The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-06
GLIMPSES OF THE EXHIBITION.

| REALISTIC ART-PLAsrER FIGURES IN THE
SWEDISH AND NORWEGIAN DEPARTMENT.
RoTHKnMrL's MoNsrRous PAINTING OF THE
BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.
PHILADELPHIA, August 9, 1876.
There IL certainly q tender place in the average
human heart for Nine. Tussaud and her school, tor
that sort of realistic statuary which makes its
effects with old clothes and plaster Of Paris Mme.
Tussaud deals In old clothes and wax but plaster il
the superior material Wax Is perhaps economical for
when has been hanged 30 long that there
Is more Curiosity a. to bis appearance the gentle
wax will present the features of his In the
public interest, while rigid plaster IL rnyieldng
account In bankruptcy.
In the main building there about thirty figures OF
this or satuary and there is scarcely any single
feature Of whole exhibition that attracts at
tention. The faces hands mado Of plaster, col
orcd with such accuracy that is evidently difficult ios
many realize that they not looking upon the
sunburned iaces Of the real country people. They
touch them to DO sure All these Statues" from
Sweden aud Norway, and thcy are mostly in group
descriptive Of domestic scenes in the n
OF the people. As means Of exhibit
ing the proportions and physical charActe,
OF tho people and their style OF dress these 6gures
admirable, and Will not DO safe to regard Them az
indication Of depraved taste In art Those simple
minded people evidently like statuary, but they like
to be and TO present men they The
max OF classical marble readily understood
In frozen countries.
As means OF exhibiting costume the usefulness Of
this sort OF art Is the SWEDISH department,
where there Is shown in this way, with excellent
effect the uniforms or Swedish soldiers different
periods of the national history. 1t is pleas
ant dip dull Imagination to be sud-
denly ron.ed with tho very presence of soldiers
such as they were when they stood in line before
Dread Pultowas day
When fortune left the royal Swsds.
II Is not to credit nationally, that having tried
hands at this sort OF 'statuary, fall In,
n In. Sen,na mo Sweaes ana Mof~ssans sns
been made IN this same way 10 give vital impression
Of tho appearance Of the soldiers and sailors of the
United States NJ different periods but It Ia melAn.
cEoy failure by comparison with the spirit And effect
OF what done In this small way In tho Swedish do.
partment The uniforms arc there aud OF great In
teres IL pity they were not mounted that that
part OF the display would not look like = cheap shop
for the sale OF readymade clothing
All our sins in the way OF art, however venal
by comparison with what Is TO be in the picture
gallery. There Ii picture OF the battle Of Gcttys
burg painted by person named Rothermcl. As tho
highfautn, heroic novel OF the weeky press Is to
literature ana tho Bowery acts Of blood and thun.
dor TO tho drama so is this picture TO ART Ro.herel
Is evidently ambitious He wanted TO paint a great
picture THIS one is sbou. twenty-five fee. long by
1ftecn high. II that ~ NJ. greatness what Isl
1t is difficult 10 Determine from his style whether
this artist is shade painter or scene painter or
suppose that the light will be the other side to
show through aud this fvors the shade painter theory
There distortions and bold indnerences TO such
details III the human face which seem TO imply that
the object Is 10 DC contemplated from the galleries
the whole, however, We incline to the sign painter
theory. For many generations the Marquis Of CRANKY
Old Put and General Washington have looked upon
, ., w0raa from ,ns', .of'y swi"g front o.
who sprawl all this tremendous canvas Here
we recognize the detsis the technicaties in man,pu
lation Of tho school that produced the Three Turks
Heads, the Pewter Mug, the Goat and Gridiron,
the Indian Queen. and the Fiddle and Tongs Some
cntorprising nnksepors the country parts of Penn
syvaniS should buy this picture and cut the por
trait OF General Meade rearing horse for the deco
ration Of his establishment Il might 10 fortune to
him The remainder OF the canvas would make
mansai for the ship Of fools All the fools Ia the snip
could regard 1t with the consoing reflection that
least they sounder than the who painted that
Every person concerned In the admission Of this Pic
ture should have six months In the most conveGssat
State Prison.