The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1878-07-10
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For THE HERALD.
asROADBREE'S PARIS LET
TER.
NO. 8.

Gerome's Great Bronze Statue---The Art Gal
leries Of the Exposition Life in
J. Paris'-The Grand Opera--An
:. Artists Fate.
=. - .,
At. last the art galleries of the
main building may be saidEto be
substantially finished, but [ regret
to add that the grand palace of the
Trocadero, from which SO much
was promised, is 50 far only a mon
.ument Of that ''Eaulting ambition
which o7erleaps itself and falls on
the other side" One solitary work
of art graces the noble Festibule Of
the palace which, We all supposed,
was to contain an exposition of the
assembled genius of the world
The work I speak of is Waiting for
the Signal, in bronze, by Gerome.
and few nobler works of art are to
be found in the entire Exposition.
The scene is the Roman arena q
gladiator has fallen in the combat
iand his victorious adversary stands
over him with uplifted sword to
give the final blow; the one who
has fallen raises up bis head and
hands with an imploring look Of
mortal agony and fear. The work
is noble, and worthy of the great
artist; but, as I said before, the
artugalleries of the main huilding
are finished, and now, from the
banks Of the Seine to the Ecole
Militaire, it is one continued art
congress of nations. France oc-
cupies considerably more than one
half of the entire ground; and, on
the whole, the exhibition Consider
ing the occasion) is far from salts
factory, while there ale some works
of superlative genius respectable
medioelity prevails, and the pleas
ure which the visitor would other
wise: experience, is msrred by a
gross vulgarity and indelicacy, as
shocking as it is disgusting. I do
not now allude particularly to the
great numbers Of nude figures that
offend the eye at every turn, so
much as the gross sensualism, which
is calculated to brutalize and de-
grade instead Of ele7ating and re-
fning; some of the interpretations
of French art are an invincible ar
gument in the hands of those who
believe in the doctrine of total de-
pravity. Old worn and hackneyed
as I am ; forced, by the necessities
of my profession, into frequent dis
reputable associations I confess !
never pass through this portion Of
the Exposition without a feeling Of
humiliation and burning shame at
the vulgar degradation Of noble
art, which should administer in it's
highest. Interpretation to the pus
rest and hottest qualification known
to the mind of man. I know that
there are plenty Of these Travelled
Solons and would be critics, male
and female, who esteem it an es-
pecial merit that they have arrived
at q condition of thorough and bru-
talized insensibility, and they talk
learnedly about the necessities OF
art but if you want to know what
art is, in it's highest. it's noblest and
holiest Interpretation, go into the
Austrian Department, which is one
of the grandest and purest in the
entire Exposition, there while there
is sieverything to inspire and elevate,
there is nothing to offend or de-
grade. The English, American and
italian departments also share this
general commentator. I shall re,
turn TO this subject alta early day,
but Inow want to saya word about
the character Of this great training
school, for no sketch of Paris can be
perfect without a knowledge of its
art life and the methods by which
it is pursued. Paris is full OF
young men and young women WI 0
have entered the race for fame,
some Of whom stake, not only their
bodies, but their souls on the
doubtful result of the contest. A
place in the royal galleries of the
Louvre, or in the splendid collec
ton of the Palais de lIndustlie.
are the tempting prizes that lure
them on; or, if they are singers, the
plaudits of the Italians or the thun.
dering vivas of the Grand Opera
They come here from happy homes
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