New-York tribune., 1875-12-25

pieces, dev0urfng, fighting, welterfng IN blood.
The works If NJ. Barye. OF the plastic beauty of
ferocity that woud- have been good name for
the collection. If | had known nothing of its his
tory and had been asked to what period Of art these
beautiful little bronzes belonged should have said
that they were made TO amuse the ladies' and gen.
temen of the later Roman empire, when they wished,
in their houses, little memento of the entertain
ments of the circus.
France lost few weeks since another eminent sculp-
tor whose funeral has Just taken place at his native
city of Valenciennes after rather ungTacefu delay
produced by the conflicting claims Of his fellOw-cti
zens and of his widow, from whom he had been sep
arated, and who is accused of having unduly
neglected him during the last months of his lfe
Carpcaux was made famous by the extraordinary
group of La Danse" which he contributed to the
decoration of the opera. Every visitor 10 Paris
has gazed at it in mingled admiration and perplex-
ty and it work which, long as il stands there
viii he sure to have gazers enough. II the whole
building is characteristic of its time and place, Car
peauxs group is its most characteristic feature. An
exhibition of his works is, believe already pro-
jected, and when it takes place ! will speak of him
more fully. He had immense talent, and # to seize
and imprison in clay or marble the look of life and
motion is the finest part of artists skill he was
very great artist. The shop windows just now are
full of reproductions of his figures and buss. They
are the most modern things in all sculpture. That
undressed lady and gentleman who, distinguished
from the unconsciously naked heroes and herones Of
Greek art the suhjectsOf modern sculpture have
reached in Carpeauxs hands their most curious de-
velopment. In this vicious Winter weather of Par
behind their clear glass plates, they make the passer
shiver: their poor lean, individuaiized bodies are
pitifully real And 10 make the matter worse, they
are always smilinC-slniling that fixed, painful smile
of hilarious statues. The smile IN marble was Car
peaux's specially. Those who have seen 1t have not
forgotten the magnificent tipsy laugh Of the figures
in the dancing group the front Of the Opera; you
to hear it, you pass above the uproar of the
street.
may a'lude, while speaking of such matters, to
species Of exhibition which has just taken place at
the OdeOn Theater-" PhoHnfte et mGHssGGe Cde0H"
the respectable and dingy playhouse of the Latin
quarter The dinginess Of the Ode0n has passed
away the theater has been closed all the Autumn
for repairs and embellishments. The other day 1t
opened for the Winter. and the embellishments were
found to include toYer decorated with histrionic
portraits AID literary busts. Several Of these works
are by distinguished hands, and the theater for the
last fortnight has been drawing crowds for the sake
Of its entractes There is Of nothing so fine
as HOudon's magnificent statue of Voltaire, which
thrones in the foyer IF the Theatre Francais; but
the paintings there is a very fine portrait Of Gefroy.
as Don Sallust, in Victor Hugos " Ruy Bias" by
Ca~olus-Durau. the author of that admirably rich
and simple portrait Of the Lady drawing off her
Glove. which has lately been placed in the gallery of
the Luxembourg. Carolus- Duran is Of all the mod
ern emulators Of Veasquez decidedly the most sue
ccssful. His analogy with the grea, Spaniard-hls
blacks and grays and gravity Of tone-seems not as
they say of tomatoes, All acquired taste,' but
a natural sympathy. Among the busts there
is very fine Victor Hugo, by Sch6ne-
werk "A trAe too somhre ct fatal" but
bringing ont strongly the extremely handsome
character Of his head. Then there is an Alexandra
Dumas the elder BY Chapu, which is simply superb,
It breathes and speaks That mOnstrous mixture of
the Parisan and the African which characterized
his face Is most vivldly rendered II is pity such
a bust should have q name it ought to stand there
always AZ a symbolic image OF clever impudence.
The head Of Madame Sand by Carrier, is less sue
cessful. She is mufied in a Spanish mantIll1. OF
winch the lace is very eaborattly wrought; but the
meager imposing little vsage surely does not belong
10 the very positive author of ' Leila" and Con
suelo'
Mademoiselle Dfiazet has Just died, and 10000
people have followed her to the grave She was IS
years of age, and she had acted almost uninter-
uptedly from her fifth 10 her 18th year. II was in
its wav a stupeudous career. When she was child
she played the parts of old women. amt as sep
tuacenarian she represented giddy lads and laSses
She has had the funeral of a crowned head; there
could not be better example Of the ingraned
Parisan passion for all things theatrical than this
enormous manifestation of homage 10 tine memory
of 4 little old lady who was solely remarkable for
the assurance with which she wore trousers and
sang free-aud easy songs. HENRY JAMES, JR.