, 1874-08-09


hole. young-1ooking enough to hnve been
thought the son Of the artist who stirred the
world Of art with new sensation, by the publ
cation Of the " Wandering Jew. 4" 60 many years
ago-a short, yet massive and powerful looking
figure, full, broad. brow, q mass Of dark hair
pushed neglgently back. bright complexion al
most boyish in its freshness Of coloring. pair Of
dark, bright eyes, . dark mustache-such is the
outward aspect Of Gustave Dore- In physique,
| complexion, and general appearance he is far
more German than French Cue il, indeed, an
A1sanau). and the weird fervor OF his imagina-
tiou, recalling IS it does 90 often the strange
conceptions Of AIbrecht Durer, has always SEEM
cd to me fur more Teutonic than Gallc.
But I took particular care to give NO
audible expression to my opinion. knowing
as did the feryld nature OF the arists patriot
ism. His manners are sinsu1as1Y frank aud sim-
pie, and he seems in noWlse oppressed by tho
weight Of his worldwide celebrity. Ne chat.ed
for some moments about Indifferent subjects,
and then the conversation reverted to his works.
Several favorite ones we're mentioned by differ
ent persons 10 the party, and then turning to
thnt picture OF - The Mountebanks y which had
80 struck me, asked if the poor wounded ch1ld
were going to due.
"Yes." answered II, Dore; "he is dying. I
III those two hardened, almost brutalized beings.
To gain money they bare killed their child, and
i'll killing him they have found out that they had
hcar1s."
''Ia it to be exhibited2" aaked.
II think OF sending it to London to be ex-
81 Had it been finished should have sent 1t to
the Salon, where it would have made go"d con-
trast with The Christian Martyrs,' beng in 80
entirely different style. The English engraver
wishes ne to cali it Behind the Scones,' but
its French title will be-, think, simply
sAgonio.'"
1T matters little what it is Called" said,
ait tells its Own story; but, were it mine, /
should call it in English 'Hea1toreax.
He had some difficulty in comprehending the
suggested title, for he speaks very little En-
glish, and our conversasic n had been carried on
cteur qui 10 brise translates but ill the brief
pathos oi the compound Euglish word.
He pointed out to us the face OF one Of the
Hayers in the ''Msssacro of the lnnocents." !"
He hates his task" ho remarked. "1t il an
easy matter tor the mother to push him away,
for his heart is not in his work, aud yet it must
be done."
/ spoke OF the terrible episode IN the back
ground, and he seemed pleased to find that had
seen and compreheuded it without having it pre-
viouely pointed out t. me. Il had meant to put
another figure III the foreground" he said, point
ing to confused mass of chalk-lres there,
j" Dut have abandoned the idea l shall leave
the picture ~ it ls.'
He then brought forward to chow US picture
painted during one OF his recent visits to Lon
a scene by candlelight showing crowd OF de-
based and hideous beings in their nocturnal
hauut, groups Of lasca1s, thieves playing cards,
women with horrld faces, m.serable-looang chill
urop, bru.Al-looklng meu t.nd the red rays OF 3
solitary candle Lighting up tbs whole with sort
of light and shade was mary'slously displayed III
that small but unpleasant picture.
l asked II. Dore II he was fond OF London.
II like it very much, he answered, ''psrticu-
larly the English society. I would like to
70 TO America, but it takes so long; it would
tako four months out Ut my hfe."
"You should 60 to Callforn;a," said, " to sec
the Yosemite Valley, and above all you should
make IN excursion to the great canon OF tue
Yellowstone. You would find there one of the
landscapes Of your Own Inferno in actcc! stono
mud earth"
1T il 80 far away" he made answer, like n
true Partisan; '.and besides hear that the So
clety and manners iu San Franciaco are in ter
rib1e state. whereas New York. am.tcld Is, soci-
ally speaking, very charming
told him he would find but little difference
between tue society in San Francisco and that Of
Now York, but, Though TOO polite to say SO. he
evidently thought WAS trying to deceive him,
and that II. Gustayo !Aiaard twho located tigers
in Mexico in one Of hls plays aud made one Of
his heroes bcar the sobriqnot OF tiger-slayer. By
reason OF the number OF those fero-ions animals
he had SLAIN i'll that country knew rather more
about the laUless Inhabitants aud savage GUS
toms Of San Francisco than did
''Is it true, n Dore," asked one Of the party,
that, as the papers continually assert, you are
now engaged upon 3 seties OF illustrations to
Shakespeare
"It Is true" he made answer; "but it is an
undertaking that I do not mean to hasten, nei-
tier will I dispoae Of the work before it 10 fin
lsled, Nheu have to work to order,-when I
time all inspiration deserts me- haze done it,
but it was hard work, and sore1y against tho
grain. As to my Shakespeare, have no need Of
making any agreement for it before it Il COM
pietcd, for, ii Peter will not taae 1t, then Paul
will, and il not Paul, then certainly James
There are certain archaeological studies required
for some OF tho illustrations. and intend to
study each subject thoroughly before proceed
ing with It.
Certain plays" said, .sstrikemo IS offering
series Of subjects peculiarly fitted tor your
pencil. Macbeth tor iustance-the witches,
the appa1itions, the blasted heath; OF the
'Tempcst,' with Calli5an and driel And
yonder hangs picture that only needs the in
PRODUCTION Of Bottom to be perfect realization
Of scene from tie Midsummer Nights
sntj And pointed to the lovely fairy-pic.ure as
spoke, What would I not have given for
glimpse At some Of the Shakespeare il'ustrations2
but Of course was not 1mpeztinent enough eTen
to hinr at such wish.
Ill is no. exactly the sMidsummer Nights
Dream of Shukspeare,' he made answer, s1nli~
ing, Though 1Uania aud her court were in my
mind when ! paintec it,"
Our enthusiastic admiration of the "Dream
OF Foutiua Pilates Wife II caused him to remark
1uodestly '' I think the idea is new one; the
scene has never been painted before, md the
idea Of introducing into her vision tho process
sion of coming Christianity is certainly novel;
He then showed Til q newly-hnHhed painting
OF the q Finding Of the .IFue Cross" II il u
brilliant Eastern morning the armed ranks Of
the crusading army stretch away an lnnumerable
multitude into the glowing and bnn-'llnmined
distauce In the foreground to mitred fathers
OF the Church, in gorgeous canon1cais anu
uaouuted on horseback, bear up the upper end of
the Cross, the other end Of which is carried By
whlte-robed priests. while yonng aeolytes swing
ing ceueers Wink before In solemn awe and
taIture the serIied ranks Of the army fall back
to let the procession pass; the sunlight Gllnss IN
dazzling Bpleudor on the jeweled mltres and
gold-wtought robes Of the cross bearers and
On the hcitnets and robes OF tho Crusaders. It
is q picture RADIANT with the warmth and lustIe
Of an Eastern sun, and glowing with Light and
color.
Another picture which ne had not before OBJ
served was that Of The Outcass "a woman
living aalcep on stone bench in the moonlight,
wrapped iu tar.an shawl, her head resting on q
coil OF rope, and her baby folded to her breast.
The conversation then turned upon Dple's
great picture Of 81 The Christian Marsyrs,' low
on exhibition ut the Salon, which represents tue
Colosseum by moonlight, and the Wild beasts
.-o,.ii,,u In urof hDCIeH OF tic mArtTtH