New-York tribune., 1875-12-25
PARIS AS IT is.
,.rrp vpov HENRY JAMES. JR.

LETTER FROM HENRY JAMES in.
xuK kxHIMI1oN OF BARYR's ANIMAL srAfUARY-
Tur STORY OF THE sCULProRs cAREFR-Hls
rR1r-NPu OVER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF
U,s r1Gr-RFs-cARPFAUx' GROUPS AND BUsrs-
r,,r DpCoRArroNs OF THE ODEON THFArER.
trvo,,., RKirLAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRiBUNEI
pms Dec 6-It seldom happens in Paris that
there Is absolutely nothing taking place IN che way
of an exhibition Of pictures or OF sculpture though
f course the interest Of the prohered works is not
ON every occasion of the highest order Ten days
AGO was opened an exhibition to which the clever
gentlemen who DO the Jcaiet0Rs III the daily papers
have all been paying their comp piments-a collection
of the brnnzes OF the sculptor Barge who died last
Sprin0 at - years of age Barge was specialist
he prodnced little else than wild beasts in attitudes
more or less ferociOus and vOraciOus. But IN this
line ne was a man Of genius and his hons and tigers
have an extraordinary reality. They are familiar
half the world over, for he worked chiefly for the
trade and his models were numerousiy reproduced
oh a small scale. To have ones mantel-shelt or
op,'s library table one Of Baryes business-ike little
lions. diving into the entrails of jackai,
or one of ais oOnsulmate lcopals licking ms fangs
over a lacerated kid has long been considered
the mark will not say of a refined, but at least of
an enterpfising taste Baryes early career was un-
successful; year after year ne knocked in vain at
the door IF the Salon. His youth spent in CON-
posing Intellectual Gains and Abels Josephs and
Jacobs: and il was not tl he nearly 40 that he
struck his VEIN In 1888 he exhibited his famous
"Lion at Rest and began his fortune. Thus for The
frst time the unclean, prOwling muscular beast on
Tia. iungles and deserts made bis entrance into sculp-
ture; realism had begun for everything else and 1t
was time II should begin for him. The treatment 81
animals, in stAtuary, had always been compromise
especially regards the ncbler ones. They hao
.lways been more or less chimercal and decorative.
Al. H. ~, r,-rf. hof h.~urf - A I.
sf Ingenious compound of the sphinx and the
poodle But Barye came to hIs rescne with a
x,od-oi not inferior tO that OF Bottom Ohe Weaver,
m the plav: he learned his secrets and represented
hlm in all his majesty, but IN all hs gutt0ny TOO.
ln his later years the sculptor was ap-
pointed Professor of Drawing in the Mu-
mum of Natural History, and the Jardin
ses Plantes was allotted to HIM as ms
Geld of study and Of demonstration. The Jarln des
Plaut,s was his africa and his Asia Though ne
spsnt half his life in modelling Wild beasts, lie was a
Partisan Of Parisans, and be never had the curiosity
or the energy to take a look at the yeritabe Last
lie perhaps felt the force OF that truth (which is by
no means the paradox seems, that for artistic pur-
poses there is such thing knowing too much
about your subject. There are doubtless many mat
ters m regard 10 which little knowledge Is dan
Verous thing: but should say that often, for The
artist 10 is great knowledge that Is dangerous-in
tie sense that IL crowds 0utinspratlon anu lmaua-
ton. When a writer OF painter says IN answer to
request TO make sketch OF certain place or per
son. "Oh! can't; have been there too long I
have seen him too Often ~ he Is talking purer reason
than he may get credit for. But this idea with re-
gard TO Barye If quite Hypothetical and is certain
that within bis chosen opportunities, he was a
dllipcnt and profound observer. He spent most OF
his time at the Jardiu deS Plantes, and lived IN as
familiar intercourse with his tawuy models as the
Intervention of an iron railing would allow.
When he wanted "a background OF wilderness ne
looked for il in the forest of FOntaneheau tie was
painter as well a sculptor, and the walls OF the
exhibition Of the Ecole des BeauX Arts are covered
with small pictures from his hand, in oils and water
coors representing lions, tigers, and elephants, N
the occasional grotesqueness Of state of nature.
Some of them are lying on their backs kicking MP
their heels The Landscape in these paintings, which
are surprisingly humorous, 10 always the oaks and
bushes the mossy glsdes and granite powders Of
Fontaiaebleau. Barge had never come before the
world Us painter and his brush does not strike AS
as a particularly accomplished one. His color u
muddy and his outline singular 20 say, IN sculD-
t.rl indefinite. That ms amateurish attempts with
the brush should have been deemed worthy of such
exhaustive exhibition, and that they should have
been seriously noticed by the critics, proves what
standing fund Of curiosity there is il Paris upon
81 artistic matters. For the rest, confess, wel
the exhibition slightly disappointed me. 1t is
held in the great dusky public hall of the Ecole
des Beaux Arts. which opens upon the Seine
and the temperature aid atmosphere of
tlis place on these sleetv December days,
are not conducive 70 dreamy contemplation.
Barye's works. with very few exceptions are small.
and in the imperfect light, require very close iu-
specton. It must be added that they generally re-
pay IT, He had caught In perfection the expression
Of the more formidable members Of the feline race
and he renders il with incompatible certainty and
vigor He has represented them in every possible
attitude and manifestation Of their passions, and 1t
is always the living, growing creature that we see
with Us infinite resources Of snuosity and strength
As you look at these little brOnzes Of Baryes, so full
Is they are of compressed movement and science,
they seem TO expand N the size Of nature and your
eve follows the beautiful lines Of spine and muscle
and loses itself in he softer places of the hide if
the little scratches real stripes and spots and
the fractions of inches were feet. Everything IN
these creatures is admirable-the moving, palpable
curve of back and tail the strong, soft football. the
irresistible sense Of the perfect mechanism Within
But the best thing is the heads and faces.
BaTye studied the leoniI e countenancc until
1t had no secrets for him, and he modelled 1t
IN all Its beautiful hideOusuess Some Of his ami
mas throwing back their heads from the carcass III
their paws. while they swallow peculiarly tender
morsel, have an extraordinary truth 70 nature sou
seem 10 SEE the hattenng OF the head. and the
sooning and contraction Of the yellow ami TO
hear the comfortable snarl and gTgie OF the throat
Nothing IN this way too difficult for Barye to
attempt like al real masters be reshed difficult
ties be loved them. aud he triunphaufly solved the
problem Of impossible attitudes and incouceivablo
combinations One Of his works is in this respect
DO .I.n of {