The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-01-19
Art, Music and the Drama.

-~SAO anu tuC DIdulds
Mr. Drury Fortnum has made an important
auuition 10 the collection in the South Ker-
s'nsVon Maseum oil the wax models by Michael
Angelo, by the loan of a medallion portrait in
wax, OF the great master, at the age of eighty.
eight, taken from life by Leo Leone, in 1862
from which he afterwards executed a bronza
medal. This portrait is in wax of flesh color
In TaAeoo, on black oval ground. It was evil
dentiy the original portrait, which Leo Leone
afterwards modelled in a somewhat larger size
Ior the medal he executed in bronze. At tbe
oack OF the portrait is the inscription aRitrat.
10 d' Michelangiolo Buonaroti, fatto dal Nat
uraie da Leone Aretino suo AMIGO" The way
cameo and inscription are both under glass and
hermetically sealed. By the side of The wa,
portrait hangs the bronze medal.
The Antigone of Sophocles was experimepted
with reeently at the Crystal Palace at Sydeu-
nam, not with distinguished success, for II
need hardly be said that the dignity of the an
tique could not be conveyed to the modern
stage. 1t, however, gave our countrywoman.
"eneVieve Ward, a rare opportunity to display
her heroic quality. A correspondent of the
ne" fork Tribune says: ''She has played An.
ugone with the serious grace and reserve and
occasional force called for by the text; and her
stately hgure, her large fine features, and deep
contralto voice, suit. we'll the sad and queenly
heroine. By dint of quiet, yet passionate SIM
piicity, she has succeeded in making Antigone's
lament before her living entombment really
enectiYe piece OF acting, and that was not an
easy thing to do" The drama was accompa-
nied with Mendelssohn's music in unison for
Ine seven rhnrnS""' '~.it.s- 90 ye~-s ESQ, .hs
order of the king of Prussia. It,did not save
the classic from collapse.
art circles in Cincinnati are considerably
excited over the discovery of what Is probably
genuine Murillo among lot of rubbish lately
offered for sale in that city. The stuff had
years ago been the property of a wealthy Gin
cinnati family, and was pronounced of little
or no value by the auctioneer who proceeded
to knock it down to the highest bidder Mr..
Leon Van Loo, who is familiar with old pic
lures IN the churches, palaces, and galleries of
Europe, rescued from the lot q picture, and,
bidding ~ for it, it was sold to him. The pic
ture was covered with sooty dirt and literally
splashed with whitewash. When these were
removed and the color brought out with fresh
touch OF mastic varnish, the purchaser was de-
iighted to tnd that he was in possession of
masterpiece of composition. drawing and color,
whether copy or an original, and intrinsically
worth hundred times the sum he had paid
for it, A photograph of the treasure revealed
certain letters which proved to be the initials.
or rather monogram, which Murillo, according
TO the best authority, gavei to his work. The
foreground OF the composition contains o dis.
tinct group OF three figures, apparently Sainte
Anne, Child Virgin, and winged cherub bear
ing wreath of flowers. From rent in the
clouds above, where another cherub face ap-
pears, flood of yellowish golden light pours
down upon the group from the right, tinging
everything with rich, warm glow There is
thought to be an abundance OF evidence to
show that if the painting is not Murillo's own
work, then the work of some disciple of his
school, who has here left a painting not un-
worthy of his immortal master.
In the course of time the sources are brought
nearer together. Beethove n, for instance, did
not have to study all that Mozart-nor Mozart
all that Handel-nor Handel all that Pales-
trina had written, because each had In turn
absorbed the work of his predecessors. From
one composer alose is there always something
fresh for every one to learn, and that is John
L
Rossi is acting Hamlet in Paris, aud very
unevenly, says Hamilton Aide in the Academy.
He looks well in the role, but If Rossi's con.
| cep;ion were accepted, there would be no more
| question as to the princes state of mind, he
would be unhesitatingly adjudged sane. In the
scne with "Ophelia," he urges her to enter
convent with the most serious sentiment and
tender affection, interlarding his speeches with
"povera igliar' "povera fanciullai" At the end
OF the play-scene, Rossi expresses "Hamlet's''
satisfaction with the success of his trap for Clau-
dius by flinging himself on the vacated throne,
aud slapping his thighs violently and repeatly,
crying. "E verol verop' Qts true! it's truel)
In the interview with his mother when the
ghost appears, "Rossi ducks behind q chair
and literally lodges the royal Dane as the shade
advances, creeping round behind the queen.
| Nothing more ignoble can be conceived. At
the end of this scene (another glaring instance
| OF transposed text) he tears his uncle's minia-
| ture from the chain round his mothers neck,
dashes it to the ground ane dances on Ill This,
like the termination of the play-scene have
| described, reused the Partisan audience to rap.
tuous applause
When Carpeaux was young he was very re-
ligious, and while working for the prize of
| Rome, in the studio of Rude, used to fall on
| on his knees and pray to the Virgin whose i'm
| age he was near. He afterwards modelled q
weeping and fainting Mater Dolorosa, de-
scrbed as very melodramatic. with quiyering
mouth and coursing tears. His chef d'euve,
| ''La Danse," was conceived in different spir-
it, realizing as it does, twenty years Of the en-
| pire. His portrait busts are said to be really
/ his best works.