The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1879-06-20
a MICROSCOPIC PAINTER.
THE METHOD AND PRECISION WITH
WHICH MEIssoNIER WORKS.
From the New York Sun

From the New York Sun. As
Americans are well acquainted with
Meissonier's "1607," for which the late
A. T. Stewart paid $60, 600. Meissonier
worked fifteen years on this painting, a
fact which will readily be believed when
bis manner of painting becomes known.
Whatever be its size, every figure he paints
is the object of a special study. The arm
of the colonel of the cuirassers in "1S07" !"
was the subject of series of studies, each
one of which is an admirable bit of paint
ing the arm was not decided upon until
after he had tried seventeen different po-
sitions and had witnessed a score of
charges of cavalry. No detail was put on
canvas that had not been repeatedly ex-
amined, SO that the picture represents over
two hundred preliminary pictures. AS
there was disagreement between two vet
Grams about the color of the collar of the
uniform worn by certain 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 reg
iment.
One cannot imagine how much pains his
"1S04," or "The Retreat From Moscow" ("
as it is otherwise called, cost him. In a
biting cold winter day the writer had gone
to Poissy together with the celebrated art
critic, Paul Burty. 1t was showing, and
there was foot of snow on the ground.
We found Messonnier on the turret OF his
chalet, seated in the war costume of Ma
poleon I. on stuffed gray horse, and
painting the figure OF the Emperor as it
was rendered by large mirrow that stood
at some distance from him. He had been
there three hours, unmindful of the cold,
and was perfectly happy, as he said, be-
cause he had found the sinister tones of q
Russian landscape. Paul Burty ventured
to remark that as he had already finished
painting the landscape, he might withdraw
and continue his work in the studio with
out exposing himself to the same disaster.
could / obtain in the studio," Meissonier
quite excitedly rejoined, "the right tone
and the true effect of Napoleon's gray Goa,
In harmonious contrast with the sombre
gray of the sky and the snowy carpet on
the ground, and the just value of the flesh
tones of the Emperor's countenance, dark
ened by the dali atmosphere of wintry
sky? ?'' 1t was there, on the top of the tur'
ret, that he completed what is perhaps hif
masterpiece.
About month later the writer found
Meissonier in bis studio scraping the same
| figure of Napoleon, to paint which he hao
endured so many hours Of freezing tenn
perature. "What on earth are you do
| ing ?o I asked almost bewildered. s.Al
| old servant of the Emperor has been here,
Meissonisr replied, "who was with him il
Russia, He had tears In his eyes, and
spent good hour in silent contemplation
before my picture. After had coaxed hin
| for a long time to tell me whether he hat
found anything inexact in the canvas. the
good old man finally said: During th'
campaign of Russia he wore the uniform o
the chasseurs, not that of the grenadiers
! Moreover, his majesty never consented t.
have his epaulettes unfastened from biz
tunic. That will explain to you why tht
armholes of his overcoat were SO large.
had painted Napoleon in the uniform oi
the grenadiers, and with the epanlestes out
| side of his coat. How could | help doine
what am doing ?" Thus, love Of trutf
overbalanced all other considerations. ane
Meissonier bsgan studying anew the uni
form of the chassears, the effect produced
by the epaulettes under the overcoat, and
SO on, until he obtained the perfection he
had reached in the accessories of his pre-.
vious portrait.