The New York herald., 1873-10-01

ceremony, and we worship involuntariiy with those
rustcs VINO, 50 ful OF faith, kneel by the wayside
The type OF the peasant Is wonder fully caught and
In no case does resemblance IN type degenerate
into ,ricature. The perspective OIL the procession
white dresses ID so skiliulIy treated tnas the
stereoscopic position OF the plains one after the
otner is perfectly true. The harmonic usness OF
enect and the breadth with which every part Is
painted commune, wit, the adaptation oil all pos
s.ule Resources at the artist's command.
to avoid the monoony which the teatment
VI such O SUB. .ect would seem TO imply;
and instead OF o matter-of-act religious cere-
mony we have the picturesque groups and art.ul
combinations OF simpe things to make an interest
ing whole. In his "Gleaners" NJ. Breton Is equahy
happy, though the picture 10 less enective
crowd OF peasant girls are on their way bone. In
the twight, with their punches OF grain. The soft
glimmer OF the west ialls upon their faces, and
steals away, lighting up here and there an object
or defining contour BAND in hand. singing,
they 20. II ID q charming picture ol rustic lie.
/ "rhe Three Frendsn Is dehghtfulTy expressed.
Three PLAIN, honest peasant girls stroll nomcward
through the gram, their arms twined about each
other and interchange condolences a. they go.
They are real women Of the nelds-rude and coarse
| inispeech and limb perhaps, but with so much OF
the simplicity Of nature about them that they
arc charming IN their plainness-oewitching
ture OF two girls at the ountain we are led up to
these unerherlai, real peasants, face TO face. No
tricKery OF n..irdressmg or costume, no dramatic
pose makes these figures interesting Their gar
ments Q the garments OF real people, and tneir
postures-one " toe girls upright. with a ug upon
her shoulder, and the iher STOPPING To MI q jar
at the spring-are simple and unar1ected. These
pictures pastoral poems treating OF the eevent-
less, peaceful lie OF the peasants with true poee.
cal spirit. A train OF figures noating In the air.
twlning limbs, pr0iusion OF flowers, Flora herself
seated in . trIumphal car; all painted with their
vapor-ilke touch treated with perfect science and
little love tins is the Immense painting OF Alexan
der Cabsnel designed to decorate q ceiling in the
Louvre. The ioreshortening OF the figures
and the general skill displayed In the
drawing excite our admiration. but 1t goes
no further. The same may be said OF this
artists .'Death OF Francesca d Rimini.n Each
fold OF the drarery Is auitessly executed the leg
OF the nobleman rs beautifully drawn, the painting
is smooth and monotonous and 1t may be studio
arrangement OF lay figures for al that 1t expresses
In the two or three portraits which are, like the
pic ures, examples OF onion skin thinness OF touch
the artist succeeds in respect; the faces OF the
portraits impress themselves on tie mind. But
am no. sure whether this quality they possess ID
not akin 10 the charm there Is about spirit photo
graphs, for one OF the portraits At least il quite
translucent You can see through 1t, beyond It
and all around IL on every side. and yet the eyes
look out from this mist following you and haunting
you everywhere. Bouguereau shows q few OF his
spotless costumes enclosing periumed and COLI
fured damses IN all the bandbox neatness and
foppishness or attire and expressing
Why, o simple pose pldsttoue, an undeniable
mechanical skill and an attempt to make peasants
MI the shoes OF peers or te beau monde Perrault
closely follows his master thar TO speak OF one is
TO describe both. Dust and dirt do not contani-
nate the purity or se earty divinities OF either OF
these artists. Bonnat gives us at least one charm
Ing group-an Italian mother and her daughter.
The child throws her arms about her mothers
neck with all the warmth and impusiveness OF her
nature and smiles rogulshly and lovingly Her dark
| eyes sparkle and nash with fun aud her pretty
mouth discipses tiny pearls OF teeth. 1t Is an ex
preston At true to nature and above all to
Italian nature, that we forget the incongrulty or
color and smile with the child in her innocent Joy
The nesb is hard and stony and the texture OF the
costume NOT unlike the nesh The color is neither
delicate nor norld; 1t holds an unpeasant medium
/ position. James Berlrand has painted the same
model for years. This time he gives us "Mar-
guerite, and .'The Dead virginian,n both roles
| played by the same lady; and the utmost that We
! can say Is, that the model Is an admirable one.
most snccessfuI and original satire is the quadru-
| significant half apologetlcai shrug, standing at
the footlignts, introduces to the SPECTATORS notice
q panorama unrolling at the rear oil the stage.
The spectacle OF human madness is shown in iour
/ panels. First, the slaughter OF the Amaechites,
next, the Christian massacres; third, the martyrs,
| and last oil all the French Revolution. Whether
1t ls within the province OF to deal with ques
| tions IN this manner-to become lOglclan, meta
/ physician and even mathematician--is doubtful
But there the satire, forcitle and appealing, and
| the artists figure is finely done.
/ Before speak OF the remaining figure painters /
must say word or two about Delacrox whose
numerous Juicy bits OF color and gems OF sentiment
like springs In the desert. 40 not think that
he IS represented at hrs best. His sketch for the
ceiling OF the Apollo Gallery Is wonderfully riCl and
lat. The lion tearing the BODY oI a man is mastery
In its vlgor OF execution and alth OF color. His
Nedea speaks as it always has done, not through
the execution, which is almost painfully imperfect,
| but through the sentiment which 1t CONVEYS. and
the face OF the wan, haggard savage mother. after
the birth OF her child In the Natchez picture in
spIred by Chateaubriand, haunts one always. An
impression OF Deaci ok Is never forgotten, and he
| is the guide. the standard in all our wanderings.
WORKS OF IsABgY.
rnstic least In old time splendor, richly dressed
| lords and ladies carousing, attendants staggering
under the weight OF large pots OF steaming food,
the fire, with an army OF fat COOKS and scuhons--
TINS Is one Of the long, narrow lresco sketches by
lsabey, who, before he finishes with you leads you
through all the billties OF color, richness Of
costume and wealth OF resources. lie makes
night OF ST. Bartholomew, and you all the whir,
and coniusion, distinguish thousand iorns which
are only suggested, and all without q contour and
without an attempt at completion. lie throws on
sketch as an author makes the draughr OF his
volume; all the nclaents are there, the effect is
strongly marked, the oppositIons vigorous and
fresh. and the after retouching adds and takes
away at the same time. When you look at Isabey's
pictures you breathe freely and turn Gerome only
to wonder II he has really painted the snufbox and
pocketbook In the pocket OF the Liliputian figure