The Portland daily press., 1878-03-30
Some Famou. Pictures.

Some Of our people who have pictures and
know about them, and know the value of good
copies have been greatly enjoying themselves
this week in looking over the admirable collec.
ton of photographs by the Adolph Braun pro-
cess which Mr.. Kingswell Mars has brought
to this city and put on exhibition at 300 Middle
street, under the Falmouth Hotel The finest
compliment that was ever paid to woman in
the world, may, with justice, be applied to this
collection: to be acquainted with it is liberal
| education 1t is unnecessary at this day to de-
scribe the Braun process, or to speak in explain
alton or praise of the marvelously faithful and
| spirited copies of the famous pictures OF the
world that are produced by it, No engraving,
however delicate and finished, (unless it be the
work of fine artist, and very few artists con-
Germ themselves with anything but the brush
nowadaTs-those who do wander from the
palette busying themselves only with the
etcher's needle,D can interpret painting like
the sun. This fact has long been recognized,
and there has been wanting but one element,
that of permanency, to give the work of the
camera complete superiority over the work of
the graver's tool That element is no longer
absent, for the Braun photograph is as indie
structibe as the best line engraving that was
ever struck from plate.
Mr.. Mars has baen in Portland once or
twice before, but the collection he now brings
is far more extensive than those he exhibited
in his previous visits. 1t now embraces thous-
ands of copies Some idea may be formed of
its extent when we learn that it is valued at
$4,000. The enlargement has not been entire
ly in the reduplication of copies. Many new
features have been added. The Italian collec-
ton is completed by full representation of
the Venetian school. All the best pictures of
Spanish masters are reproduced. The early
italian Chat gave name and inspiration to the
-Raphaelites) and Dutch paintings copies of
which are, elsewhere, scarcely to be found, in
this country,are found here in many and admir-
able copies. of the Egin marbles there is
full SET the long gallery of the British museum
as well as the separate pieces of statuary being
pictured There is also very choice selection
from the works of modern painters, particular
ly of the French school. Rousseau is reproduce
ed in full, and there are fine specimens of David,
Couture, Corot and others. The architectural
views have been largely increased, particularly
those of the Parthenon, and the collection of
copies OF famous statuary greatly enlarged.
The Sistine Chapel frescoes are now complete
and bound in an album that is prize for some
body. The copies that naturally attract the
most eager attention, because they are the
most novel, are those of the collection of the
Palais du Bourbon, made up of paintings from
private galleries. brought together for exhibi-
ton in aid of the Alsace-Lorraine sufferers.
Few of these pictures had ever been seen by
the general public before, and were unfamiliar
even to habitues of, European galleries. As the
pictures will probably never be seen together
again the copies possess peculiar interest to
students of art.
The gem of the collection, however, is the
superb copy Of the Dresden Madonna, on the
same scale as the famous original. This is the
acknowledged triumph of the Photographic art,
the finest work of which it is yet capable.
The much-praised eyes CT the Maid-Mother are
reproduced with wonderful effect. Not less
striking, perhaps is the copy of the Madonna of
Kuaus, the $125,000 pictura now in the posses
sion of the Emperor of Germany. The Ascen-
sion, by Prudhon, a painting little known in
this country. is another picture which provokes
admiring attention.
1t would take catalogue as long as that of |
the Southern claims to include the list Of sub.
jects in the collection. 1t is one which no one
who has an acquaintance with art, or desires
that acquaintance, can afford to neglect. One
cannot refrain, however, from calling attention
to David's portrait Of Madame Recamier, ''the
one with the lost arms of the Venus de Milo"
and Couture's famous pictures of the Decadence
of the Romans, representing drowsy and
dishevelled group, in the last days of the EN-. |
pire, gathered under the statues of old Rome, |
passing the hours in drunken revelry, while the /
eagles were on their backward flight, and the |
legions bidding final farewell to the lands
where their triumphs had been won.