American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-06-17
PHILADELPHIA LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.


The OIL paintings and water colors
pf the Austi ian collection, in the
East Room of Memorial IiaIl, are
at attracting the attention and admir-
a,ion of connoisseurs those who
pass hastily through some of the
other rooms, linger i'll this, and re-
turn again. The chief picture of the
Austrian collection, that which
from its great size as well as from
it's excellence as n work of art, has
won the reputation of being
the most valuable painting on exhi-
bi ion is, l believe, for sale but, it
it is too large for most private gal
leries, and it is thought it will not
be allowed to leave Memorial Hall.
or that it will be purchased by the
{'oreoran Art Gallery at Washing
ton, which has, 1t seems, a large
surplus in its treasury for the pur-
chase of paintings and statuaIy.
The subject of this picture is
"Venice dong homage to Catherine
Cornaro. This lady was of aristro
cratic Venetian origin, and was
MARI led to jacob II, King of Cy-
prus on the death Of her husband
she abtlicated the throne, made a
free gift of her realm to the Venetian
Republic, and returned to Venice.
while still young woman, to spend
the remainder of her days.
The picture represents her recep-
ton by the refined and elegant pop
ulace, and it is difficult to tell which
is the moro atlmirab'e-the regal
grace and refined composure with
which the ex-Queen accepts the
floral tributes Of the young Venetian
iadirs-O, the expression of digni-
fed admiration, gratitude and high
bred courtesy wonderfully and un-
monOtonously sustained in forty
different faces and poses. The
figures are lite size, the canvas is
well filled, but not crowded, and
the harmony without mOnotony.
variety without dIscord is u remark.
able triumph of artistic genus. 1t
was painted by John Markart Of
| Vienna.
Two pictures, by Francis Rumpler
of Vienna, ''The Two Friends" and
''The Laughing Girl" attract much
attention from cOnnoisseurs. In
the first IL young girl, Ivy no means
pretty, but having pretty teeth,
with which (Rosseau for authority
no woman Can be homely, is laugh.
ing with the charming Stiffness OF
girl at the relation of the contiden.
tial intelligence brought by her
friend. "The Laughing Girl" which
is a larger picture, much in the
same style, was perhaps a study FL
this picture. 1t is well known that
it is very difficult to depict the
human face when distorted by
mirth, but the artist has succeeded
both these pictures and the effect in
is pleasing.
s.The newly elected Mayor" by
Francis Schams, of Vienna, is a
spirited painting and very effective
in expression and colOring. The
tailor, upon whom has been CON
ferred the distinction, is "a Bonapart
list, 1.-THE scene is evidently in a
French town., we infer from pic
tire Of Napoleon I OH the wall. He
sits cross-legged upon his sartOrial
throne, sewing the last stitches in a
red coat He is of course much
surprised by this demonstration OF
deputatiOn of his fellow townsmen,
accompanied by band of music,
and lie will forthwith appear afi,l
deliver the verbose speech which he
has long had in pickle for this
suspicious occasion. The pict ure is
sufficiently exquisite in its gr3tesque-
RE md graceful in its sarcasm Ia
have been inspired by the Caesar
BirOteau of BalZac.
There are other pictures in this
collection OF one hundred and TWEEN
ty eight that deserve Il more OK
tended notice than l have space to
give them now. Two pictures by
John Canon, of Vienna, one gin !
with fruit, and the other u page.
will be sold only together. The
price asked is $4,000 each. They
are both of much power in pose and
expression, and of very delicate
finish. A Moor and his horse by
| Gustavus Wirt;iemer. attracts gen.
praI as we'll as cultured attention.
1t is a life size painting of great
breadth and holiness.
The two best specimens in water
colors are the Cathedral in Orvieto,
and the Constantine Arch in Rome,
both the work of Ralph Alt, IL
Viennese artist. 1t will be impos-
sible to give in my limited space an
adequate impression of the power
full and exquisite treatment of either
of these subjects. They are hung
in the small corridor in the rear OF
the French Department of Memorial
Hall, and no visitor should omit
seeing them. ConnOisseurs are
unanimous In the opinion that they
are among the bes. specimens OH
exhibition.
1 have been at some pains to
write ola few of these pictures which
have reason to know ar" of high
excellence. It has become the
fashion among the improvised art
critics of the press, and of the New
York city press especially, to speak
in sighting terms of all the foreign
pictures on exhibition, or to damn
them with faint praise. These
same gentlemen have gone into
raptures over dinner at the French
restaurant at which they assisted in
the role of dead-ffGadS. and the