Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-11-08
Our Centennial Letter.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 6, 1886.

Mr., e. d. Palmer and is entitled the
"Premier Rose" or first position of a
young girl who sits as model. The
attitude of the girl vino shrinks from
exposing her form to the artist in his
studio, the manner in which her limbs
are handled and the anxiety which she
expresses to conceal or shade her face,
all are natural indications of the re-
pugnance young lady Of modesty
would show under such circumstance s,
and although the figure itself is entire
ly nude, there is nothing whatever to
offend the sensibllities of the most fas-
tidious. "The death of Julius Caesar"
is torcibly represented on large can
vas in the French Department IL
Memorial Hall. 1t is very like the
scene rendered by Bangs, Leonick,
Davenport and Bartlett last Winter at
the Academy, here. "Pompeii's stat
ne ran with blood, and all the lusty
Romans waved their hands thereon, +"
pleaded the miserable Cal phurnia when
she endeavored to dissuade her hus-
band from going to the capitol. Her
"horrid dream was only too fully
realized, and the artist has rendered
with wonderful fidelity the tragic fate
of Julius Caesar surrounded by those
he considered his friends, and within
the very shadow of the Senate FL als
"Wagner's Chariot Race" is very
spirited painting and worthy Of men,
ton. We are informed that when
Romulus persuaded the Sabine women
to come to Rome it was to see the
chariot racing that those ladies trusted
themselves in the city of the "Sanctn-
ary," and, according to legend, this
was the first exhibition for horse racing
ever held. Other traditions say that
600 B. c., L. Tarquinius commemo-
rated his success in arms by an exhi-
bition of races and athletic sports in
the Murcian valley, in which temporal
ry platforms were erected by individ-
uals for personal use. These platforms
finally suggested the Circus Maximus
of Rome, all of which has now been
destroyed, with the exception of small
one on the Appian Way called the Cir
Gus of Caracalla which is still in good
state of preservation. In the chariot
race each chariot was drawn by four
horses four, six and sometimes eight
chariots started at one time, the char
ioteer standing in the car, had the
reins passed around his back. This
enabled Linn to throw all his weight
against the horses by leaning back
ward, but his situation was dangerous
in case of an accident. To prevent
being dragged away by the lines, each
driver carried a knife at his waist for
the purpose Of cutting the reins. The
foremost driver in Wagner's picture is
full of animation and excitement, and
the horses seem to revel so wildly in
the sport, that we cannot wonder that
the enthusiasm OF the Romans for the
races was boundless. Heavy betting
was INDUCED in, and the drivers of the
winning chariots were always literally
rewarded. In Wagner's painting, the
Emperor and his household occupy an
elevated position on special platform,
opposite to them is the judge and a
number of spectators, and near the
ground of this wall is a grating which
is supposed to indicate the proximity
of the officiating priests chambers. A
portion Of the pillar on which were
placed the copical balls is behind the
group, and a little further back is
shown the cylindrical goal. Spacious
as the building seems to be, it is not
regarded as an exaggeration, for ac-
cording to early writer's this circus was
several times enlarged, until at the
time of Julius Caesar it was over eigh
teen hundred feet long. six hundred
feet wide and capable of containing
three hundred and eigilty-fve specta
tors. The COLISEUM at Rome, which
had capacity for holding about
eighty-seven thousand people, was
therefore not more than one fourth as
large as the Circus Maximus. Rogers
statuettes displayed in the annex de.