The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-04-17
The CorcOran Art Gallery-Recent Additions

history OF African mlsslons.-N. Y. Observer.
The Corcoran Art Gallery-Recent Additions.
Among the many benefces of Mr.. Corco-
ran the millionaire, there are none that adj
dress themselves so directly to the cultured
public as the art collection which he has es-
tablshed in Washington. For three days Of
the week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Satur-
days, the gallery is open to visitors without
charge, and, on these days, it is favOrite
resort for both the permanent and transient
resident at the Capital. There may be seen
the connoisseur who will stand long in criti-
cal inspection of some picture which to the
unlearned in art is altogether uninteresting
while the unartistic confne their admiration
to those paintings distinguished for breadth,
brightness, and sensation.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,
an admission fee of twenty-five cents is
charged, and, on these days, the gallery is
frequented chiefly by artists, twenty or thirty
in number, who are painting copies OF the
different pictures, or making a study of the
statuary.
There is one picture that seems to be
equally attractive both to the artists and to
the unlearned; there is always an admiring
group before it; many copies of it have been
attempted, and when was at the gallery re-
Gently, two artists we're in front of it with
their easels with copies in different stages Of
completion 1t is a, remarkably expressive
and impressive study Of Charlotte Cordsy at
the window of her prison. The gloomy stone
casing of the window, and the inexorable
iron bars are only accessories. The illumi-
nation is the pale, determined, sad heroic,
face Of the beautiful assassin. The face may
not be true asa portrait, but its fidelity to q
received historic idealsis triumph of art
The emotion excited in the beholder is sym
patty of admiration rather than of pity, for
there is no weakness of hope, or fear, or res
iguation, in the face Of the woman no doubt
that her endurance will not be as victorious
as was her dsriDg. In close proximity to
Charlotte Corday is painting which, from
its grotesque MIXTURE of the serious, comic,
and tragic, mpst have been placed there for
the sake Of contrast Itis called "The Edict
of William the Testy." The subject of the
painting is taken from words of Irving, in
Knickerbocker: "Fipally he issued an edict
prohibiting the use of tobacco in the New
Netherlands The immediate effect of the
edict was popular commotion, vast multi
tude armed with pipes, tobacco boxes, and
an immense amount of ammunition, sat them
selves down before the Governors house and
fell to smoking with great violence. The
testy William issued forth like wrathful
spider and demanded the reason of this law
less fumigation; the stony rioters replied by
rolling back in their seats and pufing with
redoubled fury" Without the Interpretation
of the tex! the picture would be inexpliCable.
The artist has painted large congregation
of men with faces of great variety, but in all
of which the Teutonic phySiognOmy is pro
nouuced, each with pipe in his mouth, and
with cheeks pulled in the act of smoking,
while the petty Governor appears on the
portco Of his house brandishing his edict and
cane in impOtent rage. 1t cannot be denied
that the artist has made the most out of a
contemplate subject, but when nature and
history furnish so many subjects worthier to
be perpetuated; it is inconCeivable how gent.
us can waste itself on any thing so trivial
and obscure. The artist. Mr.. George H
Boughtou, was offered Sc 900, with the priv
ilege of selecting his subject for painting,
and this is what he produced.
A number of new pictures have been re,
Gently added to the gallery, and the general
effect has been improved by rearrangement.
An autumnsl landscape by j. F. Kensett is
a picture of marvellous scope, detail, and
variety. The sunlight falls aSlant an i'm
mense stretch of frost crimsoned forest, while
mountains, lake, and islands extend until
they are obscured in the haze of distance
Artists are enthusiastic in their admiration
of this picture, and they criticise, without re.
morse, painting of more imposing appear
ance, by Bierstadt. 1 have observed that
very few artists will allow that Bierstadt has
real genius, or anything beyond sensational
reputation. His landscapes are miraculous,
almost tragic. 1t is only necessary for him
to paint prairie against back ground of
frs, and green sky, with solitary fox wor-
shipping wild goose in swamp, in order
to produce emotions of admiration in the IN
critical. If Bierstadt and Gustav Dore
should form partnership, the one to paint
impossible landscapes, and the other to fill
them with unearthly figures, the combined
effect would be too intolerable for mortal
vision This painting, which the artist,
With an eye to pecuniary effect, has called
Mount Corcoran, is an idealization Of one of
the snow clad peaks of the Sierra Nevada
range, at The foot of which is little lake Of
such translucent clearness that pebbles may
be sent in it's greatest depths. A grizzly
bear stolls in 'tmeditstion fancy free" tax
ing the place of the conventional solitary
horsemaD, and frightening the impression Of
loneliness. The cbromatic and actinic eff
fects are marvellous; they may be either su-
pernal or Internal, they are certainly not
natural. In the way of landscapes there has
been recent valuable addition. A Tor.
nado, by Cole, and, to illustrate his versa
tility, this painting has been placed in a
group with the two beautiful mediaval land
soapeg by the same artist, that have been in
the gallery since its foundation. The dark
sky and reeling forest of the one is in pow
erful contrast with the quiet beauty, richness
and repoSe Of the other two.
The Corcoran Gallery, with its valuable
collection of paintings, statuary, casts,
bronzes, plate, and ceramics, has supplied a
want long felt at the Capital, its refining and
ennobliDg Influence is appreciated by many
who live here, and it s not too much to say