National Republican., 1876-06-01
THE CENTENNIAL.
Ruhamah Among the Artirts.

adVancc 10 eompletloo. In tne gfanu FestlDuls
and hall Of the building statues from Italy, Eng
land and America are being arranged, and un
opened boxes are standing around. The Italian
marbles almost all statuettes Of children, onl,
two life-siEed pieces among them. There is grea
sameness to all Of the works, and no one Of then
is particularly striking. The huge plaster bust o
Washington attracts
A GREAT DEAL OF ATTENTION.
Tho face is not very striking portrait and look
most like q French courtier of the last century
The body is visible to the waist where it is joine<
to the pedestal, and our national bird, with ex
tended wings, stands under and in front Of him
to conceal the joInture. The effect is rather com
ical as there seems to be very natural reason
for the eagle to extend his wings and look SO fero
eious when six feet Of patriotism are pressing hin
down. George holds q roll Of wall paper In hi,
hand, and makes great display Of lace frills ant
one of the kind that Cooper knew, but not such a.
frontier settlers ever encounter. By the way
where is our encampment of live Indians promised
by the Interior Department? Everybody wants tC
see them, and think that the Forty fourth Con-
gress can squabble and strstch all they want tc
among themselves, but that they mustn't inter
scalp-lifters right of.
Within the hall, under the rotunda, besides the
magnificent group Of America, exhibited by the
DouItOn pottery, there is an equestrian statue oi
the President Venezuela, one Of the handsomest
men that ever had statue made The horse. too
",
three legs, with the other gracefully raised In
stead Of rearing and snorttng off of the pedestal
like most Of our national possessions, going to
sleep like the poor little beast General Scott be.
strides. Right under him simper a lot Of Winnie
Ream's insipidities. There Is her miriam. "
which bears such striking family resemblance
the Carnival" languidly lingering a rope Of some
vegetable composition, and
sCANTILY CLAD YOUNG GIRL
called the west" that might just as well be
called anything but "Old Age" for all the expires
sion or spirit that it has. The poor "west'' is
drcadfully dirty, and needs to be gone over with
brush and some soap. For the credit of the na-
ton, the piece Of fnanity called ''Sappho" is not
here, although tremble to think what q day may
bring forth. The Capitol of the nation may even
be robbed of that senseless block of marble, 'tII
Penseroso," )" which has long furnished target for
the expectOrating constituents who assemble in
the old hall Of Representatives. A plaster bust
of Daniel ]. Morrell, chairman Of the art commit
tee is the most creditable thing Miss Ream shows,
and all OF her most successful efforts have been in
portrait busts, where the hand and eye only are
needed, and where she attempts the ideal or high
art at all she Is completely at sea: That sap
pho' is about the greatest wrong that has been
done to the memory Of the much-abused poetess
and one can easily see how perfectly innocent the
artist was Of any knowledge of her whom Alcaens
calls ''viOet-crowned, pure, sweetly-smiling Sap
pho" The idea of calling that idiotc pouter ar.
ter the greatest woman of antiquity could only
Ream. To complete this interesting group that
dreadful "Eve," that disgraced the Corcoran Art
Gallery this spring. faces them.
The workmen who opened II had the taste to
leave it in its box and turn it. that it could not
be seen from the front. / saw the box standing
and went around to look in and almost howled
on to one apple the other arm and apple being
knocked up in the transit. l think the artist is
either Clark Mills or his son, but any one who
saw the miserable thing posted up next to Thor
not soon forget it. The box has been standing in
this way for several days, and a slight hope has
board it up and carry it off before any more see it,
'Nidia,' the blind girl, in Bulwer's Last DAYS
of POmpeii," by Randolph Rogers, stands quite
near this
VALUABLE COLLECTION
IF the Washington artists, and although not a
work Of art is startlingly fine by con-
rast. High upon the wall is a medallion Of Ed
win Forrest, pronounced perfect by his admirers
who have seen him.
The statue, par erceHenee, Story's "Medea.u
has at last arrived, and every one is in ecstacies
,ver it. 1t is still in its box but the lid is off, and
me can get glimpse through the wedges and
braces Of its magnihcently-stern face and noble
iraperies. The workmen took the top off and de-
larted, and, although i waited around in the
,uilding three hours. nothing more was done to
t. and IL will probably be some days before II will
,e properly placed. Miss Foley, the American
has sent bust of the prophet Jere-
niah and one Of Cleopatra. Standing on the
ioor, as they de, it is impossible to obtain any
ort of an idea OF them. There is a sweet bust
Lucia di Lammermoor," by J. H. Haseltine, and
me, by Connolly, of the noble Queen Philippa,"
Who begged for the lives of the good citizens Of
Calais who were sent TO King Edward with the
opes around their necks to suffer for their city
Three immense Seyres vases and one Egyptian
Sirl playing on harp, in bronze, have been placed
n the rOtunda by the French commissioner. The
French gallery Of paintings is barred up Mt pres
mt, as the large Seyres vases are being placed on
'edestals around the room.
