The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1876-09-28
CENTENNIAL CORRESPON-
DENCE.
French Art, Paintings, Sculpture. etc.
Public Works Of France Canned
GOOds-HOIgGte's Preserving
COMPOUND,
From Our Own Correspondent.


very large and excellent exhibit of paint
ings, statuary and bronzes, in memorial
hall and annex. / name only those of
merit In the main vestibule are some
remarkable GObelin tapestries and deco
ratiOns-a mammoth one representing
the genius of the arts and sciences is
very admirably finished in Sevres pOrce-
lain, quite noteworthy. A very fine por-
Celain painting representing the embark
alton for Cythere is worth studying
These are all from the national manufac-
tory. A bronze statuette of president
Mcmahon attracts much attention. The
death of Caesar is a large painting with
the characters strongly drawn.
Old California, by BarthOldi, cousin of
Marshall Mcmahon, is striking picture.
His new California is not so good. Two
| pictures by Saintin, Solitaire, and Child,
are exquisitely finished. An AmazOnby
Duran is bold figure well executed. A
most spirited and striking picture of
mammoth size by Becker is Rizpah de-
Tending her dead children against the
beasts and birds OF prey. A three
years famine in israel, because Saul
had consumed the Gibeonites--such
is the bible account OF it-could only be
achieved by Furnishing Saul's descend
ants. So king David took two sons of
Rizpah, Saul's cOncubine, and five sons
of Michael, SauPs daughter, and deliv-
cred them to the Gibeonites and they
hanged them In the first days of the bar
ley harvest. And Rizpah took sack
cloth and spread it upon the rock until
water dropped upon them out of heaven
i. e. till the rainy Season-and suffered
neither the birds of the air to rest on
them by day, nor the beasts of the field |
by night. The artist represents seven |
men hanging dead, beasts and birds of
prey approaching to devOur them and |
Rizpah with drawn sword and deter
mined mien in an attitude of attack
Another picture of remarkable finish |
by Comte, represents Louis XII, sick, |
and Gypsies introducing educated pigs, |
dancing in costume to divert the mind |
of the king. While one pig is dancing
another is rehearsing in the back ground !
with his Gypsy tutor. 1t takes us back !
to the ancient days when the whims of
mOnarchs decided the fate of nations.
Here, too, is suggestive and character.
istic painting representing king Morvan
receiving the envoy of Louis the Deb0n-
naire, with proposals of peace. But the
kings wife, with caresse8, and all the arts
and Establishments of an ambitious and
wicked woman, persuades him to break
off the negotiations and continue the
war. A landscape Of the lower valley of
the Pyrenees; one of a valley in Nor
mandy, and another of summer morning
or sunrise at sea, are remarkable for nat
and perfect colOring.
The decoration of independence and
the surrender Of the British at Yorktown
by Dumaxesq, are large historical pic
lures, before which visitors inger inter
ested.
The boquet girl, by Glaize, is gem of
art.
Faith is wonderfully and sweetly
drawn. A scene of the inquisitiOn, with
a victim under torture with arms
stretched, hands and feet tied, while fire
is applied to the sOles of his feet and ag-
Ony expressed in his countenance, and
diabOlism in the faces of his tormentOrs
is one of the most striking pictures on
exhibition.
Winter scene in Broadway, N. Y, in
1855, by SebrOn, is good. So is the pen
ltent, after the MurillO style.
Commodore DeCatOr leaving his burn
ing ship, Philadelphia, in the harbor of
Iripoli is large and characteristic paint
ing full of interest. The flames Iigh hit up
the vessels, the combatants, the living
and the dead-the minarets and towers
IF TripOli and the victorious Americans.
It is most striking picture.
The bronze statutes are above the av-
erage, are classical, and the same may be
said of the French sculpture, of which
there is a fair display The pastiles,
water. colors, and etchings are very good.
And especially so are the architectural
drawings.
Nor must | omit to notice the building
constructed by the French government,
or the display ofthe models, charts and
drawings, Ofthe most noted
PUBLIC WORKS
Of France, including roads, bridges,
railways, acqueducts, internal nav
cation, water supply of towns,
and canals, maritime works, light
houses, and beacOns, mines, etc, which
eclipse anything shown here by all other
nations. None should fail to see this
exhibit, for it gives one a better idea
Than they will otherwise get of the pub
ic spirit, enterprise and greatness of
France.
CANNED GOODS.
The large display of canned goods,
fruit, vegetables and meats, in agricul-
tural hall, indicates the great change
effected in the diet Of the people, within
my remembrance. The Improvements