The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-06-02
Exhibition Echoes.
The ART eaiiery'-Paintings and Stain
nry.--The Maine Piciure.--Floren-
tine Mosaics.-The British school
General Nofes. a-.
GERMANTowN, May 20, 1876.

GERMANTowN, May %, 1885,.
10 the Editor Of the Press:
1t was my last day at Fairmount Park, and
we first directed our steps toward the Art Gal
lery. Memorial Hall cost the city of Philadel-
phia and state of Pennsylvania 81 SOC, 900, and
after being placed at the disposal of the CsRa,.
tennial Commission during the exhibition, Is
to remain permanently and become ths "recep-
tacle OF an Industrial Art Museum. similar 10
the South Kensngton Museum at London"
The annex, also to be permanent building,
contains at present. believe, more statuary
and sgreater number of pictures than the main
hall itself. When: the Gallery is in readiness
1t Will be, to cultivated and art-1oving people,
| the finest part Of our great exposition. There
are some magnificent paintings here; among
them, one of Meissonier's that would demand
days of study. The collection is large and will
| be an exhibition such as could be found only id
| journey abroad. The Austrian pictures are
| fine, and again and again we come back to one
| room OF them, after wandering among English
and French and Spanish galleries, irresistibly
attracted by the beauty. richness and grace pic
| tured and hung before us. The catalogue
| is badly arranged and incomplete. We
can find nothing in it and give up in disgust
the attempt to do SO. The various halls them
selves are not all designated by name. Some
OF the finest collections are not yet unpacked.
| The best pictures have, some of them-S10,00O
| pictures -been SO injured by parasols and cane
and by the indiscriminate handling of visitors,
that they have had to be removed, to be re-
touched; and to provide against this abuse, two
workmen are busy putting up railings as .
means of protection. So tools are strewn about
| different directions and noise and hurry
abound. 1t is bard to derive satisfaction now
but for all that, there is present feast for the
eyes and the prospect of greater delights to
| come.
In the outer vestibule are groups of statua-
~ and additions to the number are being con-
stantly made. The TRANSLATION of the subject
name of our marble, the head and bust OF an
Italian peasant woman, is literal at all events
and doubtless considered fluent 1t reads In
this way: Costume del dintoeni di Roma"
"CustoDa of the neigh6orings of Rone."
| I do no know that just here is anythipg of
| special note. In one corner are several OF
Winnie Ream's productions ''Miriam "1.;Spir-
| it of the Carnival p "a Boys Head" aud some
| others. ..... 10 ionie'
| The general division is somewhat in this or.
der: United States, Can ada, France, Germany,
| Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Mexi-
co, Brazil, Argentine Republic. OF our own
works of art, among much that IL Of value.
there is great deal Of trash and We miss the
productions of some of our best artists There
Is nothing of Mr.. Innis', for example, or of
some other Boston artists that we confidently
looked to see; no water color of Mrs. Murray's.
With special interest, of course, we viewed
Harry Browns beautiful picture, "Of the
Coast of fMaine." Bad paintings are being 70.
moved and fine ones substituted constantly.
and the exhibit finally will do us great credit,
without doubt wv ..- - ~:
The Milan and Florence mosaics are exquis-
ite and a number Of fine pieces, as tables
wreathed with lovely flowers, cupid's heads
birds and butterflies, are slready marked
"sold." -w ~ .al ri
Among British pictures in water colors. .
critique mentions Listening to her Lovers
Letter" by #. W. Topham, "A Morass"-J.l
knight: "The Three Friends"--Alma Tsds-
ma: History of an Honest Wife by the same,
of whom this writer says. Tadema's charac-
teris,ics are, strong acceptuation Of details,
combined with breadth of effect perfect clear
ness, elegance of composition and entire
knowledge and unapproachable use of color.
Then the loan collection 10 prominent and
there are paintings belonging to the Queen. by
such artists as Daniel Mscise, Sir David VIII
kie, John Opie, Charles Stewart Newton.
