National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-09-03
THE CoR0oRAE ART GALLERY
RECENT VALUABLE ACQUISITIONS :
NEW CASTS, BUsTs AND PICTURES

ART GROWTH IN WASHLNGION'
A visit to the Corcoran Gallery of Art viii
show that its operations during the heated
TERM have not been suspended, nor have they
! lapguished. Within the past four weeks i'm
Dortant additions heve been made to the picture
gallery. and two invoices of casts have been
received from Paris and Rome, comprising
some Of the best subjects Of Greek and
Roman sculpture. Of the French casts nine
teen statues are already placed on their pedes-
tails in the sculpture, and eleven more from
Rome are now waiting for their pedestals De-
fore being exhibited. In addition TO these
there Is an interesting collection Of busts Of
emperors, philosophers and poets, with several
has ,reliefs, which in short time will also be
on exhibition.
OF course many of these casts are ia
mfliar TO all. but several Of the
choicest have never been seen In this
country. OF those lately placed in the
sculpture hail may be mentioned 1.-THE Fight
ing Gladiator" ''Yenus of Milo," HSilenus
and Young Baechus," "Discobolus," (by
Nancydes, } "Antinous Of the Capitol" Seer
uanicus," "Diana di Cabs, /" ''Youth Suppl
eating" "seated Mercury" &c. Among the
:
tor, "Apollo Belvidere, ""MinerVa," "Abund-
ance," and the three noble statues Of "Demos-
thenes," "sophocles" and "Aristides." In a
few weeks the remaining casts ordered will be
here, and when all are permanently arranged
there will be in this institution such a collec-
ton as cannot be found elsewhere on this con-
tinent. Even now the sculpture hall presents
an assemblage of forms worthy of its
noble extent. Of the nine new pictures
two were purchased in New York,
and the others, with one exception,
are from the Paris exhibition of this
year. The former are "The Watering Place."
by scaryer, Hungarian artist, representing
group Of farm horses struggling over water
trough-a picture treated with great power of
drawing and effect of light, and "Paddy's
Mark, i" by A. Nicol, q British painter, showing
an Irish farmer looking up with hesitating in
curry into the bland face of q country attor-
ney; ere he puts his "mark" to the lease be-
fore him. 1t is brilliant in color and full of
Irish character.
The most striking of the recent pictures from
Paris is the "FamilY of satyrs," that took a
gold medal Of the first class. In green grove
a boy-satyr, seated upon his fathers knee, is
blowing double-pi while his young goat
legs are twisting about under his musical ef-
forts. The fathers black visage bends over
him, grinuing with delight, as with appraised
arms he snaps his fingers with the music. Upon
the other swsrthy goat-leg Of the father leans
the almost nude form Of dazzling fairness Of
the mother, who, smilingly, looks at her boys
performance. Her lovely head of haxen hair,
crowned with ivy, deserved fairer face than
the dingy one the artist gives her, but in the
management of her difficult attitude, the ex-
quisite gradations of color and form of the
shoulders, back and wsist-indeed of the en-
tire fgure-their delicacy contrasting with the
massive modelling and swarthy hues of the
fathers arms and mighty chest, the artist has
displayed unusual power and knowledge. The
foreshortening and reflected light in the right
arm Of the father are notable points of excel
lenee. The accessories Of the picture, the
woody solitude, the grapes and other fruits,
are vigorously rendered, and over the whole
scene there is p thorough feeling Of wild, JOY
Gus sylvan life, 's..ss- n Nss,ssss:>--
Of different stamp is ''The vestal Tuccia,"
by Hector Leroux; q subject of pure classic
character, and treated in the purest style Of
form and color. 1t is perhaps the finest work
of these modern French pictures. "The Yes
tai Tuccia," charged with want Of chastity, Is
here seen on the edge of the Tber, raising with
her beautiful arms, above her head, sieve,
while she utters to the Goddess Vesta this
prayer: of have always approached thy
affairs with pure hands, grant that may I'LL
this sieve with water of tho Eber and carry II
to thy temple"
The picture shows a finely drawn view Of
both banks of the Tber, with the people watch
ing the miracle. On the right stands the Tenn
pie of Vesta, from the portals Of which group
of vestals are eagerly watching their slandered
sister. The coloring throughout is in keeping
with the subject-cool, ard yet harmonious.
This picture took medal Of the second class.
The "Odalesque," by G. C. Saint Pierre, is
the next important picture, and represents the
nearly figure Of . slave, half raised from
luxurious cushions, with sslyer Of fruit, &C.,
before her. The color Of this picture has
mole unity, mellowness and harmony than any
other French pictures in the gallery. The
texture Of the various fabrics introduced Is
wonderfully rendered. "Sunday Morning in
Auvergne," by J. A. Bail, is an interior Of
great interest, showing a family of French
peasants preparing for church. The chief
point Of interest is the happy, gleesome face Of
the little girl whose mother is about putting
the last pin in the child's dress, while the old
grandmother, prayer book in hand, stands
waiting by.
A "Savoyard Musician" by CoIletti, is from
1oe o-'r Fa If
monotone in color, but feeliDgly painted, and
the pensiye expression of the handsome face
is in fine keeping with the color.
The "Mouk Fishing" is an amusing BIT of
humor, representing fat jolly brother angling
in the stagnant bit of moat Of an old castle.
He has formidable scoop-bssket and numer-
Gus lines as though the fish were big as well as
abundant, but the only trophies of his hook
that we see are three bull-frogs lying on the
bank. Barring the raWness Of the greens, the
picture is well drawn and painted; the form Of
the monk fat, oleaginous and earnest, is perfect.
The "TroJan Horse" by Henri Motto, is a
novelty. The scene represented Is within the
battlements of the doomed city, and high
against the grayish-blue moonlight sky rises
the form Of the wooden horse, from the tower
on which are seen descending the Greeks while
those already down, having slain the Trojan
guards, are steslthily pesring over the battle
ments, or stealing below to surprise the city.
In spite of the extreme subordination Of the
epic grandeur of the human action Of this
august event to the vast machine, with its
pulleys, wheels, &C., resembling the interior Of
a locomotive factory, and the vast piles Of tenn
pies and long vistas Of stone walls, we cannot
but admire the ingenuity and skill with which
the picture has been put together, and, no
doubt, it will be source of curious study to
many.
It is expected that these new pictures will
not be permanently placed in the main gallery
for some weeks to come, when others will be
added.
DRTG CLERKS ASSOCIATION.
The regular monthly meeting Of the Drug
Clerks Association took place at Clarke's hall
last evening; Mr.. W. T. Balders in the chair
and c. s. Price secretary.
The minutes of last meeting were read and