The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-06-19
A MICROSCOPIC PAINTER.
The Method aud Precision with which
Mefszonier Works

NY. sun.
Americans are well acquainted with
Neissonier's "lS07," for which the lat,
AT. Stewart paid 100000 Meissoniel
worked fifteen wears on this painting. {
fact which will be readily believed
when his manner of painting is known
Whatever be its size. every figure he
psints is the object of special study
| The arm of the colonel of the cursssier T.
in 1907 wss the subject of series Of
studies, each one of which is an admir-.
abe bit of psintipg; the arm was not
decided upon until after he tried seven
seen different positions, and had wit
messed score OF charges of cavalry. No
detail was put on canvas that had not
been repeatedly examined, SO that the
picture represents over two hundred
preliminary pictures. As there was a
disagreement between two veterans
about the color of the collar of the
uniform worn by certsin regiment, he
spent week in various libraries in order
to gather evidence about the subject, and
undertook journey to Bordeaux TO con-
suit veteran surviving member of the
regiment.
One can not imagine how much pains
his ISL" or the "Retreat from Mos
cow" as il is otherwise called, cost him.
In biting cold winter day the writer
had gone to Poissy together with the
celebrated srt critic, Paul Burty. 1t
was showing, and there was foot o.
snow on the ground. We found Meisso-
nier on the turret of his chalet, seated
in the war costume of Napoleon l., or q
stuffed gray horse, and painting the fig
ure of the emperor as it was rendered by
q large mirror that stood at some dis.
lance from him. He had been there
three hours, unmindiul of the cold, and
was perfectly happy, as he said, because
he had found the sinister tones of Rus
sign landscape. Paul Burty ventured to
remark that as he had already finished
painting the Landscape, he might with
draw and continue his work in the
studio, without exposing himself to the
same disaster that overlook the "Grest
army" "HoW could / obtain in the
studio" MISSIONER quite excitedIy re-
Joined, 1.-THE right tone and the true
effect of Napoleon's gray coat in harmo-
nisus contrast with the sober grays of
the sky and the snowy carpet of the
ground, and the just value of the flesh
tones Of the emperor's eountenance,
darkened by the dull atmosphere of q
wintry sky "~ 1t was there, on the top
of that turret, that he completed what is
perhaps his masterpiece.
". About month later the writer found
Meissonier in his studio scraping the
same figure of Napoleon, to paint which
he had endured SO many hours of freez-
ing temperature "Wbst Cd earth are
you doing now?' ! asked, almost bewil-
dered. can, old servant of the emperor
has been here" Meissonier replied,
"who was with him in Russia. He had
tears in his eyes and spent good hour
in silent Contemplation before my pic
ture. Alter had c1sxed him for long
while to tell me whether he found any,
thing inexact in the canvas, the good
old man finally said T: During the cam
paign of Russia his msjesty wore the
uniform of the chasseurs, not that of the
grenadiers. Moreover, his majesty never
consented 10 have his epsulettes unfas,
tened rom his tunic. That will explain
to you why the srmholes of his oveIcOst
were SO large l had painted Napoleon
iii the uniform of the grenadiers and
with the epaulettes outside OF his coat.
How could help doing what ] AN now
doing" Thus, love OF truth overbal~
snced ell other considerations, and Meis
sonier began studying anew the uniform
of the chssseurs, the effect produced by
the epaulettes under the overcoat and So
on, until he obtained the same PERFECTION
he had reached in the accessories of his
previous portrait.