Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-17
THE CORCORAN GALLERY
An HOURS STROLL THROUGH THE COLLECTION
Wriften for TRe Erenirc So. !

T.
The Corcoran Art Gallery has been opened
turing the past week to a few newspaper peo-
pie strsying that way. As there are thousands
OF our citizens who have never passed the nor
tai, it may be well to convey, briefly. an idea
OF the interior as it will presently be revealed
to all.
Ihere is but one door 70 the whole interior
an oversight, we should think, of Renwick, the
architect. Entering this door and passing
noseless one just beyond 1t, the visitor finds
himself facing the great staircase, which is
broad, with short, fat steps of stone aud
grained along the sides like marble. Doors at
the foot Of the stairs open into the series OF sa-
looms which are to receive the sculpture, vases,
casts, and articles of virtuoso. The visitor will
go by the left, and passing through the warm,
rich Office of the trustees and superintendent
will find himself in the
FIRST SALON,
and the only one on this floor which, at present,
contains anything.
In this room are four vases. each the perfec-
ton of its kind. The first is of rich modern
msJolica or tcieace, four feet three inches high,
mounted upon pedestal Of American walnut.
II is covered with rich designs of peacocks,
stems, foliage, and other things, both delicate
and gorgeous, and Faenza seldom produces a
better one. This ware is mere earthenware
uootCu WIN a Wuitc opaque ydrntsn. Inc art
is IN the designs. The smaller vase, in a niche
TO the right, is volnptuOus specimen Of French
painting on porcelain, representing a Venus
who has taken Cupid's bow and holds it above
her head, while he struggles to climb and re.
cover 1t, as meantime faun glides throu Oh the
grass towards the goddess feet. Rich and sem
suous as this vase is, it will get many a sIv
glance. The other vases are marked for their
exquisite colors, where viOlets and other flowers
almost fade into the background, so exceeding
ly rare are the tints and dyes.
In the middle of this room and taking up the
NAH space, Is nearly complete collection OF
THE BRONZEs OF BARYE,
the celebrated modeIer of animals, reptiIes
and so forth, at the Jardin des Plantes one
with an eye to animal anatomy, physical ex-
preston and artistic skill and power, can spend
hours around this collection. None Of the
oronzes are above two feet and half in length
and many OF them but a few inches high bnt
their variety is extraordinary, and they express
all forms of action. Amongst the mounted
figures are CASTOR De Folk, the Duke of
orleans, ClrcassIan warrior, and an Amazon.
Among the groups most notable are a bear
dragged TO the ground by dogs, dying STA
beset with hounds, and lions, monkeys, tigers
eagles, horses, and crocodiles swell the list of
animated metal. Barye's influence over m Cd.
EN- French art is well illustrated by Mr.
walters, the esteemed friend and executive
otheer OF this collection, who seeing painting
In course OF completion by M. Gerome,-.he
Apostles delivered to the lions,-wds struck
Win the calm looking attitude of the lion, star
ing up in a sort OF leOnine respect.
That is novel and powerful treatm eut.
Monsieur Gerome." said Mr.. Walter.
II is not mime" said Gerome, but lie sson
rom my friend Barge. had made IN erely
hungry and wild lion. Bayre saw it and said
mon Ani, lion would not behave 80 entering
an smphitheatre. He would look at first be.
wildered with the scene"
Gerome changed the picture and thus Art
ana natural history worked together for good
THE HILDEsHRiM COLLECTION.
In the same room grouped under glass are
the magnificent Roman utensils disentombed in
SaXony and reproduced in France and which
restore to us the Romans as they lived in the
noblest period OF their applied arts, with their
ladies', jugs, ewers, plates, bowls, tripods, &C.
the whole richly chased with figures in such
high relief as to seem at the point of eaving the
vessels and with most perfect and cunning
uaceries and suggestions, modelled apparently
into the silver surface. Amongst these trophies
and intermixed with them by some Chancellor
they were all disinterred together-is a huge
drinking fagon, ascribed to the eleventh cen
Jury holding fully gallon, which some Ger
those days when the doctors had more reason 10
leech and bleed human nature than in our de-
generate days. A fine bust OF Commodore
~here student may spend parts Of many days.
In a few days the sailing packet will be due
with the casts which are to fill
THE GREAT HALL OF SCULPTURE,
between ninety and one hundred feet in length.
which takes the whole width Of the first story
OF the building. At present this noble hall and
three others On the east side are empty.
BUsrs.
Returning now to the front door, which we
entered, we see on each side OF the great stair
way bust. That on the left, colossal size, is a
marble Napoleon by Canova, taken from his
celebrated statue in the court of the Brera gal
lery at Milan, where the King of Italy is repre-
sented Is Mercury standing nude and holding
sceptre. This is very perfect copy Of one OF
the most ambitious OF Csnovss heads.
On the other side is a bust of Humboldt. Or
dered by Mr.. COrcoran from Rauch, the most
distinguished OF all the German sculptors, who
was protege OF Humboldt while studying his art
in Rome. where the baron was the Prussian
minister. Rauch, whose monument of Fred
erick the Great, at Berlin, which occupied
twenty years Of his lite, is the most magnificent
ont OF door work of our period, died two years
menced. He told Mr.. Corcoran that he could
not afford the time to make him portr ait bust
OF their mutual friend; but Humboldt added his
therefore has come into possession Of one of the
most exquisitely sculptured heads and faces
which America possesses. A kindly and pleas
ing expression, with the light of thou ght and
all the nicely of character enwrapped i'm il.
looks from the stone, and makes the visitor
reverently. '
Ascending the stairs, the visitor has but to
push the door which faces him at the summit,
and he is at once in the
GREAT NORTH HALL OF PAINTINGS.
which, though much wider, precisely CORES
ponds in length with the gallery of sculpture
below, or nearly one hundred feet in length and
lighted, like all the apartments on this floor, BY
grained skylght. wainscottng of black
walnut about five feet high surrounds this room.
and the walls throughout the building are toned
into accommodation with the objects of art thew
are to relieve. The floors are of seasoned pine,
laid with the greatest nicely.
As the visitor enters, rich surprise is in store
for him. He sees at glance that, without
crowdiDg, there are already enough paintings
to cover the line Of the eye on oil the four sides
and the accomplished DR.. Macleod, himself An
artist, and represented here by his landscape of
The Great Falls Of the Potomac, has had them
hung to the best advantage for general effect
and grouped a. well, 30 that the rambler runs
down the gamut Of emotions and returns again
on another scale, making a tour Of the room
retire shiDg to the mind and the eye.
Directly in front Of the main entrance is
placed, very properly, Elliott's portrait Of the
he nef0ct0r. This In n that CalIAd n =