National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-07-22
Art ut the vienpn Observation-Disclosures
paintinGs.

Correspondence OF the Tribunei
II Ia only appropriate, then, that France
should all nearly quarter Of the whole Art
hall, she might have filled more to our
greater profit and pleasure, for some Of tho
greatest painters are very lnadequately rep
resented. It's to be regretted that Of Della
croir, the only important work contributed,
Is the sketch Of the plsfond Of the Salon
d'AppoIlon in the Louvre, superb imagina-
tive work, II is true, and Of an incxhaustiblc
wealth Of color and action AZ secn 10 the
great picture; but this sketch, OF three or
four feet square, only represents II 10 those
who have seen IL. There are, however, sev-
cral smaller subjects which fairly convoy an
idea Of Delacrolx's color and manner, though
not the full variety and pomp Of the former
or the energy OF the latter.
Tho best Is a lion and dead Arab. The
royal beast has disposed OF bis enemy 10 MS
content, and lies with his claws settled into
sound security into his heah, his head raised
and looking out at You with acer'ain man,
BY playful movement forward OF his hind
leg, like that Of child when her play begins
to be rough. The painting Of the lion Is
superb and full Of yigor, and Of solidlty
not always found In the masters work, the
great defect Of which 10 4 thinncss and EVIL
dent business In parts. In color, II Is rather
in his morbid vein, like sad and low-toned
Persian carpet, perfect In harmony and per-
fcctly free from opacity and blackness--all
color, but with dominance OF what might
be called minor quality, a chord OF tlnts, In
which the greater part are Of dying tones,
the expression Of morbid mood In the
painter. The dead man lies on bis face, and
his brown body contrasts In tone only with
the warm tints In the lions head and name;
but the sky and background are full Of greens
that tend to blue and grays that tend to
green, all low-toned and subordinated to the
color Of the lion.
DelacroIx borrows, perhaps, less Of tho old
masters than any great painter OF very late
days; he worked IN the mstlye but not 10 the
forms Of the Ycnotians: He began with
stronger tendency to realism than Titan ever
showed, and In the place Of the Venetian 9
large and healthy animalism, full OF life and
yigor up to the day Of his death, stepped In
his Adriatic sunshine and warmth, golden In
all Its fancies and associations. Delacroix
had fragile constitution, morbid tendency
which stepped his sense In sad dyes and bred
In him that passion for the Maynard and
plaintiye In his color-poetry, which grew
stronger as he grew older and his constltu-
ton weaker, always most spiritual and full Of
by one who knew the state Of his mind and
how fully Il was reflected In his painting.
Few greater men have ever given allegiance
TO art, and no man since the great Venetian
has shown with such triumphant clearness
that law OF art which makes Of color strict
analogy to music, and according to which a
painters great not as he Is an imitator,
but as q composer. In spite OF his occa.
sional want Of solidity and Formally ~
touch, which frequently has no relation 70
the form or character Of the thing be 10
painting, his tlnts arc so pure and powerful
that there Is no work here which docs not
suffer by contact with 1t except that OF Is
raels, which Is almost monochromatic In com.
parison, but still pure and powerful. To look
from IL to any Of the surrounding works Ii
like listening to mutiied harp-string after q
clear one. from muddy water TO clear wine
every TINT Is pure and resonant.
Among other works here the chief In size
and one Of the most Important In color Ii
sadly marred by the want OF solidity In the
head OF the chief charactor---an Indian
mother whose newborn infant lies In her
husbands arms, while her wan and woe
stricken face looks out with painful yacuity
on the wilderness In which they have mads
their lakeside halt. The picture Is ever
more sad and pathetic In color than the on'
noticed; there Is nothing so cheerful as TIT
tawny delectation Of the king OF the forest Il
break Its melancholy, and the point which
sentimental painter would have made so mucl
OF, the mothers face, Is saddcr and NOR,
paIsEul than anything else, II Is even NAL
formed. II Ia not a pleasant picture, but on
cannot pass II by without realization OF 1t
power. =