, 1876-06-04
EUROPEAN GOSSIP.
The Paris Salon.-.Dore's "christ's
Entrance into Jerusalem"
sylvestre's "Locusta Trying the Effects
Of Poisons Before Nero"
High Value Of Old China. .-Tho Daily Life
OF Victor Hugo.
THE PARIS SALON.

sculpture, 2,095 pictures. For simple brute
size colossal canvas by Gustaye Dore carries
OFT the palma canvas presenting to us NJ
I Dore's conception OF "Christ's Entrance into
] Jerusalem" I do not see what old
memories Of admiration for Gustare Dorn's
| genius in the days when he treated
| it with common humanity should avail to make
an even very amiable critic hesitate to speak Of
! this as q rather shameless performance. II.
Dore treats his genius now as you wouldn't
| treat tough and patient old cab-horse. 1 know
OF few spectacles more painful in the annals Of
art. Imagine colored print from the supple
ment OF an illustrated paper magnihcd 4
thousand-fold and made to cover almost q
whole side Of great hall, and you have N.
Dore's sacred picture a vast, garish crowd is
spraw1ing on its knees over mass Of palm
boughs, in front OF a pasteboard colonnadc,
through one OF tho arches Of which figure
which q sehool-boy might have daubcd advances
On IN ass. There Is no eolor-or worse than
none-no drawing, no expression, no feeling,
no remotcst hint Of detail; nothing but IN I'M
mense mechanical facility, from which every
yestigc Of charm and imagination has departed.
But 1t is really very nat( on my pa1t
Jeanne d'Arc. by 81 alontchabron, bound
ing over agglomcratcd corpses, brandishing
her sword and hcroically screaming; I don't
know what sustained the artist through the exc
cution OF this rery spacious work,-it was not
ceiling, by Il. Bin, full of elegant muses. and
foreshortened lute-players; O. Bins picture,
which Is meant to be above one's head, horizon
tally, is hung against the will, and the specta-
ly, had lost his proper standpoint imputa-
ton which he fcsents by not admiring the pict-
ure as much, perhaps, rs he ought to do).
The striking picture Of the year, and the one,
visitors to the Salon attribute most talent, is 4
great subject BY II. Syiycstre-" Locusta Try
ing the Effects Of Poisons Before Nero" As a
subject the thing is detestablc, inasmuch as it
allows almost no chance for beauty; but as an.
;s and picturesque piece Of p2hnt
reality with good deal of Arrangement,
1t is remarkable success. suppose the
picture il marked for the medal OF honor,--ora at
seated, leaning forward, with his elbow on the
back OF his chair and his hand over his mouth,
watching the contorttons Of slave who, ex-
tended on the pavement, is expiring in agony
spectator, is seated the horribla Locusta,
descanting upon the properties Of her dose, her
face turncd toward him, and her arm, with
STRANGELY familiar gesture lying across
his knsfths ,nd snwh,Fs Of the out
point to her explanation. She IS q gaunt,
swarthy Gypsy, half naked, and with the profile
Of murderces. Nero Is both listening and
Watching, aud the grave intent, inquisitive de-
sRieve1 Rst 4cndsqed S 1s fhs s3s M
the sinister chattiness ~ Of hisprecous couple,
is indeed in high degree effective. But the
strong point Of the picture is the figure Of the
victim Of their interesting experme1t,-
rible spasm upon the polished marble
pavement. This is strong drawing and
strong painting, and it does great honor to
the young artist. The man is Il magnificent fel
low, in bis prime, with fair beard and yellow
head-cloth, and be stretches ont lis arms with
au asonized movement which Is at once very real
and very noble. 1nto this figure, indeed, the
painter has introduced l. certain element of
beauty,-it has great breadth aud yet much de-
et1ansss e Great It si u Il ana x5s H. Pet Pesy nte te
gent. But there Is something vulgar in the
way the picture Is lighted, something coarse in
its tone, something in the elect 1t produces that
falls below the talent that has been expended
upon it. u. Sylyestro is not painter who sets
you dreaming about his future. The same sub
]ect has been treated by another artist, N.
Aublet, with inferior, although with noticeable
skill. NJ. Aublet gives Liz three or four poison |
S dereat aei ataGe nsgg ths aSsr cees as ; ssh
ping sf9,etsfne ont after eGegSef % Ths sG si-
pic jest is not heartlcss, inasmnch as u.
Aublet's slaves do not produce lively impress |
sion Of reality. His picture is fanled on each
side by an equally huge and much less clever
scene Of tortl1rc,-one,a eo-calcd Diversion Of |
a Courtesan,'-a lady, reclining on q gigantic |
couch and watching a slare bleed to death at |
he1 feet 4 recommend the subject), the other
blood and mcdiocrity. 1t il u charming trio, |
and 1t is great pity it should not be seen BY |
those critics in Berlin who affirm that French |
art is ehietly remarkable for its cruelty.
If N. Sylycstre's picture is the most impress I
sive In the salon, l have no doubt that the most
popular will be- the contribution OF ". Detaillc,
the admirable military painter. It is indeed al
ready, Of ail the pictures, the most closely sur
It is called SEN Reconnaissance" and repre-
sents battalion of chasscurs coming into VII
lage street in which 4 cavalry fight has just
taken place and scattered its trophies over
the ground. 4 squad of sharpshootcrs. is pre-
cedi1g the rest Of the troop aud advancing eau
tiously along the crooked, blood-stalned lanc:
They have paused, and art scanning the lay OF
the land In front OF them, the leader checking
them with backward movement Of his hand,
while he listens to an uTchin w19 - has "a % come up
muiller, doing his hoyish best to be nscful, and
give damaging Information. This boy,
With With his Tight ba.,t small al t5n RGdy bo,s 50
ulS ElldY iEA AhGI3 LID lAIAA III |
bis pocket, his scantJ trousers, is the
great success Of the picture; in the gesture with
which he points eagerly Gnd modcstly down the
street there is something singula1ly vivid aad
true. On the right, in the foreground, Prus.
sian lancer and his horse have lately tumbled
head foremost; though they are not yet cold
they arc pitilnlly and awky,ardly =, dead couple
IS they pass with different expressions
. II served him rgt - in one case; :. It's bad
all admirably studied. On the left i gcndarmc,
badly wounded, has collapsed asalnsta garden
peeping out, is trying to drag, him in. In the
.hasseurs are coming up. Tic picture is re-
narkably perfect and complcte,-a page torn
straight from unpublished history.
OLD CHINA.
Some idea Of how old porcelain gets its fcti-
;ious value tan be obtained (says the american
Register, Paris} from a curious case just decided
IN one Of the tribunals Of the Seine. In 1872
The Compte de Juigne, member OF the French
Assembly, made up his mind to sell q fine col