The New York herald., 1877-12-10

number hung In back room among these the artist
noted an Old dirty looking canvas which, In answer
10 his query the proprietor stated had been LETT In the
place whom he bought the good will Clagus visited
after this daily the cabaret and pretended lively
interest in portrait OF Garibadi which hung near the
old canvas. Though daubod over with dull colors, still
there something In tho picture which attracted the
artist and made him believe that he had found the
jsct or his search at last Finally day when alone
In the room he rubbed Off the crumblng outer coating
from spot and the boldly treated hoad Of little
cupid appeared. Exultan quilted the place. deter.
mined II possible TO the He, however.
Was dying from disease whose climax had been ac-
celebrated by the miserable lie his uurecognized
merits compelled him 10 live. On his deafhbed he
told his friend. chassaignac, musician, OF his dis
covery and asked him TO promise TO buy the picture
which he pronounced the work Of master, leaving
him as legacy his secret HIS friend bought the
for small and brought IL TO the painter
bedside. much to the dying mans content Pointing
to the cherub head, which he had uncovered he,
dying, said, ''sDes mains habiles des mans surcs"
(skilfui hands, sure handsl
The canvas, after lying for some time stored away
was lately cleaned by competent hands as could be
found in Now Orleans. and the present painting
restored head OF OF the cherubs SO much for tho
romantic and somewhat dsjonted history OF Its dis
covery as we have heard IL nov to description OF our
impressions OF The canvas itself
The picture, some thirty SIX inches by twenty In
size, represents Venus in a huge shell being borne
along the waves OF her mother sea by two fritons,
the iurthcrmost OF whom is Justify blowing conch,
while IN front sit two cupids, one bravely padding
and the other starting back from the waves to the
shell as II frightened something in the deeps Tho
name with which tho owners have christened the
picture IS one suggested by M. Placide Canonge, of
New Orleans, In letter he wrote describing II TO an
ARTIST friend ~ Psris-Anadyomene bong conducted
In triumph TO Paphoa
Tue youtnfu far haired goddess, just ripened into
vouptuous roundness Of form holds up before her In
her right hand sprg OF coral and smiles IN anticpa-
tlon oil tho triumphs which await her, perhaps az
some one has suggested, seeing prophetic ancy the
beautiful face and graceful form OF her iuturc
queror, Adonis. With her left arm she holds the
drapery wound about the coutre OF body, and ol
which some folds caught by the breeze float behind
her. The form IL modelled with exquisite grace, the
shadowing perfect ard The colors are cIike even at
this day, very noticeable poIpt being the peary,
biueh opaiescence In tne shadows Verygracefu ID The
finely turned head with its flowing hair, and magnin-
cent 10 the rendering Of tue queenly bust anu the
broad iuxurant swelling expsnse OF the form below.
Hero The living i0rce Of true flesh painting seen,
and a masterIy hand Is Observable in the shading OF
the contours, winch pass by sucn subtle graaations
IRON light 10 shade aud then to reflected light That tha
ignt cannot no separated from Inc shadow AZ any
point whero they would seem to Join. Especially hne
the reelected light tho lett side 0 the bouy and
the legs and arms. IL would seem to US that IN
places here notably The right arm. the ciean
ing has DOT been as eneolualiy performed other
parts the pcture Some OF the outlines have
been made with one bold dash Of the brush the more
evidence that Tie work was that OF sure hand,
oouhdent oil It's strength by long practicc
To tho right OF the lair goddess, moving along BY
j
the other raised with the conch his mouth,
Of the bury, boldly drawn and painted Trons with
pulled up cheeks soothing the waves from the conch
and lost al but occupation The bearded Triton
lasnng the waves with his tail to the lett put his
mantuIly " the spokes. which seem attached TO
the large shell forming the goddess sea anu IS look
ing sideways At their fair mistress IN admiration oil
her just budded womanhood.
Very charming are the pair OF cherubs with their
fat little bodies and expressive faces dashed in with
bold vigorous touch. The one TO Lhssrsht has In
hand bit OF coral rescued from the sea- and clings
hA al nual nPt haP n hAl md
away from the dreaded OBJECT which he sees. HIS
broLner 10 the lett, unmndiul OF all save his mission
and In the pleasure OF the presence OF her he
serves paddles bravsly Over tho two hugo figures
ana OF The youngsters, 10 cast brilliant reddish glow
from the settling sun, probably. These four Agures
have been painted with much less finish than The
figure OF the goddess and are Kept subordinate 10
Thus the almost white, exqusitely shaded and mod
ellsd figure, with It's gracefully painted drpery, stands
well out BeyOnd 10 tho horizon, stretches the sea,
and above the blue SKY. The management OF tho
figures, tue grouping ana the harmony vi lone
very admirable. Tue picture, In MI tho important
parts good condition, tho paint, though scanned
with Vulnerable cracks great age having
dropped of ~ no point, u we may except spot In
tho SKY ana the upper rim OF the canvas, winch is
the work having been dono some time ago.
A Y whole The work Is q very fascinating and
that grove upon you Admiration Tor IL increases
anu points OF interest are discovered u each
visit
As 10 the painting being tho product Of Italian
hand OF the sixteenth century We have no doubt,
every evidence points that way. Whether II be the
work OF one whom wo now know as u master, such
Titan and Tntoretto, critic asseris OF Of
the Caracci brothers. or OF one OF those lessor paint
crs whose fame has not come down 10 US allied with
greatness, but who, nevertheless, painted some
QuIste canvases we do not presume 10 decide. This
can only be determined by direct comparison with
the works vi the Northern Italian schools, and by
finding list OF lost works OF the masters descrp
ton Of this one.