Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-05-08
THE EXPOSITION.
---
Sixth Day.
Contribuffons stiia Pourins In.
All the Departments In Full Blast

The weather Opene d unfavorable yester-
day, but notwithstanding this fact the usual
number OF visitors we're seen vending their
way TO tbs Exposition building, As the
day advanced, the attendance grew larger,
and during the afternoon the average num-
Der present was larger than on any day
since the opening.
It takes some time for such mammoth
affair to get in full blast. 1t was so during
the first and second years, and we have ex-
periencsd the same thing to some extent
this year, but not as much IS form .rly.
But the wheels are now well creased, and
everything is working smoothly. Our own
people, too, who are always slow to move,
are beginning to fasl into lire, and are being
taken along with the popular current, and
in q few days at most, there will hardly be
room in the building for the crowd of Wis.,
tory.
THE HORTICULTURAL DISPLAY.
In the garden great Improvements have
been made. among the rare exotics placed
on exhibition by Mr.. F. 81. French, may be
mentioned a magnificent ornathagalum
thyrsoides, brought from London; beau
tiful sago palm; an orange tree standing but
three feet high and small in proportion, yet
loaded with full-grown oranges; fine jessa-
mine, presenting solid mass of bloom,
and one of the finest specimens in the
country; a splendid collection Of double
scarlet geraniums; an azaIia indica, from
China, etc.
Louis G. Lishy exhibits a collection of
evergreens, the like cf which cannot be
seen anywhere in the land; among them a
| handsome Japan lily, rare species OF
| Juniper, retiyaseora plumose, the latter q
very valuable shrub, as indeed are all those
| exhibited by Mr.. Lishey. In addition to
these, he has fine collection of flowers
aud plants, which will be noticed at length
hereafter, and to which collection it is his
| intention to add from time to time.
Rev. Philip Fall exhibits a splendid COL
lection of flowers, plants and shrubs. A
large, thrifty orange tree in this collection
attracts much attention. He has siX vari-
| cites of cactus, and on one of these he has
| engrafted five varieties, the parent stem and
also the gratis seeming to be in a very
| lourishiDg condition. A young pine from
| a seed from one of the big trees of Califor-
mia is much admired, and is of vigorous
| growth.
THE ART GALLERY.
This department of the Exposition is an
exhibition within itself, and fully apprecia-
ted by the many visitors who have been
! present since opening day.
But for our Exposition, the majority of
our citizens would never know that Nash
vile possessed paintings of such
rare merit as are now on
exhibition. Painting is said to have Or
| iginated with young Grecian girl, whose
| aha e. - hos
side. fnconsolable at the prospect Of bis
departure, and watching his shadow on the
wall, she traced its outline as q memento
of their mutual affection. Thus, as the ira
dition goes, painting took its rise, like most
of the arts, in the affections. The heart,
| compelled to combat with the sad necessi-
ties of a world Of separation and sorrow,
early pressed painting into its service, dis
covering an art which can recall the absent,
unite the separated, nay, give rs back the
dead, "even in the loveliest looks they
wore"
When the Spauiards landed in
Mexico, the mode by which the natives
conveyed intelligence of their arrival to
King Montezuma was by painting the
clothes Of the strangers, their looks, their
dress, and their ships. There caLnot be q
doubt of the extreme antiquity of painting.
| On the walls of Babylon, those imm nse
structures on With fifteen chariots
could run abreast, were paint
| ed after nature representa-.
tons of different species Of animals, hunt
| ing expeditions, and combats. Semiramis,
their warrior queen, so famous in ancient
story, was represented on horseback, strik-
| ing leopard with dart, and her hus-
band Minus, woundipg q lion. There is
evidence that in Egypt and Ethiopia, the
art of painting is of greater antiquity still.
1t is certain that in the nineteenth century
before Christ the houses and temple of
Thebes were decorated with paintings and
pieces of sculpture commemorative
personal and historical events.
OF all the nations OF
antiquity, none prosecuted painting with
so much enthusiasm or success as the
Greeks. The love of beauty was the great
actuating principle of this people, the ele-
ment of their being, the soul of their wor-
! ship; themselves models of beauty, each
man like statue that had slept down from
! its pedestal to take the air; each woman
| like picture that had left its frame; their
very children taught to contend for prizes
for beauty, and baving statutes erected to
| them when they succeeded But
we do not intend now to
enter into further details regarding the ORR
gin and history of painting. It is an art
which will be more highly appreciated as
| the years come and go, and the fame of old
masters will be handed down from genera
ton to generation.
The collection now on exhibition COM
prises some very old and costly paintings,
and many of rare merit No ore who visits
the art gallery will fail to notice
Ulysses on the field of Troy, con-
| tributed by Mrs. DR.. Van S. Lindsey.
1t was purchased in Italy, AID bears
the marks of age. The Night after the
Birth of Christ, the property OF F. Bissicks,
is splendid copy of the original by Guido.
! 1t is highly finished, and we doubt not
would readily command $1,000. The
Spanish Card Player, the property of the
same gentleman, is picture worthy Of the
artist, and attracts great attention. Abram
and Isaac, the property of jeremiah George
Harris, is q picture of great age, being
painted some SEQ or 400 years since, and is
very valuable. Judith, with the head OF
Holofernes, is one of the most valued in the
| collection. It was the production of our own
1 UCSb, Vic 0pAhASh ~ OhO VI O1AOb,
but who now sleeps with bis kindred in our
cemetery. This painting is contributed by
Mrs. John PoItsTfeld. The MUSES., repre-
sentiDg music, painting and poetry, another
picture by West, of great merit, and is one
of the most attractive in the gallery. Il is
the property of Mrs. w. B. Armistead
David, with the head of Goliah, sent in
from st. Cecilia Academy, is also fine
picture. Queen Victoria, by Sully, pur-
chased at cost of 5000 by the late 81. r.
W. Hill, and presented to Mrs. DIR. Cheat
ham, is observed by all. Mrs. Cheatham
also contributes Iris and the Rainbow, aud
| two Venetian views, all very attractive.
| We notice in Mrs. John Porterield's collec-
ton the Chapel ON the Alps, painted by
Dury the fret year after bis arrival in this
city. The artist who has made fame as a
portrait painter has no cause TO
blush in fathering this production
of his young years. Diogenes with his
lamp hunting for an honest man is old and
valuable. This was contributed by Mrs.
DIR. Van S. Lindsey. In addition TO these
and many others to which we may refer
hereafter, we noticed a portrait of Napoleon
| taken from life, and presented to Judge
Catron by Marshal Bertrand. In the same
collection, the property If Judge Catron, is
| an excellent likeness Of himself, by Healy,
Chief Justice Marshall and Chancellor