New-York tribune., 1876-06-05
ART IN PARIS.
1ETTrR FROM HENRY JAMES, JR.


NJ MuREAUs ARTISTIC NAGARlBS-1hE LAND
scAPgs AND TIIE srATUAhY.
tv,ov nEcmaAR CORRESPONDENT THE tribune
PARIS. May G-In my last letter gave but an IN
comnlete account of tic Salon. was Obliged TO
leave some of the most interesting works unmen-
toned Among these is the portrait Of NJ. WALTON,
Che late Minister of Public Instruction. By VI. Bas-
ten-Lcpage certainly the best portrait IN the eXh-
bitoR and in certain sense tho most perfect WORK.
Ii is rather dry and literal 1t lacks freedom and
STYLE bat it is a mastery piece of painting, and it
possessls not high at least very solid interest
1t represents an old of sedentary, scholarly
complexion, with bald, rctreating fOrehcad-ihe
forehead retreats admiTably-a pair OF clear, pale
blue eyes, and face puckcred and kneaded and
softly bruised IA il were. by Time. The modelling of
the face The minute detail of the complexion, the
distinct yet subdued relief of the nosc tie vaguely
chaed and froSt-nippod tones about tho inouth-ali
this is admirable. 1t is patient, analytic, unimag-
NATIVE painting but the result is q remarkable en-
preston of reality-a reality which, in the face,
yividly recalls H0lbein. iloibain. however would
have given his subject better body than NJ. Bas-
tien-Iepage has done. There are no ribs or limbs
beneath the black coat and trousers which indicate
the figure the painters skill in modelling seeming 70
have exhausted itself in the face. 1t rovives in
deed, briefly in the hands which are placed fatty.
with strictly historic awkwarlRoss. each of the
knees and are admirable in their notified, elderly
plumpress On the whole, it Is n very fine portrait
in o secondary manner-whlch thiuk is better than
being second-rat work in grand manner. II the
merit of a work of art is to be measured by the
pletencss with which it executes what it attempts,
this performance of II. Bastien-Lepage deserves a
very honorable mention. may well speak al
once OF the other poriraitsOr of such OF them rs
ore worth being cOmmemOrated. The number, OF
course is enormous, ard the cumulative effects OF
so many expansive cIiges, in elaborated toilets, or
in still more elaborate dishabile, each addressing
its own peculiar simpeT TO the promscuons tirong
that tranDs through the exhibition. is no
less irritating than usual. The level OF
oleaTnesS, 80 high in all frohch painting,
strikes me as rather lower in the line of portraiture
than elsewhere nevertheless there Is plenty OF the
oleverness to which 1t is not necessary to aude. NJ
Carous-D aran, the ia hionable portrait painter par
excellence, represents NJ Emile lie Gragdn composing
an editorial at a writing table, and lady in white
ball-dress coming down stairs, with her hand on the
balustrade. Both pictures below his reputation.
NJ dc Girarlins pale face appears TO have been
"enameled' for the2ccasiOn; it is sullused Win
vulgar and unnatural bloom. HIS hands, which are
apparently handsome (lftar the plump French
model are. however. rather skiilfully painted. The
lady on the stairs is q decided failure; her bare arm.
following the line q the 6alaStrdde, takes two or
three twists and tums too many, and her satn-Shod
foot seeking the lower stop, grores downward Ike
that OF a blind person. Add t. this that the lady is
holding up her head with air which sceus 60 pro-
claim that # there are two things in which, more
than in others, she talss parionabe satisfaction,
they are her arm and her foot There is
charming portrait by NJ Baudry of a tall. slim,
deightfuly lady-liko person, seated and looking
at the world over the back Of giliel char;
and there is a representation by NJ. c lbanel OF
young lady of great natural advanages-snowy
arms and shoulders, and yiyidly auburn trcSSeS-
standing very brayely mp 70 display them.
There are pink-fueered ct 6oEf young women by
Chaplin. whom can scarcely approach ior
their admirers, and who look ~ if they lad been
paiuted with compound Of distilled rost-ieaves and
dew-drops. 1t is very light painting certainly;
but great deal OF tal.nt has gene 20 making it
light. Tie talent, however, had better have gone
elsewhere There are two agrecabis aud FOR
woman sufficiently solid portraits by allie. Jaclue-
mart who sprang into fame fcw years since with
aremalkable portrait Of u. Theirs. Bat her present
work would not have made her famous, and will
hardly even keep her 10. She had The misfortune
70 make a hit and she is now payins, IN relative
obscllrty the penalty. One of the most interesting
portraits in the Salon is that of the great Russian
novelist, Tomgu6neiG by % ycuag Rnsain artist OF
high promise, ". HaiianoJ, WHO at.rt ted Hotice
last wear by n remarkable portrait OF Mme. Pauline
Vlarlot. Half the interest OF N. HaGllmoh' $
picture. This year as wel, is in tho admirable
physiacnomy of the model, which would have
offered sovereign resistance to trivial Treatment
but IL is also a very robust and brilliantly simple
niece of painting. NJ T0urgu6nei, clad IN brown
velvet coat Sis with his hands in bis lap presenting
his full face which is parYaded by an air OF intense
and sinister reyere. This expression Is powerfully
rendered but il has the great fault Of lot beng a
of the least irritable OF men of genius. work
which has at the least its share of gazcrs. is lnGe
representation, by NJ Clairin. of Mile sarah bern-
harlt the bright particular star oi the C0medle
Franchise considering the very small space winch
this young lady takes mp in naturc-hcr thnnesa is
quite phenOmenal-she occupies very largo one al
the Salon. n. ClairE's portrait is vast and super
6eiauy brilliant. but really ! think. not above
neliocrity. There is a remarkable white satin
wrapper in which tho actress who is loliing on a
SORT of oriental divan is twisted and enlaused with
something of her peculiar snakc-like grace and
which shines from afar aud there drapcrcs ald
plauts ard rugs, and n great deer-honnd. The only
thing wanting is Nile. Drnhardt herself. She Is
wanting even more IN her second portrait, by MIG
Louise Abb6ma, in which she is standing IN black
walkingdress; and in this almost equally large
work there are no accessories. good OF bad, to make
up for the deficiency.
Al. Bonnat, whose superb portrait Of Mme Pasca
in the last Salon was the picture Of the year, has
added nothing 10 his reputation by his present per
formance-a largo Jacob wrestling with tho An
eelD Two naked athletes in sort OF hesil-colored
cave. are intcrlocking their arms and legs ana
clmcbing their teeth; but neither of them is NOV
ing an inch-NhiCh indeed is quite natural. as they
are composed, 10 all appearance, of roSe-oolored
tn. mic