Benjamin West, Sir Joshua Reynolds and
Cope. One hears funny criticisms. by the
way. In this gallery an English Milor' stands
before the extensive picture of the Rape Of
Ganymede," and murmurs that's fine
br--rd but" listened for more but that was
all he said and the tone and manner were In
| describable. Farther along. man aud his
wife were seated directly in front Of hugs
fruit piece, in the Norwegian department, one
| of those things where high color and profu-
| sion Of horticulture are what attract attention,
| rather thon anything else. "Now that" said
this individual. ,'is the best thing ever saw.
That suits me- I've been sitting here half an
hour and Pm not tired of looking at it yea"
and there was at hand the Ghost Scene In
Macbeth, by Maclise so startling and powerful
as to rivet the attention and chain it to ths
canvass. Or the prison scene of Margurte and
Faust and Mephstopbeles that makes one
shiver to see. Or painting by s. Duke Fields,
of an English dairy maid, Betty" coming
home from the milking, her pail under her
arm, half full Of field dasies, and the whole
| thing (more than life size IL ISL so breezy and
bright and full of sunshine that you catch
| yourself smiling up at the shining eyes and
rosy lips that seem to send, from the sweet
face an answering CLEAN. Or. even Landseer's
"Sick Monkey" where the mother holds in her
embrace little beast, so i'll that it's eyes are
sunken and it's Darwinian features pinched-
the father sitting serenely on railing, Just
behind the pair. absorbed in an orange, his
| eyes swapping contentedly over the yellow rim
| OF the fruit in which his mouth and nose are
| quite lost-while secoud orange is held firm-
~ in his hind paws. Comical and absurd In
the extreme is the effect; and as say, these
| are nothing to our friend admring the fruis
piece, just as, 1 dare say, my selections seem to
one who knows Uhdt is what in art, rather than
| merely, tchdt ike. ,- .af s.rrl s,fi .,,l,9
One of our genuine cup country Yankee
brethren here the other day was being shswn
about the grounds, when suddenly he asked to
see the main building. There. said he, 81
told ye so! knowed Maine would beat 'em
| allP' t--T -i.-a ~,
The admittance fee of so cents. paid for en-
trace day after day, amounts TO o considera-
BILE sum in the course of weeks, but there are
J no extra charges as at similar Expositions
You are provided with seats while you are
listening to the orchestra, and chairs are at
your disposal wherever you lind them In tho
buildings. 1t is noticeable fact that every
thing is done for peoples comfort and con-
venience. The ladies' dressing room hap
pened to enter, of which there are several in
different parts of the main building, is large.
airy room, with comfortable lounges where
ladies may lie down and rest, when exhausted
by sight seeing; and colored women are in at
i tendance TO see tnat everything 10 properly
arranged. In the center is q large marble
| stand, containing dozen faucets OF drinking
water, with corresponding number Of basins
for washing the hands Mirrors, brushes and
combs; aud all kept so clean and 10 such good
order that we do not hesitateto avail ourselves
: of the opportunity to rest and refresh our.
selves. Several times had sought this room
to rest for an hour and open my lunch basket,
! so that got to know the colored woman in
! charge quite we'll, the acquaintance being
helped on doubtless, through the circulating
medium of little currency. One day had
been there some time, tired out with the days
exertion, when observed lady, her face Ia .
| fearfully bruised condition, sitting pear L
learned from Mrs. Darkie that this unfortunate
woman had fallen in getting from the train,
| at the outskirts of tue grounds. She was not
| so badly hurt but that she insisted upon her
son and daughter, who had come with her, TAX
| ing advantage of the opportunity and going
about to the different halls, for the distance
they had come from out of town was consider
able, and the unselfish creature thought it too
bad the young people" should lose their fun
on her account So that she sat the day long
in the dressing room, while the others wers
making tour among the pretty sights. Toe
Doctor came and applied some lauda1um and
Il Wafar To tho woundad faaa and Iaft hAr nra-