Some OF these vases will surely be knocked off
'etore the exhibition is over, and then we ought
Q have the allied Powers after US. 1t makes mo
Nrh II fni- oT
landling and hair breadth escapes they will have
efOre their final crash comes. For the tiepd who
reaks piece OF valuable china nothing can be
90 severe in the
WAY OF PUNISHMENT,
aoney cannot buy. At the tight hand Of the the pas.
age-Way leading TO the French and German
alleries there is a portrait of an old German
uTgher Trt,P thSt Is PeriCSStdy Sdy irresistible Ihs gen
ling little eyes are Offset by breast-plate OF
nail and broad brimmed felt hat, and the whole
hing is briInming over with fun and good living
" course no mention Of it can be found In the
dialogue, for the reason that none of the German
alntings are mentioned in it, and one has to
;uess @ at the he's, subject Of the painting In the
rho is very attentive in explaining the pictures
nd giving the artists Names Facing the door
ray Is large painting Of the Crown Prince and
lis staff, dasnng along on their beautiful horses
I is said that only an American artist can paint
sky, and the fact is forced ,,non one that the
iermans cannot, when one looks around at the
iotflDne atmosphere of the pictures in this gal
,Iy mere isn't sky in the whole collection
hat one could live or breathe under, Next to the
ortraIt of the "Crown Prince and his Generalsr
'+Guttenberg and Faust; ;" .aklngtheir first i'm
ression from lncrapIe types. This and the go
umbus" on the opposite wall have been so often
reated that they lose their attracttveness. "a
'icnic in Asia Minor" is one OF the most attract
re pictures in the room. The afternoon sun shines
n the sea and
CASTS DEEP SHADOWS
{ the cedar trees upon the sandy ground where
he picnic party are preparing their feast. Two
turkish women, all covered up in their quaint
ostumes, stand at one side and watch the doings
4 these strange people. Near it is n little
'cture called "Early Trials, !" where young girl
With the saddest, sweetest face gaEes at you with
Ter haunting eyes. The light on the face is pecu-
iarly arranged, and makes it most striking
,icture. Above it is a ''Storm on the Dykes OF
Holland where the spray is dashing in every
and SHhnS the People climbing m over to the
So perfect is the binding spray from the great
waves that one can almost fancy he hears the
oar and crash Of the waters: "ophelia,p with
hat overhangs the water, and "Nipped Buds"
where female in q purple dress is Standing in
sIaT o BseP ses
# walking on the water with her train spread out
n the most correct manner will satisfy the senti-
lature to make % @ romantic scene. a fine me- Portrait
# Mr.. Bancroft, painted while he was Minister to
germany, heads one end Of the room. At the
pposite end the grand old head Of Abbe Liszt
ommands attention, and 1t only needs a sight of
Ifs wonderful hands to make 1t all that one could
wish.
"Queen Elizabeth Signing the Death Warrant
4 Mary Stuart and the departure of Frederick
7 from Prague after the Battle of White Noun
ain" are the most interesting Of the historical
,ictures. Queen Bess, with her old counselor,
3urleigh, presenting the warrant, is the best Of
he two. In the long passage-way there is an
Eruption Of Vesuvius, )" viewed from q balloon,
hould think, from the way In which the flaming
rater and the streams Of lava are shown. The
Pleading Arthur" shows the poor little English
Prince beseeching his 1ailor not to burn out his
yes as he has been commanded to do by his kind
incle, Richard. The texture Of Arthur's blue
elyet coat is the most perfect piece Of work in the
ferman pictures. Another
INTERESTING PICTURE
epresents a visit of Alexander IL to Josephine.
Iortense and Eugene stand on either side OF their
mother and the little Napoleon Louis and Louis
Napoleon are In front of Hortense. This picture
attractive not only on account Of the execution,
,ut also as containing correct portraits Of one Of
he greatest soyereigns Of his time and line, and
If one Of the most remarkable families that sur
lived the revolution. Of the two 'Surrenders OF
Sedan" one Of them is so poor in an artistic sense
hat bright little American said it was the only
hing likely to console the French for their de-
Teat. In front of the main building, facing Me-
mortal Hall, q colossal statue o. the "American
SOLDIER has recently been erected. 1t is said to
be the largest stone statue ever made-being
.wenty-one feet high and cut from single block
Df granite. The figure Is attired In an army over