The Portland daily press., 1877-02-01
Art and Artists.

| trated the works of Charles Dickens, ia
stlil living in London, at the age of eighty-fiye
years. He is still hale and hearty, and as
crioes his vigor wholly to his never having
! drank anything stronger than water He is a
nest earnest apostle of temperance, and can
| not tax ten minutes at time without revert
ing to the evils of strong drink. His works are
now being exhibited in London
| Bongerau, the French painter, is about forty
hve years old, has hgh m assve forehead. and
looks and acts more like a statesman than an
| artist. His studio proper is SOFT of storeroom
for large pictures. He paints in a small,
plalnly-furnished side room. One of his pic
lures, upon which he is is at present engaged.
represents two young girls standing upon the
seasnore and looking out into the gloom beyond
children, so poorly clad, so beautiful i'm form
are very interesting in their expressions of fear
and hope The picture is valued at 81, 800.
Gibson, the sculptor, had curious habits of
reading. he said he did not care about the
works of modern 'scribbers'', but from time
to time he would chance in some unaccount-
able way, upon an English classic, and speak
OF it as If it was something absolutely new.
Il am reading very interesting book called
the Spectator; yes very interesting" he said,
H..
SLOWLY read 1t through from beginning to end
he talked about Sir Rogers, Capt Sentry. and
VIII doneycom6 as If they ere living persons.
very much as did of the Greeks. Iu his devo.
tion to Greek art be became so strongly imbued
with the spirit of classic mythology and history
that he was IN the habit of speaking of the
events connected with both as if they were
matters of recent occurrence. Talking one day
ABOUT Sappho, whose character he was defend
ing, he said, "Yes, Sappho as been maligped:
am convinced that she wa very respectable
lady: yes, very respectable
The personal appearance. a Gerome is very
peculiar. His head, with 81 is deep-set, large
eyes, wild masses of gray hair, and pointed
gray moustaches, is eminently picturesque.
He is as thin as shadow, and is distinguished
for extreme industry, excessive irritability, and
great dislike to visitors the last two qualities
being probably necessary corollaries of the first.
Strange to say, notwithstanding the accuracy
and perfection of his drawing, he has never
succeeded as a portrait painter. His portrait
of Rachel, now in the Comedie franchise and
exhibited at the Alsace-Lorraine Loan Collec-
ton, is mere fancy sketch; it is Phedre, but
it Is not Rachel and it provoked unfavorable
comment by its proximity to the fine likeness
of the great actress by Mueller, which was on
exhibition at the same time. But IN his own
domain he regns in well-ngh unrivaled su-
premacy; aud as he is but ffty-thrss years of
age, and we may hope for many more Chef
q 9uUres from bis vigorous peneil.-Lucy H.
Hooper an Appleton's Art Journal.
genre picture by Rossi, an artist of the
FortuDy schools Mr.. Hasletine's latest hobby.
Its subject is like the opening of fast Fey
deau novel, or risky" high-colored descrip-
ton by Gautier. The scene is a vast library
that looks like the hall of the maps at the
Vatican. A handsome young professor in
black velvet and satin, powdered hair and lace
ruffies is attempting to lecture on anatomy to
two incroyable young women. He stands be-
hind great library table; the forefinger of his
right hand rests tremblingly on skull; he
Looks breathless, and in a state of ecstatic an
guish, as if his thoughts were more on human
female charms than science or memento mort.
The two incroyables are in wonderful costumes
and most audacious positions One is on
chaise Tongue half buried in green satin cush-
ion, and displays provokingly her pretty celes-
tial silk stockings and pink slippers; her grace
full body is hardly hidden by a gauzy, filmy
gowD, and she leans her fascinating little head.
that is powdered and has mob-cab with scar
let ribbons, on a delicious arm and hand. The
other damsel is seated in q great chair, holding
= huge open book; she has on large black
blonde hair black mantle lined with scarlet,
white hchu, yellow over-gown and Pompadour
silk petticoat; her pretty feet and ankles are
stretched out on Persian foot-stool, with blue
silk stockings, black slippers and great strass
buckles. Both look drowsy and demoralized.
Ihe hnish OF the picture is exquisite; you can
look into 1t as on miniature. The accessories
are finely placed and well painted columns
and draperles, Cordova leather screen, rich
Turkish table cover, great books and the map
on the wall of Italia Antiea You front the
picture as from a great open doorway which
leads out into the open air. On the outside
broad marble steps are leaves and all the
fragrant litter of eutstretching tree branches
You can easily imagine that it is a summer
morning with buzzing flies out in the hot air.
and in this library are the drowsy, pretty,
audacious girls, the poor young victim of
professor, whose words are of as much value in
their ears as the drone of the honey-bee on the
outside tiower-beds; and he, poor man, is like
gray moth, which they may catch and fasten
for amusement with pin on a scaret-satin
bow!-Anne Bre,cster in the Ne,o York World.
Very interesting examples of ancient Greek
art have been found in the cemeteries at Cy-
rene, Megara, Cindus, and Tanagra, many of
which are now preserved in the museums of
Europe. These consist of miniature figures In
terra-cotta, often skillfnlly modelled and richly
colored. Prof. Mahafty tells us that 'these
fgurines are ordinarily from eigh: to twelve
inches high, and represent ladies both sitting
and Standing in graceful attitudes, young men
in pastoral life, and other such subjects.
1 saw several collections of these
figures on cupboards and in cabinets in pri-
vate houses at Athens, and was greatly struck
with the marvellous modernness of their ap-
pearance The graceful drapery of the ladies
especially was very like modern dress, and they
had often on their heads fiat round hats quite
oi. tx,I go L
among us of late years. But, above all, the
hair was drawn back from the forehead, not
at all in what is considered Greek style but
rather Ia Eugenie, as we used co say when we
were young. Many hold in their hands large
fans, like those which we make of peacocks'
feathers" 1t is supposed that these images
We're used as toys by children, and perhaps as
ornaments 1t is not known to what age they
belong, but the tombs in which they have been
found are not later than the second century
before Christ. I'VE seem," says Prof. Ma
haffy, necessarily thrown back into classical
days for the origin of these figures, which in
their bright coloring-pink and blue in the
dresses, often gllded fringes; the hair always
| fair so far as L could see-are indeed, like
what we know of old Greek statusry, but in
other respects are, as have Just now said,
surprisingly modern. If their antiquity can
be strictly demonstrated it will but show
another case OF the versatility of the Greeks in
all things relating TO art; how, with the
simplest material and at long distance from
the great art centres, they produced type of
exceeding grace and refinement totally foreign
to their great old models, varying in dress atti-
tude-every point of style-from ordinary
Greek sculpture and anticipating much of
the modern ideals of beauty aud elegance"
The Government of Greece has forbidden the
sale of these figures by the workmen who find
them in making excavations; hence their price
has risen enormously. They cannot be pur-
chased at Atheus for less than from S2C0 to
S4OO each At Tanagra, place difficult for
travellers to reach, they may probably be Sc
cretly procured for much smaller sums, from
persons who have concealed them for private
sale.
One of the most interesting topics before the
italian Parliament is the proposed modifca-
ton of the civil list, or expenses in the royal
household. The King once more asks for the
payment of .debts amounting to $4,000 900