The Donaldsonville chief., 1878-06-08
Our Letter from Europe.
The Paris Exposition.


exhibition is rather to be valued for
its excellence than its extent; aud in
one sense it is previously disappoint-
ing. The fame of ,his great estab-
lishment has been so world wide,
that one would nats,saily expect to
find large and varied collection ;
the very reverse is the case, there
being an entire absence of those
magnificent tea al1 dinner sets
which are associated III the minds of
every one with the sine of Seyres
porcelain. One sma net of tea cups
is all, the rest being ,de up of mag
nlticent vases, not EXCEPTIONAL in
design-in that respe they are sur
passed by number different parts
of the Exposition-tEt as. specimens
of, pure exalted artis1 sc beauty, tIiey
stand where you wouStl naturally en-
pect to find them, without rival. Of
one feature it is impossible to speak
in terms of too hattefing commenda-
tlon, and that is the noble purity aud
chastity of the ornainentatiOn. One
prizes such a revelation as this the
more when you are surrounded by
unclean things and there is much in
this Great Exposition that might
safely be relegated to the dissecting
room or the closet of the anatomical
student. In the Sevres collection,
what there is of it, every thing is
beautiful. A pair of black vases en-
amelled with figures of the purest and
fieeciest white, challenge especial
admiration. Another vase of the
loveliest amber, on which fairy
figures melt into the clouds; and on
another a peacock, gorgeous in his
rainbow plumage, is one of the most
remarkable works of art in the entire
collection. There is but one small
tea set, which rests in a beautiful
case. On casual glance you would
be inclined to pass it by but If you
did, you would miss one of the larest
pieces of art ever seen in any land.
Not one in Il thousand examines it
critically, and / can scarcely blame
them " hen tis>Ay ara surrauntled hx. so
much that Is beautiful and striking !;
but this little set is one of those gems
which one seldom sees in lifetime.
You are now near some works the
equal of which has never been pro-
duced in the world. Everybody who
has travelled, in,agines that they have
seen les Gobelias. Faded hangines
are TO be found in almost every
European palace. In Paris they are
for sale in most of the second hand
shops, and in Florence or Rome they
are moIe common than clean faces.
But to see the latest glory of the
G0beiins which, by the way, is rather
Il misnomer, you will have to come
to the Paris Exposition. There may
have been things befoie as beautiful
ID art but have never seen them or
heard of them. Against the wall,
almost in the midst of the Seyres coll
lection, is the figure ill tapestry of
/" The New Moon.a 1t is the nude
figure of i female holding an arrow
piercing the new moon. Every thing
about this work is pure as the spot
less snow, clear as a ray of sunlight,
cliaste as Diana's visage. The most
difficult thing in art is to strip earth
from its eartlliness and tlross and to
carry the mind upward and heavens
ward to the full realization of how
tile angels looked yet this fIc artist
has done in this sublime work, which
must be seen to be appreciated, for
no mere description can convey to
mind anything like an adequate idea
of its loyeliness and beauty. Close
by is a copy of Corregio's wonderful
picture, The Visitation of st.
Geronie." As you look at it, it is diff
cult to realize that you are looking on
a product of the weayer's loom; that
the shuttle aud the woof aud the
web have brought this mechanical
almost equal to the Miracles
OF Old the brilliant color, the breath
ing life, the magnificent inspiration
which distinguishes the work of the
grand old Flerentine are here all re-
produced. The Pitt Palace, the
Vatican and the Louvre can no longer
these wonderful inspira-
tions of genius. The vision which
jacquard saw is more than realized
o-day.
But new wonders await you. You
already imagine that you have seen
which 10 mortal genins
could surpass, aud yet there are two
tapestries GlI the other side that, for
conception and beauty of
immeasurahly transcend
all the others. They are copies of lie
Bruins great pictures of /" The Sea
aud the Earth" softer, brighter and
more beautiful than the original
paintings which have given the paint
cr Immortality. These great works
are intended for the Hotel de Vile, of
which they will be the chief orna-
ment. 1t is gratifying to the lover OF
art to know that, aided by the won
derful process now being. perfected,
it will be possible to duplicate the
works of the old masters, and Correg
gio's, Murrillo's, Angeles aud Vau-
dykeis may become as common as or
Il a. IL \