The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-11-07
SCIENCE AND ART,

ALFRED STEVENS, the Belgian artist,
has been appointed to paint the silver
wedding of King Leopold and his Queen,
A NEW picture, by Gabriel Max, on
exhibition in Berlin, represents Venus
and Tannhauser when the latter, stated
with beauty's charms, is about to set
out on his travels,
THE fourth centenary of the birth of
Giorgione, one of the founders of the
Venetian school of painting, has Just
been celebrated at Castelfranco, Italy,
and statue of him unveiled.
BICKNELL, the Maiden Mass artist,
has painted Il figure piece, with land
scapc, entitled, Dora" representing
Tennyson's heroine in her sorrowful
journey from the home out of which
she has been driven. 1t is highly COM
mended.
At the Paris Observatory large hall
is to be fitted up as picture gallery.
On the walls, together with portraits of
the most eminent astronomers, will be
hung views of the moon and the plan
cts, magniied by telescopes of the high
est power.
EDMoNIA LEWIS, the daughter of an
Indian mother and negro father, has
captured the Chicago critics with her
colossal statue of cleopatra Dying"
This is her second work of note exhib-
tied in the United States, her first
" Hagar having been destroyed by
fire.
A TRAVELLING fortress, an iron-clad
coach, is now running on the Cheyenne
and Black Hills stage path. 1t is made
Of thick boiler iron, with four port
holes, is bullct-proof, carries two we'll
armed guards inside, and runs for the
sole purpose of transporting bullion for
the California quartz mills.
Mrs. WILSON G. EYREs, of Newport,
h. l., has remarkable portrait of Gen
eral Washington. 1t was present from
Martha Washington to Colonial Lear,
Mrs. Eyre's grandfather. 1t is set in
the form of locket, about three inches
in length, and in the back there is Il
lock of Washingtons hair. On the
satin lining of the case are these words:
" Presented to Il. Lear by his friend,
Mrs. Washington, 1901.
The police have discovered at Rome
some valuable paintings and tapestry,
which were concealed in 1873 by the con-
of Santa Maria in Vallecelli
before the liquidating junta took posses
Oh of thn IN al, al
are a " Holy Family" attributed to An
drea del Sarto; vase in verd antique,
valued at twenty-five thousand francs,
and tapestry, said to be worth six
thousand francs.
Miss HARRIET HosMER's statue, rep
rcsenting well-known incident in the
destruction of Pompeii-the death of
the Roman sentinel at his posts to
be completed in marble, in Rome, next
year 1t is over eight feet high, and is
said to be finished with the greatest del.
icacy. The sentinel stands half leaning
forward on his spear,--the right knee
advanced and slightly bent. He seems
straining every sense to catch, if possible,
the welcome word of command to leave
his post of death. But he remembers
that he is a soldier; that he has been
posted with orders to leave only when
duly relieved; and, in spite of failing
strength and weakening physique, he
obeys orders.
THE statue of Humboldt" by Fer
dinand Won Muller, has been cast in
bronze in Munich. 1t is a gift to the
city OF st. Louis from Mr.. Henry Shaw,
who last year presented it with Shaks-
peare memorial. The statue is seven
feet in height, and represents the sub
ject in his thirtieth year. He leans
against Il palm stump, from which hangs
his mantle. His face expresses deep
thought. In his right hand he holds a
map. The costume is of some eighty
years ago. The figure will be placed
on stone pedestal, to be decorated with
three bronze medallions, in relief, de-
signed and cast by the same artist. The
one in front shows the features of the
donor of the monument, with an appro-
pirate inscription. The other two for
the sides represent the giant volcano
Chimborazo and part of the grand for
estS on the banks of the OrinOcO, both
Of which Humboldt was the first to ex-
plore.
WE are accustomed to regard the
great trees of California as the most
gigantic specimens of vegetable growths
known to man, but such is not the case.
There is submarine plant growing in
the North Pacific Ocean which, accord
ing to Professor Deinsch, dwarfs all
others in its vast proportions. The |
.NacrociStjs pWVero, one of the Jielan-
Dsperm~, has been known to grow to
such an extent as to cover vast areas of |
the ocean bed One specimen, by meas
urement was found to cover three square
miles, and the stem from which the |
growth proceeded was eight feet in
diameter. 1t is almost impossible to
of such plant, or how sys-
tenn of nourishment can be maintained |
through such extended channels in
the living organism. Nature performs
strange freaks, and certainly none can
be stranger than the fact that of this
gigantic species there are some speci-
mems so small as to be microscopic, or
,nly to be seen by the aid of powerful
detectives.
An Fytra0rdinarv Eisb