, 1876-10-01
BOSTON,.
Picou's ReyeIs Of Antony and
Cleopatra.
The 1nanorally-Mora1 Judg-
nents--Apparent Defects
in the Painting.
Boston Boys During the Revolu-
tionary War---Henry Ba-
cons Picture.

cons Picture.
The Latest Literary Mystery---Guesses
as to the Name Of the Author.
Special Correspondence AZ The Tribune.
BosroN, Sept. 27.-Returning to Boston yes
terday, the first thing did was to go and see
Pcou's t'Antony and Cleopatra which has
been on exhibition nearly all summer, q fact
which is significant Of its value as great piece
Of workmanship If not OF art. The very con-
sciously modest people have not been slow to say
that it is the undraped figure OF Cleopatra that
has drawn the throng Of gazers. And q good
many Of the criticisms have condemned the
picture as indecent. On the other hand, all the
artists, and a large class OF highly y-cultivated
aud highly-moral people, have given it only
praise from every point Of judgment. And in
the midst Of this contest everybody goes to
see the picture, the consciously modest and the
unconsciously modest. When looked at the
picture, the first impression Was Of crowd OF
people which gave little vagueness and con-
fusion. The second was OF q marvellous purity
and clarity OF atmosphere aud treatment 1t is
this treatment that to my mind make the ad-
verse criticism on the score Of indecency en-
tirely unjust, and what should call 1mmorally
moral. The name which has been given to the
picture Of
"TuE REvELs OF ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA"
is an unfortunate and unnecessary name. It is
not the one that N. Picou bestows upon 1t, but
the explanatory title which has cropped out
since its Introduction In the descriptive note
the scene is described as ga festival" which is
certainly the word that describes best the prog
ress Of the royal barge filled with superb speci-
mems OF humanity anu adorned with sumptu-
Gus furnishings. When I read last summer
in one Of the Boston papers OF The Revels OF
Antony and Cleopatra, ~ must say that I re-
ceiyed a shock, and on the spur Of the moment
l then and there made up my mind tnat l should
not make one Of the audience that looked upon
such improper things, for ine1tricabiy inWoven
in my mind with the naughty word was the SEN
tence in the daily newspaper, !" F;ned -
and costs for reveling" But as time went by
began to suspect that the name was = misno-
mcr; and that should lose very fine specta-
Gle II did not look at Picou's painting, spec
tacle which, however unconventional in treat
mcnt, could never come under the head Of
vulgar" And in regard to this very point OF
unconyentionality so-cllled, every artist laughs,
or would laugh, at thu suggestion. Picou paints
almost literally from Shakspeare's strain:
The barge she eat in, like q FURNISHED throne,
Burned On the water; the poop was beaten gold,
Purple the sails, and 40 perfu1ned that
The winds we're Iove-sick with them; the oars
Which to the tune Of flutes kept stroke, and made
The watcr which they beat to follow faster
As amorous Of their strokes. For her OWE person
1t beEgarel all description. She did lie
In her pavilion (cloth OF gold, Of tissue),
Ocrpcturng that Venus where We zee
The fancr outwork Nature.
There ia M revealing in the sense ~ oro1a IN
this scene that Shakespeare paints, nor in
Picou's painting. As the descriptive note that
Is given at the doorway OF the gallery states,
it is Zone Of the most magnificent examples
rIrroo,,s ,r+ nn;+a5 |, confar ~ 1nnr+a1 non
~ ~ u .le po'4p
.as,@ ~ a or .A.AA -o.S
eieopae - 49, ~ eospsuoo
1n"n 81, o'n.. ~ - -. s,E1.~, - W.
va. "a 80 49, s'5" - 49, 49, .' 80. ~
.AD ISL nss,. s.A'S, ;n5aaa ~. a-a Saa,a.s 49,
~ u'"A", a.,.as .a~ ~. '. 49,. 1 aaa,, .;.4. st..
lwr.s hora +oEa1, m throngh3 the ;n;m;.
toh,a e1eii ~ The art;st +endar Lind
~ ~ +-o,snorancv which oires the fe,re q ionE
" atherea1itc a. thc note saws. * She woars
har t1v;na ngi;tr lie . ce1aeti,f nrv;1eue rzith
m iaratod cai}nness @ tbat denr;ves All
human suerestion. and makes It seem the iiyerv
-. .ei ior. ha5 on-th;no - oonr.a ". y.
Luese tolal losTA9 3, lu az i. - tI eta.se ~
hs & T,,, 49, 1,aon,, 49, as "
tue - - huu - ~ or;pary ,1nnr PnI,o7 ~ an
Ha ~ ~" "@'' @ faad inyosroRo7 Ga,1ra - III,
4 crown 1non his head,-from these 6gures to
the bronze Egyptians, and the Hubjan slaves,
did not perceive any element OF iuaecency, un-
1gss uni naa'an ta;,aa ton 81 - ~ s;s;o
10 nuet +h;a grnnning hnt ~ more m thon
many Of the ancient works OF art
and those representing ancient days.
scarcely more 50 tnan n Gu'oo.s Aurora' Dy
"hlch we SET 5uca stole. anu t1 posture aho
e1pressloa ms sone - tne ssl;h 70
~ hspee: Oh .;t T., +ha hor~s - 1otheJ ~ w;th
neI. our e4La - suo uass b. ~ W. W.