, 1873-04-27
HARPER'S MAGAZINE,


Writ Skies, in HarpeT's Magazine for May
tells the story Of
| ANTOINE W1ERTz, THE BELGIAN PAINTER,
and the Wiertz gallery, which he filed with his
marvellous works. As Mr. Skies says, this will
be new even to those who have visited Brussels.
Americans who visit Brussels rush to see the
bare battlefield of Waterloo, and buy relics,
made in the factories OF Manchester and Bir-
mingham, with all that enthusiasm for tho past
which finds it's ridiculous side in the woman who
wept piteous1y at the grave Of Washington-~with
all that love of things in themselves uninte1est-
ing, but associated with the great, which made
the tayern-keeper label and put away On shelf
| the water-bucket On which Gen. Grant sat down
ono day and smoked. Tho ladies eagerly flit
| about among the sellers Of lace, or dwell en-
| chanted over the little shops in the Ga1arie de-
st. Hubert; they visit the Cathedral of st.
Gudule; they stare at tho gpire Of the Hotel de
Vile and the statue Of Godfrey de Boui1lon, and
go away fancying they have seen whatever is
worth seeing in and about Brussels. Bradshaw
is obeyed, and there being nothing in Bradshaw
about the Wiartz Gallery, they go away sezenely
obivious Of tho fact that they have not seen the
most interesting sight in Brussels, and ono Of
the moet interesting in the world.
The extraordinary paintings, aa well ~ the ecu1p
tures IN the W1eztz Gallery are ill the work Of ono
hand-that Of Antoine Nlertz aon Of tailor In tha
Ardennes. The tailor had been soldier, and enter
tained dream Of glory. He transmitted The IRE Of
his ambition to the son. where 1t became steady and
consuming fame, burning with clear, pure Light, and
been appreciated grandy among the Greek stoics but
which seemed Quxoc in hIs present nineteenth cen
turJ. He might have lived in luxury by hls art, but
he preferred to live In abtect poverty for his His
thiIa for fame insatable-his contempt for for
tune Incredible The story Of bis life is a. curious and
pathetic as tho works Of his genius are fantastic and
unique.
wierz WAS born IN 1906 in the old town Of DInant,
on the banks Of the River Meuse. At at ago when
other children plsy, this child occupied himself with
the toys Of ART He made drawings almost before be
could run alone, and tried to color them with berry
}d1fei @ S1 as Of s hs curious Il y,
hood was wooden frog which he had cut with bis
knife, and which WIS marvellous imitation Of the
kick the counterfeit repleinto the street. Captain Of
gems darmes who tried to pierco the wooden frog Nh
his sword waa 10 amazed BY 1t that he talked shout 1t
Of NJ Paul Maibe, an art oonnoisseur at Dinant be
viated tho boy, aud became bis patron in small way;
music and dr.wng,-for The boy had IN aptitude for
music too. Tho result was that ut the age OF IA |
Wtsrtz could teach bis dt.wngaster, not only, but
He made wood-cuts q bis own original +
b h,@sen Printed ,s rom them ' besides whieh; ;
he could Play On some hall dozen different muacal
tnatGments, but Of this art he made little in
efterfe At 80 carly age this the boys soul be-
came fred with passion for Rubens, and his patron
tnslly took him to Antwerp. There the knd-hearted
man did what he could for his little frdend-founl him
excellent Masters aud got him pension of about $56
from M the Hng-and Left him to mike his way. On
this patry sum the boy lived, practising the most
t1fg1d economies: He had no pleasures no oocupa-
ions outside Of his art In Of his letters to his
mother to whom be tenderly devoted ali bis life
he wrote Except for food hardly sperd two farth-
nga" His lodging was hiss tuio and that studio vas
se5aole corner In granary, without fire and with
~. lights At evening, the roof 80 low that as bis stat
are increased he could not stand upright in It. but
m e4s q aoont STOPPING Here ho wrought all day long
1oer of fame and in the darkness Of hight either went
~ and studded or remained in bis den and eoiaced
ns ionenness with Wild, weird music In winter In ths
ntensest cold, he worked STILL almost without casing
sort o. ecstasy Is wreehed In his e1ternas ~
ang, or, better, any lover. For IL vas1. hs ~
!Net and 20 lived, and in his sco1n Of phyatcsl con-
ozte4 not to gQeak of l1xg15e4 nieaaurea ~ ta