Evening star., 1877-12-29
4RT NOTES.

Mr.. TheOdor kalfmann, who perhaps more
thoroughly than any other artist now i'm this
country represents the German school of art.
is engaged on a largc painting representing
the assassination of President Lincoln. The
point of view selected is the rear of the stage
box in which the Presidential parry were Sit
ting. looking over the group anG ont between
the curtains upon the other side of the theatre.
The time chosen is just after the firing OF the
fatal shot, with the assassin jumping from the
baluStrade of the box to the STAGE, from
which he made his escape. The task assumed
for himself by the artist is an exceedingly diff
fcult one, since all the light in the picture
must come from the centre of the picture
itself, instead of behind or from one side as is
usually the case, hence the management of
light and shade as well as of colOrs is a matter
requiring the highest technical skill. In the
tier of seats on the opposite side OF the audito-
rum a number of persons prominent in lhili-
tary, civil and social life at the time are intro
duced, the portrait in each case being easily
recognizable. OF course, few if any of the>,,
peopie were present at the time. but il is
thought. and no doubt correctly, that the i'll
PRODUCTION of such portraits in the picture viii
give II greater historical value in future
years.
- The newly bought paintings. from the
Olyphant collection. have arrived at the Cor
coran Gallery. and will be placed on exhibi-
tOn early next week.
- Mr.. Poole is engaged on series of por-
traits of early Grand Masters Of the Masonic
Il
The Grand Lodge After he fills this order,
Mr.. Poole will go To Florida where he expects
To spend the latter part of the winter.
At a sale of pictures belonging TO the late
II. ID. Newc0mb, of Louisville. which took
place in New York last week the following
named paintings brought over Sl.000 each:
Hound" by Rosa Eonheur. $500; Carnival
OF Venice. by Call Becker, S2.l3j: Royal
Procession to the Towet," byJ: NJ. w. Turner.
sl.159; Halbardier," by MeiSsOnier, sl.6CJ:
.lI...r. q. l.x-l H,It
by Iiem, s,jC0: Roman Lady by Alma
Tadema, sl.275; "Street Scene in Grand
Cairo" by Gerome. s. 80; Early Morning in
the Highlands" by L. Sidney Cooper. Sl.I0O:
sheep" by NerbHckhovcn. SI.G2j. Eifty-SiX
numbers were sold. producing in the aggre.
gate S}I9+0.
A question OF considerable interest 10
both portrait painters and their patrons has
recently been iudicially determined in France.
The court decided that preliminary sketches
and studies for pO trait taken by an artist
remain his properly and may be retained as
souvenirs by his heirs, in ease of DEATH but
that they can neither he sold exhibited AZ
terward without the consent of the other pal-
ties interested.
An exquisite wafer color drawing by
Holmes may be seen at SolomonS s. Chapman'S.
Mr.. Holmes is always happy in water colOTS.
and this biz ot peculiar Colorado landscape i
one of his best and strongest efforts.
- The whole number of visitors at the Cor
cofah Gaitly last thursday was lHs. of
whom over 400 attended the evening eXhibi-
ton.
Not the least interesting and valuable
contribution Ia the many agencies for elevat-
ing the artistic taste of the public. intro
duced in Washington this year. is the stock
OF hciiOtype prints exhibited by MeSSr>. Solo
mons 4 Chapman. These pctureS are rae
SfHides of the finest en"rayin .S. some of which
are very rare and of course quite expensive:
but 10y The aid OF this wonderful process they
are afforded AT price which literally brings
them within reach OF all They are well worth
an eXaInination.
A singular and altogether inexpIicabe
error occurred in the paragraph i'll this col
umn last week relating to the casts Vt certain
bronze doors recently secured by hmiil6rSt
College. In the face of abundant knowledge
OH the subject. the works of the late Mr.
Thomas Crawford and those of the late Mr..
Randolph Rogers were curiously mixed up.
The mistake was doubtless corrected mentally
NJ the time OF perlSal by most of our local
!, adeTS familiar with the matter: but for the
SAX OF Hose II a distance not cOgnizant of
the facts il ought 10 be explained that the
Crawford doors are on the east front of the
north. OF Senate, wing OF the Capitol. while
those of Mr.. Rogers are at the east front of
the Totunda, or main entrance of the building.
The iOrmei Were east at Chicopee, and il is 4
plaster east of these that has gone to Amilersi
Those modelled by Mr.. Rogers we're cas-, al the
celebrated Muller foundry in Munich. and il
was for them that the words of praise, i'm the
paragraph above referred to were intended