The New York herald., 1873-10-01

breadth In a very small space. Cnavet catcDes the
picturesque in o billiard room: he also makes
picture OIL Partisan street corner. There is some
thing enchanting about the sld little figures he
seems 40 easily TO put upon the canvas. The poses
are grace III and not forced and his actors are
men, vibert's ..scene in Spanish Court Yard,n IA
miiiar in New York. has many good points; hut in
his subjects ha is inclined lack interest. BY the
side oi some trivial scenes rom Pomp"ran lie
Bouanger hangs q dashing, boldly illustrated cpl
sode Of the defeat OF the Kabyles. Three li,he,
tawnv ha. naked natives are literally flying down
steep hillside, while tile fourth bites the oust,
rolled over by the ball from the rife OF one OF the
French scouts just appearing ON the hilltop. The
movements oil the running KaDyles are full OF
vigor; they SWING their guns and dash away down
the steep incline, one alone throwing quick
glance over mis- shoulder to watch the pursuers
They are marveilously well drawn,i iuii Of life anu
action.
The only two series OF portraits shown that are
worthy ol special notice are so diametcaliy oppo-
site IN their qualities, SO totally different In the
manner OF execution ana in conception OF charac-
ter, thar the ones ol lesser merit are in danger OF
losing rank ny comparison. speak OF the por-
traits o Nellie Jacquemart and OF Caro.us Duran
The latter exposes the same full lengths which
created some little stir In Paris couple OF yea 8
ago. more on account OF their bold execution and
striking effect than or any merit OF portrature.
!" La Dame au Cant" whom everybody recognizes,
year or so Ger it Is exposed, tor the vile OF the
painter, Is lair Indication oil the lists rank as
colorlst for, although ne dashes or in his other
and more pretentious portraits with the whole
richness he can find on his rather meagre palette,
he never reaches higher than certain skin In
combination and careless haphazard methoo OF
making strong opposlt0ns. M. Duran pro-
esses to be An intense lover OF velasquez;
but in his grays We see little OF the rlcn-
ness and nncsse OF velasquezs tones, and, IN iact
this master seems rather 10 influence him in his
professions than in his profession. Madame
Fevdeau is the most striking Of the series. The
lady in rich and voluminous satln dress OF
pearl gray, raised to disclose blue SILK undersklr
lifts with one hand green curtain as II about to
leave the apartment. Her head Is turned to the
front and her left hand falls by her side. At her
feet little terrler-admraby drawn and boldly
painted, by the way-shows his canine arection In
the awning manner peculiar to his race. An i'm
mense canvas great brlliancy and lustre in the
drapery, well arranged iolis, pleasing silhouette
and firm graceful pose-and there we STOP The
portrait Is OF the dress and the pet not OF the lady
and IN this and the others the fixed idea OF the
artist is easily discovered. His arguments are OF
the knock-down order. Once or twice seen, one
wonders at and admires the portraits; but as
our taste for millinery and dressmaking gets
satiated and we look into the Iaces and md
nothing, we see that the portraits are forced
upon us by their ec,dt and We must regard
N. Duran as a sensationalist. Nellie Jacque-
mart, on the contrary, does not urge her
sitters upon the spectator: he discovers them and
makes their acquaintance. No tours de force dis
figures her canvases. In truth, sne succeeds little
in her full length portrait Her draperies quiet,
harmonious and unobtrusive, and at the same
time handled with masculine strength and pc
cuIiar skill. The portraits. far from being compo-
sitlons, always present pleasing ensemble, and
the p opef relation between the flesh and the ac-
cessOrtes is well keptup. There is one haif-lcngth
Of standing figure IN easy and manly pose,
gentleman sitting in conversational attitude, and
both OF these are as characteristic In their postur
ing as the dramatic, studied poses Of NJ. Duran.
The heads of Nellie Jacquemart are drawn with
rare precision; every feature l. carefully studied,
anu wonderfully exact In line and modelling The
artist is perhaps a little carried away sometimes
by ner passion for exactitude, but the portraits
are something more than empty costumes Be-
hind the eyes you read the man and through the
portrait study bis character For me these
works hold high. place In modern portrait
ure for their fidelity and their exceptional
deiineation OF character. Regnault's General
Prim is dramatic portrait, but Of o oinerent
order from any Of which have spoken. The
General, seated on his black charger appears to be
overlooking the field, while behinu him p0urs along
. confused body OF troops, half hidden in ravine.
and with clouds Of smoke and whirling sky, sill
Indicative OF the stormy life Of the man, bring the
figure into strong relief ASIDE from the incon-
gruify in the size Of the horse, which dwarfs the
rider completely the portrait is an excellent one.
n
monument to the healthy talents and peculiar
genius OF the lamented painter.
ATMOSPHERE PAINTING.
Theodore Rousseau painted the conditions OF the
atmosphere with o never-failing accuracy. Look
at the scene in the meadows with the rays OF the
afternoon sun penetrating aud gliding the grass
and foliage and the luminous and naky clouds
nlling the sky with simmer OF iAht. The sturdy
forest trees rise sohdly against the sky ana cut
their silhouette firmly. The oliage Is moving you
can hear it rustic, and the multitudinous noises
OF the insects and BIRDS are borne on the gentle
curren, OF air that waves the tall stalks and dis
turbs the CLASSY surface OF the water. Rousseau
gives us nature nature, with the effects and the
conditions always accounted Tor. He is repre-.
sented by half score Of his landscapes, nearly all
from private galleries. Emile Breton always gives
one healthy poetical impression OF the scene ne
represents. w at depth OF feeling in the chill
evening OF winter, with the pare trees the shroud.
ing snow and the cold, desolate light. In these
extremes ofnature's moods the artist is most sue
ccsslul. brown autumn landscape, with all the
mourniul indications OF coming winter; snow
scene or a twilight appeals the strongest to the
spectator Danbigny touches the same chord, but
higher. lie leads us TO love the hillside and the
water in their grand combination Of form and
color or we walk out upon the seashore at twl-
hight and see the mournful waste OF the hats,
with their rich brown covering OF seaweed
and kelp, pilded here ana there by nash
rom the ruddy horizon. lie sings OF the
sea and the land, and the grandeur OF both. Fran
cars IN his 'Dauphins and Chloe.n from the Luxem-
bourg appears a little scenic. This Impression is
corrected la the view OF Pompeii which is honestly
painted. and, perhaps, as well keeps up the iairly