The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1878-04-05
WAsnINoroN, D. O.,

1SieotNAAt eie tullltoBAtIet tnSFc airs nome
that address themselves so directly to
the cultured public as the art collection
which he has established in Washing
ton. For three days in the week, Tues
days, Thursdays and Saturdays, the gal
lery Is open to visitors without charge,
and on these days it is favorite resort
for both tho permanent and transient
resident at the capital Here may be
seen the conneisseur, who viii stand
long in critical inspection Of some pic
turs which TO the unlearned in art is al
together uninteresting; while the un-
artistic confine their admiration to those
paintings distinguished for breadth,
brightness and sensation.
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fri
days an admission of twenty-five cents
is charged, and, on these days, the gal
lery is frequented chiefly by artists,
twenty or thirty in number, who are
painting copies of the different pictures
or making = study of the statuary.
There is enc picture that seems to be
equally attractive to the artists and TO
tho unlearned; there is always an ad-
miriRg group before it J many copies of
it have been attempted. and when was
at the gallery to-day two artists were in
front of it with their easels, with COP
les in different stages Of completion. It
is remarkably expressive and impress
sive study of Charlotte Corday at the
window of her prison. The gloomy
stone casing of the window and the in
exorable iron bars are only accessories.
The illumination is the pale, determined,
d-heroic face of the beautiful assassin.
The face may not, be true as a portrait,
but its fidelity to received historic
ideal is triumph of art The emotion
excited in the beholder is SYN ,athy of
admiration rather than Of pity, for there
is no weakness Of hope. or fear. or re
signation, in the face Of the woman no
doubt that her endurance will not he as
victorious as was her daring.
In close proximity to Charlotte Cor
day is picture which, from its gro
tesque mixture of the serious, comic,
and tragic, must have been placed there
for the sake of contrast IL is called
"The Edict Of William the Testy" The
subject is taken from these words of
Irving, in Kniekerbocker "Finully he
issued an edict prohibiting the use of
tobacco in the New Netherlands. The
immediate effect of the edict was pop
ular eommotion. A vast multitude
armed with pipes, tobacco boxes, and
an immense amount of ammunition, sat
themselves down in front Of the Gov
ernor's house and fell to smoking with
great violence The testy William is
sued forth like wrathful spider and
demanded the reason of this lawless
fumigation the stony rioters replied by
rolling back in their seats and putting
with redoubled fury Without the in
terpretion of the text the picture would
be inexplicable. The artist has painted
a large congregation Of men with faces
of great variety, but in all of which
the Teutonicphysiognoray is pronounced,
each with pipe in his mouth, and with
cheeks pulled in the act of smoking,
while the petty governor appears on the
portico of mis- house brandishing his
edict and cane in impotent rage. II
cannot be denied that the artist has
made the most out of a contemplate
subject, but when nature and history
furnish so many subjects worthier to bt
perpetuated, it is inconceivable how ge
MUS can waste itself on aHything Sc
trivial and obscure. The artist, Mr.
Geo. H. Boughton, was offered $4,000
with the privilege of selecting his sub
ject, for painting, and this is what hi
produced.
A number Of new pictures have beer
recently added to the gallery, and the
general effect has been improved by re
arrangement. An autumnal landscape
by J. F. Kensett is picture of marvel
lous scope, detail, and variety. The
sunlight, an immense stretch of frost
crimsoned forest, while mountains, lake
and islands extend until they are OBJ
scured in the haze of distance. Artists
are enthusiastic in their admiration o.
this picture, and they criticise, without
remorse, painting of more imposing
appearance, by Bierstadt. have OBJ
served that very few artists will allow
that Bierstadt has real genius, or any
thing beyond sensational reputation
His landscapes are miraculous, almost
tragic. 1t is only necessary for him tt
paint prairie against background o
first, and green sky, with solitary fo1
worshipping wild goose in swamp
in order to produce emotions of a91nira
ton in the uncritical IF Bierstadt anc
Gustav Dore should form a partnership
the one to paint impossible landscapes