Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-05-12
SICIUREs Ar THE ExHIBIrroN.

S1cIUREs AT THE EXHIBITION.
Eagfish Loeess-4 Hint 20 Ho,ne srsists-
S@toaof Characteristics as Disbiased
ga Ifne 4srs-ftafiaa Marches Rare
Eagtssh fdtnsssgs-Americaa Depart
meNt, Etc.
CorresPoDdence OF The Graphic from Phil
eoelpnia says One thing the English always
co ior which they receive the hearty thanks
ofall visitors 20 their picture galIerIes-I e
eve fsi sne, n P,c'u s E well The moment the
counters Also placard on the frame telling
| The story OF the picture In clear large text.
| No time is lost In searching q catalogue for
| q certain number-a procedure that As
| always vexing and wearisome. After pass
ing several hours I'm Memorial Hall and The
English is In complete order-so prompt our
British friends have BENNY mind returns
70 their admirable system OF labelling, with
therein displayed, and with q feeling OF sur
prise that their example In not followed by
the artists OF all nations. Next TO the Eng
| belling, but their labels are small tickets
lodged In a crevice between the canvas and
| frame, and far less legible. The progressive
Ser asS leaves BIS v visitor % 'fn ana su nI 1be
meaning Of the page before him as best he
may, and In the majority OF cases, the mean
lag OF the subject being left ia mystery, the
picture soon passes from the mind and its
effect is lost. have been thus explicit in
regard 10 labelling In the faint hope that our
native artists, at least, will recognize the
| great advantage, I'm an International fair
ike the centennial. OF having their work dis
tinety marked with the name OF author and
| subject
The ante opening phase OF the art depart
ment is OF very satisfactory description.
The national type OF work is so marked that
a glance in a room tells IL IL be a German,
| French, Spanish, or English section, for in
30 Kind OF work Is the national character
more emphatically expressed than in nne
arts. The Germans paint splendid horses,
some pretty archduchesses, and various con-
yivial scenes; on the Spanish canvsses are
| Madonnss, nuns, cathedral interiors, duel
lists; and the Swedes send us fine land
scapes, beautiful genre plctures-wholesome,
healthy, hardy themes throughout But few
| these we see familiar totes that figured ia
| the Salon two years ago. From Italy comes
exquisite marbles, few OF which graced the
| vienna exposition, of such dainty, winning
| shapes and thoughts, that Ii requires no
| shrewd philosophy to predict that the Ital-
ian department. win carry OF the palm for
| popularity with the masses. The Italians
| have compltmented our national traditions
| in putting In marble "3eorge Washington
and his Ratchet benjamin franklin and
when the young philosopher knit his brow
| over sticks OF type. Aside from q group In
pottery that occupies the center Of the ro-
| tunda, observed no modelling nor sculp-
| ture from England; but she sends US a mag
| pifcent array Of rare old paintings-por-
traits by her masters. Among these are
| Ople's portrait OF Hannah More-a French
looking woman, with her large dark eyes,
| full face, and powdered hair lifted high;
and Gainsborough's Duchess OF Richmond
| "a tall, slender, red-haired young woman,
clad In tightly fitting frock OF blue satin
and dainty high heeled French slippers.
There are also Joshua Reynolds portrait by
Lsndseer. Aside from the portraits most of
the English paintings cover large pages.
There are Maclise's great picture OF the
marriage OF the Prince of Wales" lent by
the Queen which will give our sturdy repuoll-
cans s glimpse OF royalty In full dress with
ground. In the English collection are two
large paintings by the American sold mas
ter" whose "mother's kiss made him a
painter" Both OF these pictures by Benja-
min West will interest Americans deeply,
more from association, perhaps, than real
artistic merit. His "Death of General Wolf''
is hard in color and outline artists rarely
make death and its accomplishments other
wise), but his "Christ Blessing Little Child
rem" is beautiful and soft, with rich and
mellowed look like that of a real old master.
Among the modern English pictures are
portraits Of typical English maidens with
hair rising aloft and their plump figures
draped In dainty English muslins; ''fine old
English gentlemen" with a diplomatic air,
and cockney soldiers and a few good land
scapes. Among the last is a notable can
vas, a stretch OF sea with sandy shore thick
ly studded with small boulders, these rocks
being painted with such creative power IS
| 10 be startling.
| IN THE AMERICAN DEPARTMENT.,
| Two or three sections OF which are In order,
| we find more pictures already familiar 10 the
public than new ones "painted expressly for
| The Centennial" In one of these sections
the work of q half dozen artists covers the
walls. One artist relates his European trav-
els in series OF Mohammedsn and Vene-
tian scenes; another covers his canvases
with California landscapes; a third sends b Is
"Old kentucky Home" and "Tbe Old Stage
Coach, !" and the familiar faces include even
1 II MaiQnnhnluv Ira furn r.-
| three excellent portraits that have q long
time hung in their authors studios, such art
lists showing how their good sense by ss1d,Ps
end OF one Of the sections, and occupying the
entire wall, is canvas covered with crude
of Gettysburg." Perched upon a high step.
ladder was an artist putting finishing touches
to the "horrors," adding nghtness to the
s can smoke nc and brightness to The flow
learn the presence OF this picture at the
Centennial is revolving to every body in and
out OF Philadelphia, excepting two men-tht
artist himself and the man who is repro
ducing the CHASTITY, horrorful thing In en-
craving. As ever ything must have its BET,
NOR, this huge exhibit Of battle field slaugh
ter will serve for the entire art displa y
Coming almost directly as had from Get
tysburg, where upon her battle fields i haC
. gathered anemones and violets, and saw
fields Of wheat and meadows Of grass ant
orchards In full bloom standing peacefull,
in the spring sunshine, this picture openeI
before me with most painful and sickeninl
revulsion. 1t is to be hoped that the ar
, committee will reconsider this admission
and, guided by the sentiment OF nationa
diplomacy, decency and taste, remove IL a
once from the exposition and cover Its space
with the "blessed fruits of peace" Tn,
home display OF water-colors is quite extern
sive, and, although hacking in the strength
and color of the few English exhibits, is upoI
the whole very good.
BABIES LEGs.-Bowle legs and knock
\ Among n
l humanity; and wise mothers assert that tn,
crookedness In either case arises from tn,
afflicted one having been put upon his or he
feet too early in babyhood. But a Massa
| chusetts ply siclan, who has watched for the