The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-02
ART IN NEW ORLEANS.
A VISIT TO PERELLPs sTUDEO-HHs
VARIOUS WORKS 0F ART.
The Infancy of BRcehus, Bas"Relies
Of Great Merit.


possible to meet occasionally few hdrd-llved
citizens of "the stricken city" who are will
ing to listen to other tales than tales of suffer
ing and death. These happy exempts from
or unexpected survivors OF the terrible
scourge-npparent rari nantes IN gurgdt
! uasto-continue to pursue, undaunted, theiI
| usual avoeatlons, and are, unquestionably,
the "manly men" Of the moment, II we may
borrow that expression from the New York
Times, who but lately applied 1t to the jour-
nalists of the South. Be they Hovards" OF
"Peabodys," doctors, lawyers or merchants,
the cool, unfiinching men we speak of, while
they fail not in their duty to the sick and
DYING and pay all due honor to the departed,
do not withal utterly ignore the living. They
"do in Rome as the Romans do" and SEQ no
harm in availing themselves of the beauties
die they fully know; but, in their eyes, some
few survive who are not, for that reason, to
be blamed, or neglected, or cast aside.
Because men or philosophers OF that stamp
weather the storm from whatever quarter it
blows, and bravely smile to-day, though they
may have had occasion to weep yesterday,
are we to stigmatize them as trifing, indiffer-
emit or heartless beings? Far from it. They
are, verify, the gifted ones Of this earth--the
superiority constituted mortals, scattered here
buu LneLe amOug bleH leiluW-iuel, tS It1Ie
samples of how near perfection humanity can
One Of these highly endowed natures we
CHANGED to encounter the other day. He suf-
fered in the past, as most OF us have done,
but, having safely reached the present, looks
forward to the future with quite serene
oountenance His excessive mOdesty forbid
ding, we will not mention his name.
. After the usual sacramental greeting OF all
4<,, A
new cases In your, neighborhood?" "How
nobly New York behaves towards usr' ETC.,
we said q word or two of politics, laughed at
the National mask with which the Return
ing Board Radicals att. mpt to conceal their
repulsive features, and were about to part,
when our friend suddenly remarked:
II am going to Perellis studio; will you
walk over there with me?'
Eyes, by all means,,' said we; 'but what
work Is he now engaged uponT
more would be to destroy the pleasure have
In store for you," was the alluring reply.
Obedient, we went, and will never regret
having assembled the two flights of stairs lead
ing, from Callers Court to the sanctum we
had been that day Invited to visit.
OF the special cause Of our delight we will
now entertain your readers.
Perelli Is an old favorite Of the New Orleans
artistic world, whose brush and chisel alike
have given unmistakable proofs of his CLASH
paintings Of birds and fishes; his clear, bold
bGs-rekefs Of animals; his charming medal
lions in demi-rehef of some Of the loveliest
women and Of the most noted men OF the city,
not to speak OF bis life-like busts of Christian
Roselus, Martinez del Campo Charles Cava-
roc, Gems. Scott and Beauregard, President
Davis, Can't. SlOCOmb, and even o giant-siZed
one of sold Abe Lincoln'-all SO admirably
executed, so beautifully finished afford the
keenest pleasure to true lovers Of art and OF
9rf's imitation 0f DafJ1rn
1t was Lavater, we think, who said-and
we cordially concur with him-that 'the en-
envy OF art is the enemy OF nature; for art is
nothing but the highest ssagacity and exer-
appropriately add, that New Orleans, whose
good fortune 1t is to possess such master in
his art as Perelli, such faithful, truthful
1eproducef OF natures Beauties. should not
on y be proud Of him, but do all in her power
to encourage and reward his patient labors
and SO eminently successful efforts?
What our friend took us to Perelli's studio
to specially examine. and what is now Occ1-
plying almost ever hour Of the masters time,
Is @ remarkable and 1ngeniously conceived
in length by about four in height represent
ing what we would call a frollcsome scene Of
the infancy of Bacchus.
Near the centre of the frame, a little to-
upon a goat, is In the act Of taking from
lovely little Bacchante a cup well filled
with the intoxicating Juice he has already
imbibed too freely, but which his early pro-
pensities will not allow him to refuse. He is
surrounded by o troop of companions and
gamboling, others, with rounded cheeks,
blowing In horns and trumpets, and one, In
the exhuberance Of his mirth, rolling on the
greensward, to the no small injury Of q
thrown to the ground. All these little
figures. SO admirably posed SO tastefully
grouped, are as graceful and undulating, as
supple and active as so many kittens at play
together. 1t Is, on o small scale, g. regular
procession, the apparent leader
of which-not Bacchus, but shouting little
fellow on the extreme left-is about to call to
a halt.
In the immediate background Is wide
spreading oak, whose luxuriant foliage and
rough bark are executed In a very remarkable
manner. Further on may be seen a Grecian
temple which, even at that period, already
bears the evidences Of Times passage over it.
On one side OF the temple rise, erect and ia
perng, four poplar trees, whose graceful
effect of the grouping is both beautiful and
original. Nothing like it was ever before ex-
ecuted In our city, nor, we believe, in any
other city of the United States. We con-
graduate our friend, who is soon to become
The rival, to say the least, Of any OF the kind
that might be imported from the Old World.
Signor Perelli proposes supporting this re-
markable bas-relef upon the heads Of two
Iauns, the rough moulding Of which he was
kind enough to show us. He also explained
10 us what will be the browning beauty Of his
work: an antique vase, filled with fruits and
trailing flowers to be. placed oyer it: Hang
ing leaves and tendriIs, falling lightly In
graceful festoon from the vase, will take
away any possible effect Of baroness, and thus
the harmony of the whole.
We would draw the attention Of those who
appreciate works Of art and have a taste for
the beautiful, to this mastery effort of our
talented artist. 4 visit to his studio, and the
have just described (apart from the various
other attractions we also alluded to- would,
we are certain in these melancholy days of
Epidemic, afford great enjoyment to the well
and hearty; and have, upon the iaded mind
If the convalescent as recuperative an effect,
Is must have had upon his body the Pick
Hickian beef-tea, so generously distributed to-
10 thankfully accepted by our suffering COM
munity.
Signor Perelli, we feel assured, would re-
,eive all visitors with his usual most cordial
courtesy.
wHHr evErv EEAHH