New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-09-20
THE GREAT EXHIBITION.
FRENCH ART.
PICTURES. STATUES. rTcHNes.

the Rzpah protecting the bodies Of her sons from the
birds Of prey OF Georges Becker cay "curous spec
tators advsedy for the picture certainly finds few ad
mirers. This mighty canvas with its great galows
dee rated with shields and spears the trophies Of battle
and along whose CHASTITY tansOm the naked bodies Of
five suspended while the ground below them
a woman, powerfully built and wrought up TO fnry
threatens with club eagle who seems TO be attack
ing her with beak and talon-the that is filed
with such striking incidents as these would undoubtedly
fail OF much OF its purpose, if it did not attract curiosity
at least.
1t turns out that few people make out by looking
at It what the subject is and when they lind II Bible
story IL proves TO be of those obscure episodes in the
Old Testament with winch seldom brought into
contact these days People do carry their Bibles
about with Them and when they Get back TO their homes
they do notremember the picture with sufficient interest
TO maket necessary their intellectual peace to hunt
the story up, and to most m US it remains as unex
planned as ever
Nor those who take the trouble 10 piece its frag
nets together find the result satisfactory whole IL
would be out of place to rete the story with all its
details but may be we'll to recall the fact that these
and boys whom see hanging othls gihbet have
been given up to the GbeOntes by David to be slain
peaceoiferng, to put end TO famine that was desc
atng the land Saul had borne hard upon the GIDEON
ite and had pushed them out from taking any share IN
the confederacy of Israel When the oracles Of God
consulted to the OF the famine the an
was, that il the penalty of Saus treatment of
this tribe To avert the plague, David permitted the
Gibeontes to revenge Themselves upon Saus descend
ants and accordingly the two sons which Rizpah had
borne 10 SAUL and the five which Mlchal, SauPs
daughter nd once Davies wife, be it renembered had
to Adrel given up TO the vengeance of the
Gi5conites. In consequence of this atom ment,
told that The Lord suffered Himself to be entreated
and the plague stayed"
Among the curious workings Of feeling betrayed IN this
singular story may note that David did not include
stpt ulsOp NJ in
f CONSUMPTION, because of the love that had been be-
tween himself and Jonathan who was the father of
Mephibosheth, and we may we will upon his
treatment of Micha from whom he took her Ave sons
probably all abe had after she had rdiculcd David for
dancing in his shirt before the ark David cursed her.
and she bore children any We are told that
Rzpah protected the bodies Of the slain from the begin
ming Of the barley harvest TO the end Of it, and that she
suffered the birds OF heaven TO rest upon the bodies
10y day, the wild beasts by night Tins last crcun
stance with the fact that she spread sackcoth on the
ground may be taken TO imply that the bodies did not
remain upon the gbbet but were cut down and lef;
the ground wild beasts could hardly have climbed to
the top Of any gallows.
However for pictorial effect Mr. Georges Becker has
right TO his interpretation; only 1t presents him
with another dicu.ty since IL the birds OF prey had
chosen to mount upon the shoulders Of the victims they
could have pastured there In quiet and taken little heed
Of Rizpah AMI her club! greater puzzle is why the
artist should have taken ghHsty and repulsve sub
ect at ALL The story has too little moral In II for us ana
our times to make it worth much paint and canvas
and there is so much In that inhuman, superSuous
and detestable that the maternal devotion OF Ezah
and even her unsenshness IN watching over tho bodies
of five sons Of another cannot oountcrbaance It,
But in truth, we waste words discussing the why's
and whereiorcs OF French artists choice OF subject
r Becker Is q strong young man, fresh from MS sdies
He yearncd TO sare Paris at her annual salon. be felt
able to DO it, and ho accepted this subject because II gave
him all he wanted something bloody and terrible, ana
with action enough give him difficulties 70 overcome
the study Of the nIde Of dTapery, and drapery
in notion and fierce eagle TO show that his studies
had not been confined TO the Academic ulOdeis since
Henri Regnaut SGT the fashion strongly FOR bloody
and ferocious subjects, there has been an ample
! supply OF SUCH and it may be admitted that
| Bcrker's picture IL rather less horrible than a
strict compliance with the public Taste IN France would
have called for Arsticaly speaking. the picture shows
considerable PROMISE but II is 10 be hoped the painter
will find subjects that will give IFS powers all the scope
they need va making painful an impression upon
our minds To be great II Is not necessary TO 80 into
spasms Indeed. the going into spasms is sure sign
that You we're born great though You may come IN
time 10 achieve greatness. We add that, pic
te this work is done great injustice to by being hung
where we cannot get far enough away from II TO lose
sight OF the coarseness Of the painting In the general
effect IL ia so impossible IL 1t should be seen
that it may even he unfair to critcise 1t at ALL
op is the Portrait Mile Crozctte Of the Theatre Fran
cais Inv carolus Duran This Ia another OF un-
common size 10 begin with, and by virtue OF Its size
alone II must attract great many eyes. In this CAGE
however there IL much to fix tine eyes when once they
have been attracted for the lady Is exceedingly pretty
and CalOus Daran Is very clever and dasns painter
He is chiefly known by his female portraits ana those
NV which he has gained the most laurels
have been full-lcngth portraits Of handsome
yVomen either distinguished themselves, or the
wives OF distinguished men, aud generally dressed III
striking and pictorial costumes. Among The french
etcbiDgs which al the northern end OF the man cor
rdor of the Art Annex there VIII be toun one by Lo
pod Flaneng OF DuraDs portrait OF I've believer haae
Ernest Feydeau speaking OF Durans pictures TINS Is
sometimes distinguished "The Lady with the Glove
This "a little grandoquen TO he sure, bat then that is
Durans style. His real name is simply Chares DuIan"
lint he has given its musachos twrl ana u taxes tue
style of "Carolus Duran" which suits better Wild te
artists pictures. However, lac set iasioh WIN
h sp,rb women with their stylish dresses and THEN
manners OF the Second Empire, ana one can sec III 'e
same frame with Flamengs etching OF Madame Feydcau
a,otber equally brilliant Of BOnnats, Madame Pasca
Nure that recalls the heroic days OF the stage She is
ressed I'm robe Of thick white silk with border OF iuf
and further on the visitor viii find NJ PotemontS ooh
ING NJ Jnes tSOupils " La MerYeeu6e, WAch ~ Us Nv
viii See only another species in the GEMS discovered y
Tu,a, The nresent picture OF Nile. Crolzette Is In
oueter taste than is usual with the artist ana SHOWS h'
versatility shows, the limits Of his power Noth"V
10 really gained for the subject by this spread OF canvas
the deIieaoy OF the ladys figure and the prethesS %
her face are not in keeping with TINS ainpi''u"e'
p, a., ,e hands OF n real master this would have made
less difference since Gainsborough or Reynolds or We
lasouez or Titan would have known how 10 use al inc
spaee al command to make his parsonage dominate 'e
nicture Here the sea, the sky and the horse S"ao"
nm che little lady. II bring Duran into comparison
with these great names 1t Is because tna' ciain '
=, - -, tbat he brings back The famous days, Gnd