The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-06-28
Wiertz'S Weird Pictures.
BY FREDK HASTINGS.

Brussels is small Paris. Some think
it more pleasant and interesting than the
French capital. Be this as it may, Brus-
sells has one institution which is unique
and which alone is worth the trials OF a
channel passage to see-the Wiertz Mu-
scum. This is not Museum in the Eng
lish sense, but in the Continental. 1t has
no antiquities, no collections of geologi-
cal or chronological specimens, but is
simply gallery of paintings. The
paintings in this Museum are all by one
man, Mons Wiertz. He was man of
great genius, and the Belgian govern
ment allowed him an annuity, giving him
also large, Old-fashioned house, and
left him at liberty to paint what pictures
he liked, on condition that they should
belong to the State at his death. 1t was
good arrangement. Here, on the spot
where they were painted, is large num-
Der of most valuable and suggestive pic
lures. The old red brick house has four
great columns standing alone in front,
but covered with masses of green ivy or
luxuriant Virginian creepers, all brilliant
crimson in their autumn dress. Beside
the Luxembourg Station the Museum
stands. Being in side street, perhaps
MANY visitors would not take the trouble
to find it, but found, they would never
forget it.
Mons. Wiertz was a peculiar genius,
but he had great heart, if one may
Judge from his pictures. The driver of
an omnibus with whom l chatted as we
assembled the steep street leading to the
ID <ofI hot ha ho6 off
had Mons Wiertz by his side on that ON
nibus, that he was small, dark, Spanish
style of man, but very intelligent and
verv much interested in the poor. The
several portraits Of him on the gallery
and the SUI ject, he painted, would In part
confirm this description.
But let us look at some of the pictures.
Here is large one that catches our eye
Immediately on entrance. "A great one
of this world" 1t is very large paint
ing, about fifteen feet square. 1t repre-
sents huge figure bending to smite or
clutch men, women and children. He
has one man by the leg between his teeth,
and one foot is just coming down with
terrific power on number OF Others who
are scrumbling to get out of his way. F.
p. WiertZ was great bater OF the Napo-
Icons and this is how he would satilize
them. "A scene in He'll" is picture of
Napoleon the First arrayed in the we'll
known grey coat and cooked hat, and
surrounded by lurid whitish flames.
Stretching away behind him is an angry
crowd of the bereaved parents, widows
and orphans made through his wars; in
front are numbers of the wounded, and
on the ground heaps of the slain. A
woman j. represented as taking the de-
tached, shattered aud mortified arm of her
husband and thrustingi il into the very face
of the great warrior. He turns livid at
the sight and at the realization of even
small part of the mischief he had wrought.
But what j. that picture of a headl,ss
man9 "Suicide.r The pistol has just
been fret and the body of the man only
is seen in the act of falling, while an an
gel looks on and weeps over the sin. An
other picture still more weird is that
called Thoughts and visions flashing
through a head which has just been cut
off by the guillotiue."
Wiertz had passionate detestation of
war. He sstrizes it in different pictures.
THE civiliz .tion of the nineteenth CEN
tury' is the representation OF soldiers bay
onetting defenceless woman and child.
Food fr cam N" is q huge cannon with
= number If dimpIed children playing
around and in il, ignorant of their future
destiny. The things of the present be-
fore the men of future ages" is very
srge painting Of giants, where bodily
size 10 supposed to represent their intel
lectual greatness--ope Of whom has
handful Of cannon, guns, flag, swords,
drums, and decorative stars which he is
examining very curiously, to ascertain
what pu' p Sc they had served in some
long pat generation. "The last cannon"
il : picture Of angels rending in pieces q
sort Of .-W,nlwich Infant" while prun-
ing forks, . msIlet, . scythe, and Bible
ars shown, having supplanted it. One Of
HE st~tsssses be entities The second
epoeh-Lighf" Here the angel of peace
~ ~ dsmoa of war underfoot and 10