New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-05-27
ART IN FRANCE.
, ,,,.rrp FROM HENRY JAMES. JR-

,,rerPF's PORTRAYAL OF NERo-EXCELLENCE VI
n pEru;LE's WAR SCENE
ppcuLAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
p,,,s Nav 81 find no difficulty to-day in
x..;dpc what to write about; for ehronic'ers ana
..rters there is only one possible subject Inc
the 93d in the history of the institution
orened few DAYS since, and all the scrlbbleTs are
,ondinp their pens Ihaye paid three visits to the
palois dc IIndus.rie lin which the exhibition Is heiuI'
and have, bclicve-from my own point OF Wow
.eparated the sheep from the goats ana eSLiicu '0
tight to attempt some coherent discourse. ~ SccnN
at first as if cohercncy in ones impressions "od y"
dow TO arrve the first effect of so vast an array Vi
pictures pervaded by high average OF cleVefheSS'
Il most bcwldering and confoundlns' Inc N'ion
this year is very large; there are eAci"S''o "
drawings and cartoons and without Il''Nihs ih'"
ton of sculpture, 2,005 pictures Inc losu-"'i'n
enacted during the present year. IN virtue Vi "i'"
an artist has a right TO exhibit but two WORKS. mas
ofoct of reducing the exhibition nuneri-
Ii, IL contains upward of n hundred pictures
mr. than that of 1875. IL is, moreover, not OF eX-
centiopal brilliancy the number of works which
make landmarks in its long-dTawn extent is not
large. Il is hardly more than fair average Salon
though it must be added that it may be Only this
and vet leave a lively impression Of ceverness
upon the Angio-SaXon visitors.
Amid such chaos OF productions IL ls htId 10
luoy how 10 measure conflicting claims what to
sneak of first. The easiest course Is perhaps to let
;nne size take precedence, and to dismiss ut once
What are called the "machiucs" of the exhibition
Jorre mixtures in France are usually spoken of as
6o Ia ,cjpf,c de style; properly constituted Salon
must have a certain number of them; they are q
sort of propitiatory Offering TO the "Mgn-tohcd
Muse This year there are great many such olIc'-
iups but in each Of these quality and quantity are
10 nv sense more than over divorced. For simple
br,te size colossal canvas by Gustave D0re carries
off the palma canvas presenting TO Va NJ poros
couception of "Christ's Entrance INTO jerusalem
lido not see what old memories of admiration for
crs4,ve Dorf'e genius in tie days when he treated
II with common humanity should avail to make an
cyen very aniabe critic hesitate TO speak OF this as
rotbor shameless performance N. por6 treats his
0enius now as you wouldn't treat tough and
natieut old cab-horse; | know of few sD,etaccs
moro painful in the annals of art. Imagine col
ored prnt frcm the supplement of an illustrated
naper lnaznifed a thOusand-fod aHd made TO cover
almost a whole side of q great hall. and YOU nave
NJ D0rCs sacred picture. vast, garsh crowd Is
sn-ayyIiu- on its knees over mass Of p2lm-bOugh~
in front Of q pastcboard cOlonnade through ono OF
the arches Of which figure which schooi-boy
might have daubed, advances on an ass
There is 10 c0lOr-or worse than nohe-ho
drawing, no expression, no feeling, 10 reinOtes1
hint of detail: nothing but an immense
mechanical facility from which every vestige OF
charm and IMAGINATION has departed But it is
really very na1 on my part to be 50 explicit There
Is an immense Jeanne dare by NJ. MontchabTon,
bounding over ag-loneratcd corpses, brandishing
her sword and heroically screaming; | don't know
what sustained the artist through the execution OF
this very spacious wOrk--it was not the force oi
talent There is great canvas representing " IEr-
Iony," for governmental ceiling, by NJ. Bin, fnil
Of elegant muses. and fOresE0rtcncd luie-piay els;
81 Bins picture, which is meant to be above ones
head horizontally is hung against the wall, and the
spectator in consequence is made 10 feel as II ne,
tipsily had lost his proper standpoint-an Hnputa-
ton which he rcscntS 10y not adn:rEg The picture as
much perhaps, rs hc ought to dol. There Is bril-
liant and elegant group from Aricsto 10y NJ. Joseph
Blanc-the dcllyerance of Angelica from the sea
monster-the most agreeable to my mind, Of the
biz. uctures Ii is kind Of picture which leaves us
cold but it is very good Of It's lInd-pMnted IN a
high. light tone full of pigks and light blues ana
other elegant tnts but with great deal OF skill OF
arrangement and refinement of taste. III Is TIE only
one of the "tablcaux dc style" which seems 20 me- 10
possess much s,yie. Style * what n. Tomato, who
paints in quite a different tone, and affects intense
browns and powerful shadows, las aimed at IN his
"Orestes and the Furic5." He las only half III. It,
4
vigor and Heterogeneous.
1hesrking picture OF the year and the one, proba-
blv. to which nneteen-twentieths Of the visitors to
te salon attribute most talent is great subject by
NJ. Sylvestre-a "Locusta trying the cGecis of
poi.ons before Nero" As a subject the thing Is de-
testable nasmuch as il allows almost no chance for
beanty: but as an accomplished and picturesque
niece Of painting Of the younger, larger ana
richer Academic sort, combining a good deai
of reality with good deal OF arrange
ment it is a remarkable success. l suppose the
nirure il marked ff the medal of hCnOrOr at least
for the first medal in painting. Nero is seated, lean
Ing forward with his elbow on the back OF his char
and his hand over his mouth, watching the contor'
tons of slave who, extended on the pavement, 10
expiring IN agony before him. Beside Inn, ana
nearer tic spectator, is seated the horrible Locusia,
deScauting upon the properties Of her DOSE her face
turned toward hun and her arn with strangely
familiar gesture, lying across his knec-the move
Eent of the outstru.chod hand meanwhile giving
,oint to her explanation. She is a gauut, swaIt.iy
eypsy half naked. and with The profile of murder
ess Nero is both listening and watching, and the
grave intent iaqus.tiye deprly,y OF his dark fat,
Youthful face is very cleycily rendered. The por-
entous familiarity the sinister "chattincss" OF this
precious couple is indeed in high degree elective.
But the strong point OF Tie ri tufc Is the figure OF
the victim of their intc-c. ,- NicIIieht--thc save
who is writling in horrible spasin upon the pol
sled marble pavement This is strong drawing
and strong PAINTING and it does great honor 70 the
young artist Tie man is magnificent fellow, in bis
prime, with "a flir beard and yellow head
cloth. anG lac str tcaes out his arms WIN
sgoaizci movement which 10 AZ once very real
AID very noble. In;3 this Ggdrc, indeed, the painter
has introduced certain cep:cnt OF hclUty--it has
great breadth and set much detail g;aat solidity