The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-10-11
Gnrresnnndenre
OUR PARISLETTER
Danish Arts and Artists-The Home of
ThorwaldseR-The Crown Jewels
Twenty Million Dollars Worth OF the
French Peoples MOney-Alladins Gar
den-A Trip from Paris to Saint Ger
main.
HOTEL DU LOUVRE, !
PARIS. Sent. 10 1873

country until the foundation of thu
Academy of Fine Arts at Copenhagen
by Frederic V, in 1754.
At first, the newly established schoo
followed in the footsteps of foreign anC
antique models; but in the next genera
ton few bolder spirits fcrsook tn,
beaten path of mere imitation, and en-
deavored, by the conception of origina
isubjects, to create national art.
Foremost amongst these stands th
celebrated sculptor, ,Thorwaldsen. Justly
proud of his brilliant genius, Denmark
has collected his works and placed then
in the Museum at Copenhagen, where
they serve as models to the Danish
sculptors of the present day, who all be
long to his school. Painting has not as
yet had so renowned representative
Eckersburg, the pupil of David, is per
haps the most worthy of mention. His
torical painting is not the natural vein
Of Danish artists. They excel more
particularly IN picturesque views of a
most picturesque country, magnificent
sea pieces, and in the delicate rendering
of interiors and landscapes.
Architecture. although following the
artistic movement generally throughout
Europe, still bears an unmistakable
national stamp.
Contrary to the practice in France, the
Danish masters of painting and sculp-
ture, never form a school from their
studies; the Academy at Copenhagen is
the only School of Art in the country
where drawing and painting, modelling
from nature and the antique, sculpture,
architectural drawing and composition,
decorative painting, plastic art, and all
the sciences connected with the Fine
Arts are taught. This Academy is sub
sidired by the State, and grants diplomas
for study. After obtaining their certi-
ficates, the young artists usually leave
their country, and go more especially to
Rome, to study the chefs d'aeame and
complete their artistic education. Ex-
hibitions and scholarships are awarded
by the Academy to those who, having
gone through the regular course of
study, have obtained the small and large
medal in the Academical competitions.
For the further encouragement of the
artists, the Academy holds yearly special
competitions in which the successful
candidates obtain silver medals.
The Danish collection at the Exhibi-
ton is not large,-S6 oil painters are
represented, 10 sculptors, and only one
engraver Some of the pictures exhib
tied possess, however, real and striking
excellence.
Entering the great North Vestibule
any time between two and five, the
visitor will find crowd collected around
the octagon case that contains the crown
jewels. People flock to it as moths do
to candle, to burn their eyes with the
radiance of gems worth twenty million
dollars. There is no feminine exclu-
siveness about the crowd, the show prov
ing as attractive to men as 10 women.
1t is like having peep into Alladin's
Garden, with all the Improvements of
civilization, for the diamonds are superb
ly cut and well set, and donot dissapoint
like those of the East, that look dull and
gloomy, or the inartistic regal ornaments
of former days, with the colored stones
distributed carelessly on the gaudy gold
mountings. Not but what the jewellers
have made great progress since these
gems were reset under the Empire, as
may be seen elsewhere in the Industrial
Court, but there is certain chaste sim
plicity about the arrangement of the
dirnadnts de la coaToane that sets off the
splendor of the jewels admirably. The
Regent naturally occupies the place of
honor. In the same case is a ririere
formed of four rows of brilliants,a a chate-
laine in yellow diamonds, a crescent,
comb, & chain made of diamond links,
and seven sparkling stars. The next
division is devoted to pearls, two pearl
coronets, breaches, braceletsand rows of
pearls. Two more diadems, and a neck
lace in brilliants and turquoise. are par
ticularly beautiful, jewelled girdle, all
tints of the rainbow, lies below them.
Farther on, there are coronets and other
ornaments in diamonds and sapphires,
and beautiful necklace mountedin the
Indian style in red gold, with pearls and
emeralds. Above whole constellation
of orders and sword hilt entirely en-
crusted with diamonds, is an exquisite
tiadem made of brilliants and emeralds,
and in the adjoining division, various
flowers and boquets in diamonds, with a
pointed tiara and Greek bandoau in
similar precious stones.
The intrinsic value of the gems in the
French Jewellry Court is perhaps in
ierior, but the amount of artistic labor
Ia vished on them, renders them a thou
sand times more interesting This court
is not large, but most pleasant afternoon
may be spent there. Almost every case
contains something curious, and those in
the centre, where the first Paris jewellers
neutrality-suspicious., Mellerio, Dunno
ret, Vanbourzeix, Hippolyte, Teterger,-l
are stocked with gems, each OF which is
1 marvel in its way.
A recent addition to the delights Of
Paris is the steamer "Touriste," which
carries bit Of the boulevards between
Paris and Saint Gernain. The boat has
been built specially for the purpose, has
.wo grand saloons, one covered and one
1pep to the winds of Heaven, and the
'uisiHe Is of that recherche kind to
which the best caterers of Paris have
accustomed the world, or at least the
upper ten" Of it. The "Touriste" starts
rom the Point Royal at tenin the morn
ng passes the Champ de Mars and the
Billancourt, Mendon, Sevres,
md Saint Cloud, where dejeuner com
nences, and presently "Touriste" and
ourists find themselves in the calm
waters of Suresnes lock. When the |
equilibrium has been achieved off starts
he little steamer, and soon leaves be-
lind it Puteaux, Cockney, Asnieres, St
)uen, Epinay, Argenteuls, Nanterre,
amous for Its rosieres, la Jonchere, Lon
'eciennes, where the famous Marty
gusduct, which waters Versailles boldly !
pans the heights; then between the I
,anks of Chaton la Grenouillere, all dot I
ed with the snug retreats ofprinse donr'e I
nd actors and men of letters then