The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-10-17
PARIS BESIEGED.
PARIS, September 20, 1875

recently inspected the "Siege
of Paris" now painting in the vast
building originally occapied by Les
PompeS FuneJras, and destined for
exhibition at the American Centen.
NAL. The great success OF iae SINH
lar work exhibited on the Champs
Eysees evidently fired the American
soul with tho desire of possession,
for negotiations of all kinds were
opened, not only for the existing
picture, but for another on the
same subject by the same artist-M
Phlippoteaux. The first was found
impracticable, with lie COmpdgnie
General des PdnoramdS except at an
enormous advance upon it's cost, for
the reason that its powers Of attrac-
ton remained as great as ever, after
two years of continuous exhibition,
Notwithstanding tho high price
charge for admission, it continues
to be one of the most popular and
literally frequentcd of all the sights
of Paris. yo ,~,..,u
M. Phi!ippoteaux was then,appeal-
cd to, to duplicate it, but he could not
conceive the practicability of paint
ing such picture anywhere except
in the building wherein it was to
be exhibited, and he positively
declined u Journey to America for
that purpose.
The enterprise was not abandon
cd, bnt Col. Lienard, the most compe-
tent person, perhaps, in Paris, for
the work, was iDduded to become
It's director. Under his intelligent
and shillful management, the picture
has steadily progressed for about a
year and is now nearly completed.
The mechanical difficulties Of the
work have been marveIously over
come.
The great canvass is stretched
Hat upon the floor OF the great build
ing. AS soon as u portion of the
painting-whicl is worked up from
miniature sketches in sections-of
sufficient dimensions is finished, the
surface is covered with paper and
the completed part is rolled up, thus
bringing u new and unt nished
section upon the vast easel, and
within reach of the artists
brush.
The finished picture will be over
fifteen metres wide, and abont $50
feet long. 1t will be even finer
than it's prototype in the Champs
Elysees, being taken from far
more advantageous point of view
namely, the position of the Prussan
batteries on the heights Of Chatllon,
which overlooked all Paris and its
environs, and from which superb
view Of the whole city was OBJ
tanned.
A peculiar and attractive feature
in this exhibition will be the in
PRODUCTION of superb lifesize figures,
in papier mache, ofman and horses
occupying the foreground ofearth in
front of the canvass, by means of
which the eye will insensibly be
carried from reality to the painting
Il perfect illusion. These figures
are modelled with painstaking ac-
curacy and ability, and are even
startlingly lifeIike. Special mes
sengers were despatched to Metz for
the necessary Prussian uniforms,
helmets, weapons, battle parapher-
malta, etc.
Tho artistic portions of the work
were confided to corps of illustrl-
Gus painters, among whom are some
of the leading exhibitors at the
salon of this year, and notably Nj,
Betsellier, whose fine equestrian
portrait of Marshal Mcmahon was
80 eagerly admired. Over four
hundred sketches were painted to
to serve as models for the work.
The painting--complete in all its
details DO ready for shipment
by the steamer of September 25th--
(Which, by the way, is tho only
vessel of sufficient capacity TO store it
safely)-and, suppose, it will arrive
in New York about the 10th Of Dc
tober. Col. Lionard, who expects to
accompany the painting, and pro-
duce il under his pesronal supervis-
ion, informs mo that It will first be
exhibited in New York, and finally
transferred to Philadelphia for tho
Centennial. Lucy Hooper, in APP
pleton's Journal.