New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-05-27

the ground a SQUAD OF snafpsnooters Is procuring
the rest of the troop and advancing cautiously along
the crooked, blood stained lane. They have paused
and are scanning the lay of the land in front of
them-the leader checking them with backward
movement of his hand, while be listens to urchn
who has come up to speak to lima patriot of
thirteen, in blouse and muller doing his boyish best
to be useful, and give damaging information
This boy, with his light. small body, so well indi-
Gated beneath his thin blouse his cold red face, his
hand in bis pocket, his scanty trousers is the great
success of the picture in the gesture with which he
points eagerly and modestly, down the street there
is something slngularly vivid and true. On the
right in the foreground Prussian lancer and his
horse have lately tumbled head foremost though
they are not yet cold they are pitifully
and awkwardly dead. couple OF the
sharpshooteIs are glancing down at them
as they pass, with different expressions -
/" It served him right" in case; ITS bad
business at best" In the other. These men are all
admirably studied. On the left gendarme, badly
wounded, has collapsed against garden wall
through the open gate of which man, peeping ont,
is trying to drag him in. In the rear, through the
gray snowy air the rest Of the chasseurs are coming
up. The picture is remarkably perfect and com
plete-a page torn straight from unpublished his
tory. The variety and vivldncSs of the types the
eXpTeSSlVentSS OF the Scenc WITHOUT touSH w
exageeration or grnace, the dismal chill of the
weather. the sense of possible bullets in the air. the
fun man-sze of the little figures the clean, consum-
mate brlliancy of the painting, make it work OF
which nothing but good is to he said.
The picture which will appeal most strongly
to the inner circle of observers-those who
enjoy first-cass method more than an ell
tertaiuing story-is unquestionably the much
noticed, the already famous " lnteriour dAtelor
Of NJ Munkacsy. 1t divides with one other
work, to my sense, the claim Of being the most
mastery piece of painting i'll the Salon. The other
work is portrait of which will presently speak.
Meanwhile NJ. Munkacsy. who is Hungarian with
a Partisan reputation already established, comes SO
near the absolute of solid and superb painting that
il little matters how we settle the question Of pre-
elnnencc do not know when | have seen piece
Of artistic work of any kind which struck me as
having so purely masculine quality. Nj. Munkac-
sy's painting is strong a rich barytonc
voice is strong in The same personal and closely
characteristic way. Imagine the barytone voice
admirably educated and master of every secret
and mystery of vocalisn, and the analogy is com
plcte. NJ. Munkacsy belongs to the school OF
painters for whom a subject is supply any hand
sor1e Object MISUNDERSTANDING materially paint
able lie does not resort to history OF mythology
for his themes and il doubtless seems as absurd to
him that YOU should have to look at picture with
one eye q literary paragraph IN catalogue. az
that you should listen to a song with one ear applied
10 a tube into which a spoken explanation should be
injected His subject here is simply a handsome
woman in a blue velvet dress sitting in profile be-
fore an easel on which stands small landscape ana
If man the painter HIMSELF lounclng against 4
table between her and the easel. The lady IL bent
forward her hands are pressed together III her lap
she is looking intently and approximately before
her the artist, who is in hight drab garments pre-
scnts his full lace, but turns 10 slightly aSkace ana
eyes his work more critically. There is nothing
here very and strange and yet tie picture -
admirably full and rich. IL u composed IN what
believe painters cali extremely low key-It Is an
extraordinary harmony of the deepest tones. unre-
Ieved by n touch of light color or by moro than a
CLEAN of HIGH light. Ard yet in spite of the sort Of
unc;uous brown cavern Of which the studio seems
nj Gr Ia consist You presently perceive that there
is nothing clcap or brutal ina the artists dussy ac-
cuuuatuns OF color, that every ,hing IS defined,
harirouized and made To play part. The paint
Ing has Incompatible breadth and freedom. and yet
all its rich bold brush work has been admirably
wrought, and II were melted together. lhefc
are alnos: no sensible lines anywhere and yet there
Is no sensible evasion Of line il is rare To see
picture In which draugitmanship is 50 envelOped
and unified In color. There is plenty oi detail, ana
vet il is all detail in such warm, fluid ju@iaposion
that Won are conscious OF il only through your gen
eral IMPRESSION of richness. The heads are adj
mrable-full of sodtv and relief; the only com
plaiut to he made of them is that they are painted
to much in the same tone and on the same level
as the uaniuate parts of the picture. little more
rosiuess a litt.o infusion of light, would not have
.poilcd them The blue velvet dress of the lady H.
however. tie great triumph. 1t IS one OF the most
interesting pieces of frppcry that | have seen IN
many a day. and the way il is painted Is sort OF
resume OF the manner of the whole picture. IL Is
the work of a man VINO stands completely outside Oh
it and its superficial appeals, and has, gardng ia
texture and tone Il vision, Judgment and con
victon Of his own. THIS second solution, az the
apothecaics say, of blue velvet tribe faded and
worn has peculiar charm. meant to add word
about the magnificent portrait Of NJ. WALTON, the
late Minister of Public Instruction, by NJ isas'ie-
Irpagc-the gem, 10 NY mind, OF the exhibition.
Rui shall i've OBLIGED. with your Pcrnission to de-
vote another letter to the salon, and defer nay re-
marks | snail not be SOFT, Oh tine ground oil not
having vet committed myself 10 utteranoe about H.
TO 20 and lOok ut tie picture again.
Henry JANIS, JR.
TIE PRINCETON CREUS.