The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-06-02
Art Music and the Drama.

Art, Music and the Drama.
Mr.. Holman Hunts picture, ''The Shadow
of DEATH" is highly appreciated in Manches-
ter, England, where it has been on exhibition
for some weeks past. 1t has been visited by
more than $4,000 persons.
The South Kensngton Museum has just re.
ceived valuable gift of the well-known mar
BILE statue, s'Eve at the Fountain" by E. Ii.
Baily, r, A., one of the most celebrated works
of modern English sculpture.
'La Comtesse de Sommerive," the original
of alike has been produced at the Opera
Comique, in London, by French company.
The busts of John G. Whittier and the late
Prof Agassiz, by Preston Powers, are now on
exhibition in Boston. They were modelled by
Mr.. Powers during his visit to that city last
November and taken to Florence, where they
were cut in Carrara marble Of spo.less white
ness. AS portraits they are said to be faithful
and characteristic, while in their mechanical
execution they are remarkable for elaborate
and delicate finish. The busts were cut IN mar
BILE by the same artisan who reproduced Hlram
Powers Greek Slave, and who is considered
the most skllful workman of his class IN Flor
ence. The bust of Agassz is und raped, put
that of the Quaker poet represents-him in the
costume of the religious sect of which he is an
active member. The latter was ordered by G.
H. Brainard, who intends placing it in the Mu-
scum of Fine Arts.
In 1851, while Gawsworth Church, near Mac
clesfeld, was undergoing repairs, the workmen
found three very curious mural paintings Cop
les of these are now to be issued in chromo-
TYPOGRAPHY. The paintings represent st
George and the Dragon" "St. Christopher
and the Last Judgment" This picture OF
doom is specially interesting, showing action
in heaven, earth and hell.
Rottmann's celebrated fresco paintings OF
italian scenery under the arcades of the Hof-
garten at Munich have been made accessible
by reproduction of them in chromo-lithog-
raphy.
"A Tale of Two Cities" a new dramatiza'
ton of Dickens story, is to be produced at the
California Theatre, in San Francisco, with
Mr.. Barton Hill as Sydney Carton and Charles
: Darnay.
Mr. W. s. Gilbert's newest comedy, pro-
duced at the st. James Theatre, in London, Is
called ''Tom Cobb" 1t is said to be very slen'
der in substance, but quite amusing The va.
carries of family of romantic" commonplace
people are deliciously depicted. Tom Cobb is
young surgeon, who is very poor, while his
former chum, whose examination papers he
used to write in college, is, as Tom expresses
it, "relling in fever patients"
Frank Duveneck, the new American por-
trait painter, is native of Covington, Ken
lucky; he is about twenty-seven years old, and
went to Munich to study when he was but
nineteen years old. He had hard time of ii
in Munich, in combating with poverty, like
many another art-student; but succeeded in
gaining some academic prizes. He returned
home in 1873, and has since lived and worked
in Cincinnati, which has become an art-cen-
ter at the West. 1t is said that young Duve-
neck was employed in decorative work on
churches in Kentucky when he was only thir-
teen years old.
Frank Marshall, the author Of the pretty
comedy of "False Shame" has written the
book for new opera by Sgnor Lauro Rossi, OF
Naples, and it is expected the work will be pro-
duced in London mex. November.
The picture of M. Gerome, called 1.-THE Sa-
bre Dance now exhibiting in the French Gal
lery. has been sold for 400 guineas.
N1r. CdTl hOSd . biOupC VI cihSOio VI oPSA"A
English are gaining great favor in English pro-
vincial cities. This company includes Miss
Rose Hersee. Miss Julia Gaylord formerly Of
New York; and Mr.. T. Packard, who is adj
ertised as an american tenor"
The monument erected to the memory OF
Robert Schumann at Leipzig has just been I'M
covered. 1t consists of an obelisk of polished
gray syenite, with bronze medallion portrait
of the composer on one side, aud below it the
simple inscription "R. Schumann."
Mr. Horace Wigan has rechrstened the old
Holborn Theatre, in London, the Mirror Thea
tire (probably suggested by the proverbal re-
fecting surface which the stage is supposed to
hold up to nature). and has opened it with Tom
Taylor's old play of 1.-THE Hidden Hand,
which bears no similarity whatever to an
American romance from the prolific pen of a
writer too we'll known to need naming here.
Under the title of "The Bharhut Stupa
General Cunningham is preparing for publica-
ton detailed account of the now famous
Bharhut sculptures The work will be Illus
trated with numerous photographs and plans,
and will, it is hoped, be ready by the end OF
the year. Several important fragments have
recently been recovered which had been used
as building stones by the natives of the sur
rounding villages.
AS it has been reported that Miss Elizabeth
Thompson, the famous painter of cavalry in
England, had field trodden down by horses
that sne might draw the bruised grass some one
has revived an old anecdote about Meissonier
somewhat similar, but evidently containing
more fiction than fact. The story reads thus:
ITO paint Cuirassiers,'' says Meissonier, II
must needs see them" He accordingly took
dozen of this corps to his country house, where
they were required to charge down the park
every morning. But the evolution did not
last long, and before the artist had sketched
an outline of the group the gallant fellows
were out of sight. ''You must follow them by
train" said friend. No sooner said than
DONE An engineer was summoned, rails were
laid down, rolling stock purchased, and for
several weeks Meissonier accompanied the
charge of his models by train. But it was sum-
mer, and historical accuracy required that the
Curassiers should dash over snowy ground.
Thousands of bushels of -four were then laid
down in the park, and the Curassiers, as they
charged, became enveloped in clouds of fdriaa.
The illusion was complete, the studies admir-
ohio and the finished nicture sold for millions.