The Portland daily press., 1876-10-05
Exhibition Echoes.
Memoriai Hai-Ihe Art DispIay-Nota-
BILE Pictures-M osaics, Tapestry and
PorceIain-The Annex.

Visitors to the Exhibition usually turn their
attention to the art gallery as soon as they have
finished their inspection, more or less hasty, of
the Main Hail. They will be wise to take a
long gaze at Memorial Hall itself before going
in, for it is noble building, fit for its purpose
and much more pleasant to contemplate than
most OF the pictures which hang upon its walls.
Ihe art exhibition as a whole is not one to re.
1olce over, though many good pictures are en-
braced in it. The visitor can wisely use much
time in the building, but he need devote very
little OF that time to far the greater portion of
the paintings. Dscreetly en- ployed, days can
be made useful there; spent in some of the
rooms and before many of the pictures an hour
is wasted.
Passing between the winged horses both of
which. the catalogue says, are Pegasus, the Wis.
itor enters the large hall where some good
building material is spoilt by being made up
into statues. He must not however pass basti-
ly by Story's "Me]ea," Randolph's "Blipd
Nydia," Gioson's Venus or Chantrey's
Benjamin West" all in the central gallery,
and all deserving careful study. Here too is
Gilber: Stuarfs portrait of Washington. From
this gallery it is best to pass into galleries d
and 2 where England makes her fine exhibit,
an exhibit of much more value apd interest
than that of any other nation. The pictures
there most deserving of attention. which one
should not fail to and if possible 20 see thor
ougbly are Turner's ''Dolbadden Castle Ia
painting wanting his surprise of color, but
worthy of careful study Constables The
Lock" Barry's Temptation IN Paradise,
Gainsborough's Duchess of Richmond" the
five Landseers embracing the Sick Monkey,
the Travelled Monkey, two studies of
Lions, and the portrait of Lord Ash
burton,) Lawrence's blouse of Baring,''
Opie's "Hannah Moore, Maclise's Ban
quet Scene from Macbeth" Faselrs "Thor
battering the MidgaId Serpent" Leslie's
"May Day In the time of Queen Elizabeth"
Vests death of WOLF anG ''Christ Blessing
Little Children" Standfield's "On the Scheldt'
Etty's Sleeping Nymph and Satyrs" famous
for its flesh tones), Sir Joshua Reynolds por-
trait of himself, aud Wilkes Reading the Ga
zette," and Boys Digging for Rat" These
must be seen if much else is neglected, for
they are pictures of which all the world talks
AS interesting too, if not as famous, are Hol-
man Hunts portrait of himself, Mllais's por-
trait of blonde girl, Elmore's 'Lenore," Alma
Tadema's "Vintsge Festival (made familiar
by the engraviDg) Frederic Leghton's Eastern
Singer Soaring Birds" Frith's Marriage of
Prince of Wales" and Mrs NJ. E. Staples
"In Memoram" known to US all by the pho
tograph of the shops) John Leach's outlines
in pencil of some of the most noted cartoons in
Punch should not be overlooked.
Certainly there are good pictures in tie
American exhibit. The most interesting to
my mind are the old portraits by Copey and
Gilbert Stuart, the "Ariadne'' of Vapderlyn.
Vests ''Spalatro's Vision" Eastman John
sons 'Old Stage Coach" and Rosenthaps
"Eaine." The landscapes OF Clifford, McEntee,
Bierstadt, (the 'Yo Semitic" and others) and
other well-known Anne rican artists of course
repay inspection if one has leisure. The "Dy-
ing Cleopatra" of Edmonia Lewis, the eolored
sculptor, in gallery X. and RothermePs huge
"Battle of Gettysburg in gallery @, attract
much attention
Leaving the English exhibit the visitor must
go to the Austrian room and there inspect that
magnificent example of grouping and color,
Makarts ''Venice paying Homage to Caterins
Cornaro," one of the most striking pictures in
the building. There too be will find other pic
lures worthy of notice, Fux's "Sans Souci''
Ia strolling minstrel Schaeffer's "Winter
Landscape" Thoren's Norman Pasture"
Felix's "Pan and Bacchantes," and many
pleasing landscapes. Passing to the FIench
department little time need be given to the
paintings though Becker's CHASTITY and power
full 'Rizpah protecting the Bodies of her
Sons" Clements "Death of Cesar" and
Duran's portrait of Mile. Croisette call for
attention; but much tme should be given to
The specimens of Gobelin tapestry and of
Sevres porcelain in gallery E. Passing thence
to gallery in the southwest corner of the
building the Vatican collection, embracing the
mosaics of Madonn na after Sasso-Ferrato and
Raphaels Madonna dell Seggiola, and tap
estry, the Marty rdom of st. Agnes, deserves
long and careful attention One may thence 90
to the Spanish room, marked FL, where he will
find among ether noticeable pictures head of
Christ by Murillo and a portrait by Velasquez.
The rest of the building can be omitted with
the exception Uf the Castellani collection in the
very rear of the Hail. of which more hereaiterl
without ser ious detriment.
Passing to the Annex one finds much statu-
ary, mostly poor. hundreds of poor pictures and
some good ones 1t is wise to hasten at once to
the gallery numbered 12. where the loan col.
lection is on exhibition. Here one will pass
much time, for he will find cruciixon by
Vandyke, Andrea Del Sarto's 'St. Andrew
Bearing his Cross" Albert Durer's 'St. Jer-
ONE" war scene attributed to Wouvermans,
a ''St. Francis in his Cell'' attributed to Mu-
rillo, the judith" of Domenichno, CabansPs
francesca di Rimini," landscape by vernet
some of Verboeckhovens sheep, an Autumn"
figure by Dubufe, sheep by Rosa Bonheur),
several works by Gustave Courber, and other
pictures of note. In gallery number 10 the
Portland visitor will be pleased to fiud Harry
Browns "The East Highlands" The rest of
the Annex calls for no particular attention.
The reader may think that most of the pic
lures have been named to him, but when he
learns that there are over three thousand o5-
jects of art in Memorial Hall and the Annex
(not reckoning the Castellani collection) he
will appreciate my forbearance. M.