, 1877-05-06

e.'ss11 Nc o3u"a} classes for tho h....:
lit OF the laborlng poor, which hare an ,..s .ae
ancc OF several hundred students, A''eaa-
One Of the most extensive and ya1r.t,.
lecttons oil art~works in the world |, a,..~;a so'
IN the halls OF the Imperial Hermftars =. "a
Petersburg. The splendid edince wbIch H.. w. e<
1t vas built By the Emperor N1cuor,. o4ses
opened In 1851. In its galleries are ron... sm
above 1.5oo paintings, upward OF 5o, dr-s.l
aO,O00 coins and medals, 1,800 na}n+.d ~
36l antique sculptures, and the largest - ,ase
OF gems In existence. The Dutch r,,s.s.1 Deaes
nowhere out Of Holland or Dresden ~ ~
represented; the Spanish schools can hc s,,,,s ea
to better advantage only in Madrts asa .e
seville; and as many, or finer, e1amn1., ~
REMBRANDT are not elsewhere to hc :as.s q
gether. The French gallery, conta3n,.s. 70 ".
pictures, is second only to the ra)1ere~ =. ~
Louvre. These collections, brought tocs.t.sa 10
the Hermitage, have been accumulatir, s1e!.
a century, and the Government has ~ 'ns
sparinE of pains to enlarge them On everv ,.sn w.
able occasion.
The foundation OF the Imperial ,n,,rt...
o1 mosaics was result Of the attempts Of II.
| Gar NICHOLAS to make home for the M, -
his Empire After five years Of prc}innfn,.. ~
work at Rome, the establishment Was orranizss
IN 1851 at St. Petersburg. It occupies a ~.
ton OF the Imperial Academy, and emn1or.
corps OF above two score artists and onrr.tt.s.
The mosaics which It produces rival, and .o,.s
times surpass, those made at the workshons -.
the Vatican and Of Venice. "
This brief sketch OF the opulept mean, =.
which the fine arts arc cultivated in Rn.'t'
VIII explain the mystery OF the excellent 80
which she has exhibited in these denartm:n..
Mt home and abroad during the past ouaTts- =.
a century. Still, much as she has a1r.,a.
accomplished, she has not vet fon.4
ed National School of p,;nt.s
Her artists have thus far receifed thet.
hnal education In the schools OF Italy, or Franc~
or Germany, aud have Inevitably in a or...
measure adopted tho styles of their ma.t.r.
Returning to their own country on the comn'..
tton OF their studies, they have too freouent1- =.
continued to work upon foreign suicets and ~.
cordtng to foreign methods, and have faf1pd n
combine in an effort to illustrate the sl,,t.
genius in a manner suited to its natural mi
distinctive capacities for expression, -.
There have been men Of distinguished osntr,
IN inc service Of Russian art, such as BRu1orz. Z
whose great picture Of "The Last Dav Of POM
pe'f'" has won the admiration Of Europe; md
1vAsoPf' whose best works are masterpieces
OF figure painting; and BRuS1, whose pIctul,t {
embeilish the Cathedral Of St. 1saacs: md
Z1cHY, whose versatile talent and cousummat,
dexter1ty have gained him the name Of n. q.
DoRE OF Russia But enough Of these cit,.
tions. More than thirty years ago there rers
nearly sixty names in the catalogue Of Rus.fan
artists that were mentioned as worthy Of nm
ticc, aud since then the number has at fea,t
doubled.
In view Of what Russia has heretoto,,
achieved IN art, an .llustrious career In the IN.
ture may be predicted. Her ambition and her
resources are vast, her energies are fresh, H.
thct1c gifts are not wanting to her people, and
the materials for original and captivating meth
ods OF treatment are abundant in her natiya
scenery and In her semio1iental and picturesque
lie and customs. Indications that these Tfl j:
hereafter be turned to the best account have Of
late years been gradually multiplying, and tha
youngest and most talented Of corps Of Rus
sian artists are criucing hopeful appreciation
Of the elements which await organization into
new and vigorous school of Slavonic mt,
-----
JEFF DAVIS sticks to the st1ost causen with
a pertinacity worthy better man. In bis
speech. at New Orleans the other day he emitted
he following: ave have passed thrnuph ,
terrible ordeal of deprivation. of wrong .nd IN
Justice: and ron hare horne It with a fortttnd,
,nly enualjcfl br thu .ra11antrv aisn1,ved II
-our dcspcrate effort to maintain a canse vh;ch
las been crushed. but not fles1rored. for II r.,
he cause of truth. which il etcrnaln And Il
made the o1d gcntteman fee1 iearfn1 with in ~
Ind that, instead of upbraidinc him. the neonla
hielded him "in the denths of nv adver,;tv
With thu .r,r,, covortn,, - ,~ox. h...t., 80
-, fnsta~ na. sos1 .. soau'eipane' quu.'
."r,,d ~ VI mnass'er .s. IL s &C Igasls eaae
,taso AZ ~ a:', 10y 'u.u po.sEt!ou ~ :ue rm.a'