The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-13
NEW YORK HERALD, SATURDAY, MAY 49, I87-rRPLE SHEET

Claudius agonized with terror has something OF the
ter,an Grosesqueness OF comic mask The Prn-
corpses cucumber the tesselated pavement and on
the white pedestals are the marks OF bloody hapds
slaves and punderers and guards crowded about
tne doorway, hail the discovery OF the concealed
as "lmperator:" The picture Is lesson to our Eng
hsh painters for the completeness Of it's finish and
, ,s dexterlty IN representation OF tex
that 10 Is doubtful whether 1t be not carried to the
point at which It impars the effect OF everything
foremost Certainly these are the least satsactory
parts Of Mr.. Tadema's wonderfully clever work.
that il Tristan The ter%ieaton nay Is commoa
IN that dialect. Halbertma, for instance, Is well
close relation Of the Tristan tongue 70 the English
A. Iadema is another OF the many artist exiles rom
Paris forced to London by the war; He has settled
English art, not for NJ. Alma Tadema.
Not far from his 'Claudues' hangs the picture by
Mr.. Leighton. "Hercules wrestling with Death Tor
share the highest honor q this exhibition, with
Millars' Moses Tor aim and ambition beyond cues
q Tor
or not he has risen above Lampiere 30 FAR as the
play OF Eurpides, or owes bis knowledge to William
Alcestes Is the theme Of ono OF the tales. Here, how
ever, Is the argument OF the picture. Admetus
shall be rescued from death il he can iind any one
TO take his place. Pheres, his old father, whom he
at once appes TO- distinctly declines SO do al mis-
relations. But his young wife, Alcestes, mother or
Ills children, agrees to die for him and dies As he IL
In tears Of sorrow, Hercules knight Grant and one
OF his lab0rers comes and asks for hospitality
Admetus gives It, concealing his cause OF sorrow,
rather than turn away guest. Hercules, indulg-
ing rather too freely In drink, and thereby scan
daltzing the household learns The death OF Aiceste5
Shocked that he should have forgot himself at such
time he determines to 20 70 the tomb and rescue
Acestes from the grasp OF death BY sheer force
His deadly struggle with the grissly Thanator Is
the subject Of MI. Leighton's picture. The attend
ant maidens crouch in terror while the terrible conf
bat swaYs to and fro, while old Pheres clasps Of
the orphan children in his arms as II to shut out
from her the awful sight Strong Hercules, his lion
skin dying In the wind OF the wrestle, has gripped
the marble like frame OF Thanator and is hurting
him backwards. On the bier, like an image OF
peace, amid this horrible hustle OF combat lies the
dead Alcestes robed from chm to foot In white,
her pure head crowned with flowers as pure, and
her rounded arms laid straight and still by her side
Behind Is the blue sea, seen through trunks OF olive
This Is the painters most powerful work, laid aside
often during Its progress owing to illness. but at
length happily brought to an end.
had hoped to have led you right through the ex-
hibitton In one letter. find 1t impossible. have
completed hardly half my round, and the limits
assigned me are already, fear, overpassed. must
take.My chance OF being allowed to complete my cir
cult al some future opportunity.