The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-03

him away from Besancon and sent him to
Paris to study law. Hero the young man finally
broke loose from his fathers control. and had
Mt the ago OF twenty four his first picture adj
mitted to the Salon. He studied for some time
under stcuben and Hessc. and subsequently,
continued his studies alone under the silent
guidance OF the old Flemish masters.
At the outset OF his career he WINS san
guine and romantic. He read Goethe assdu-
ously. and painted nm alegory Of Faust ex-
hausted In the chase after the unattainabc
ideal. Step by step. however. he turned tliko
most OF the young worshippers Of Gocthc) to
realism. and soon became the fercest champion
Of It. The pictures he painted between is4s
and 1854 provoked the hottest discussions be-
tween art critics. At the time OF the Paris In
ternational Exhibition OF 1855 no had some
hard fights with the Commission on Art. which
rendered him quite celebrated. and at the next
exhibition at Munich. Courbet had hall Of
honor all to himself.
That he was great painter cannot he qucs-
toned. Nothing that color and brush could
do was impossible for Courbet. and q day will
come when his pictures will be valued as highly
Ms those Of any celebrity Of the present century
But there were a great many reasons for his
not being able to become popular during his
lifetime. To begin with. he was fierce radical
IN POLITICS anu TenRlOn. III munneTS, urtsS
and language he was. like his friend Proud
hon. a COARSE untidy Besancon peasant. This
alone was enough to reduce his value as an
artist. Apart from that. he was bad draughts-
man. Consequently his pictures could not be
engraved and rendered popular as household
ornaments or illustrated paper engravings.
which rendered Melssonier. Landsecr. De-
taille. and 40 many others familiar TO every
man. woman. and child all over the world
Another great drawback Of Courbets was that
he had no imagination. He was unable to COM
pose anything. His works are servile copies
from nature. Tho saying that an artist should
use nature as the bee uses flowers. seems to
have been unknown to him. He was unable to
make honey out Of the Juice Of flowers.
The London World has recently printed a
charming little sketch OF the last DAYS Of this
great painter. Driven out OF France. ruined by
the confscation and sale Of all his pictures and
other property. he took refuge in an abandoned
tavern at La Tour on the Lake OF Geneva:
He lived entirely alone. never allowing woman with
broom duster to enter his doors He however very
courteo usly welcomed any who chose 10 his
lures. and generally accompanied them round three or
four large hung with pictures mostly painted by
himself describing and explaining each one and relating
various anecdotes connected with them. lie
big man. with peculiarly gentle oppression Of counc
nance Hisdrcss neg'yt IN the extreme His house.
keeping WAS very primitive he used 10 eat at little oni
near by where he contenedy smoked his pipe and
drank his with the heavy vaudois peasants when
his bed made no made II himself lust before getting
into IT, His friend told that his bedroom was
fcstooned with cobwebs. and that one day he
attempted to take down some with his umbrella,
when courbet. greatly excited seized his arm ~
claiming. Non chsr ami. what are you dong They
catch the flies" The views OF lake and mountains from
his windows were lovely These he painted IN mos
of L.
about the valais and vaud lie used TO bring
home his big wet his back looking like ha lie
sandwich man. lie presented La Tour with bust NJ
Liberty modelled by himself Chis first attempt at soup.
turcL which was executed IN bronze and placed on a
granite column above the village fountain Beneath /,
WAS inscription thanking the inhabitants for their hos
pitabe reception OF him In his exile II Is fine bold
head. rather suggestive Of T-sas, than Of Liberty
The last time saw him he was In great state OF excite
ment attempting to sweep and down with his
hands his floor and deal tables and benches the Queen
OF Sweden had asked to be allowed to visit his studio
All the accusations brought against him OF
bloodthirstiness and savage violence are with
out the slightest foundation. He was n radical
and Communist. but one OF the most simple
minded and good hearted fellows that ever lived.
| There was something childliko In his nature
which strongly contrasted with his rough. large
stature and his corpulence. The pulling down
OF the Colonne Vendome. which has been dc
clared TO be his greatest crime. was. as he ex.
plains II, quite the reverse. The Communists
had determined that 1t should come down. and
he took the matter into his hands as Minister o
Fine Arts. Had let them destroy it. 1t would
have been done for. while knew that coult
take 1t down SO carefully that 1t could easily be
put up again"
And so 1t was. And II was Courbet again who
had to give up his last chair and his last canvas
toward the eNpenses which the nation inpurrpd
in this work Of restoration.