soTees Of the simple old nobility Of the Fau5Ourg.
There you coull zee tho last expression Of shoddy
"Uii ilit bl ttiiOuiy dV'
the literary and artistic society OF te Capital you
could ind ali that the present day can furnish of
wit, refinement, and genuine heartiness OF enjoy
ment. Il Is in the free and unrestTained license of
conversation that the true Frcnchman is most bill
liant and suggestive. II would be hard 10 match in
literature the grace and vivacty yOu viii observe in
good-humorcd knot Of Partisan artists and writer's.
It is a legend of New-YOrk that when Vdaiy
! Idr had once fairly entered upon It's scintllant
existence the life and soul Of conversation disap-
pcared from the round tables at Pfaif's. The wit
tiest man in NeW-York became dismally dull P0ta-
tiOns POI le-daep of the most seductive Weiss-Ber
could not botray the prudent revelers into flash OF
pun or repartee The explanation was simple as it
was sad Family Fair paid 90 cents apiece for jokes,
end the proyi1ent American mind instantly ceased
to be witty gratis. We hayo never seen this miserly
f,rethought displayed by the French pos5essors OF
esprit A true child Of Bohemia, who has forgotten
when be bTeaklasted and does not care 20 grapple
with the pr0bicr of possible dinner would scorn to
hoard for money the jest with which he can buy
smile.
Among the eayest and frankast salons OF the Left
Baak was that OF the artist Gustaye Dpr6. He has
been exempt from tho usual lot Of genius is thrifty
and rrospcrocs, has fine house in the Rue Domi-
uique St. Germain aud money in bank. This con-
sitites serious ground Jf oiense in the minds OF
many bilious critics who can SEQ no merit IN an
artist who paws his debts ahd wears whole linen.
Dor6 had STIFF graPple with poverty at hrot, hut
he soon got uPpennost, and has been steadily Sue
siul and prosperous sirce. Hc was astonish-
ngiv prccocious At - he skctchcd with great vGor
and skill, aid before hc was - he had made more
contracts for work with publi-nes than he able
10 fuGl lie has been ;uAOyed IN later life by this
"oycrcropp;lg' 10 Wuich he subjected himself in
h, ambitious youth re receNei very ltte for lis
| Fables of Lni0nlaiue because he had agreed
upon IN absurdg Inadequate price many years
age. He has worked with fev,rsh industry all
his life, but without In the least iIlpairing
his health injnring ijis iron constitution. went
into his studio once aud found i'm with three large
paintings the eas-ls, and pilo Of blocks upon
which he was drawing. IIamagAcl upon this sngu-
lar overwoTh. He repe1 that i rest enough 70
90 from one 10 the 0thar IhCyc Wds certainly no
appearance Of fatigue about e athletic and vigorous
young Alsatian He stands about 1--WE feet eight in
his boots. has clear ruddy face, bright black eye,
tlnLled mass of jet black wavy hair, trim and
graceful figure growing q littio stput OF late, aud
the happy self possess ii manner of Young gentle
man entirely satisfied Win himself and the world
The gossip Of Paris ports him engaged every few
months 10 4 different lady. Once il was Patti and
once Mis- Nilsson and each tIne of course, without
further foundation than hiucss Cf age, color, and
previous condition.
Ills house is arranged with something Of artistic
laWcssne,s His aged mother gives il the sanction
of f,miuine presence. and n proiufOn of busts,
statues torSo8 pictures and photographs, indicates
the residence Of dayotce Of art Many of his
own most remarkable pictule5 a.e there. The
original Of tho wcIi-known caricature, "Jho
Enclshmau at M1blic,' largo oil-paiuting, hangs
in the ante-chalubtr Ihsre has never been finer
IL.
mostly against the British swell than ia presented in
this exaggerated Iibsl. Tho Parisiaus Anglais Is
there complete in his lrer clothes his absurd era
va;S. a impossible neck his ineiabr and eXaspca-
ing self-conceii, oTinc charming creature who
smiles sciuctivciv over her Etn aud says Je items
non .ipgiq.s" DoTt, like many other Fronchmen is
very fond If the society OF Americans, and heartily
dete. the English. lie asked me oucc how long 1t
would take for hiT to learn English. "Juough TO
travel IN Erclandw / inquired. Mon Diem! no.
he protested; enough TO read Shakespeare"
! said he nght 30 il in n year. and he sighed I'M
pos.i5ls; shall syer baye year. de made his
sk-lrps for j.liou and jennysol from i1chtinl
Translation. IN i.'n'h F's9c. bH a nj tIc cafri'3
arG Aer .l.-s WORKER i!'u nauf suppose ii.in t' be-
Trr .t,y.Jo year in Spain. making ito studies for
Don Ouixcte; and when hc was at work on his
Fales he spent many days in the Jaulin des Pantes
learning every trick and attitude of the animals
there. OF all subjects, the lst was Lafontainc.s
f,yorite lie uses him continually to point a moral
Of diplomacy of tsifr, or hypocrisy. Dore had an
army of rats Gagged ngly in families, and placed
Them in his studio. where he could observe at bis
lisure tb.ir sly ard fmtiyo WAYS. think he and
Frank Buckand ere tho bet living authorizes on
lhe manuci5 and morals of this Interesting rodent.
Mr. Christopher Burns Is dead
Ono Of the especiil charms Of Doles evenings at
M ..,.;, ,un .IyyaN-g hand