The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-11

you are utterly unnl LOT tnO culilnR OF I'M uTL |
critic" Meissonier thinks that no artist can
paint we'll on n small scale what he cannot treat |
with equal correclness on large ono. MANY |
artists mike small studies md then magnify |
thom into pictures MloissOniur does exactly |
ihc reverse; his pictures are concentrations OF |
his much nrger studies. and undoubtedly tho |
fidelity md largo grasp which have boen at,
tanned by this ARTIST ara due 10 his wise habit oil
always skrtching his subject life size
His love for small paintings Ia we'll illustrated |
by the following nnecdOte; At dealers ~ the |
Rue Nore Dame de. Lorette tho young Mar
quis NJ, d. O. had found two small old punt |
ings which he judged worth buying. Tho mer-
chant told him that MeissOnier had seen them
and expressed very favorable opinion Of their |
merit. Tue Young nristocrat deposited mo
sum demaudcd-about n thousand frnncS-
agreeing. u heissonier confirmed the state
ment, ~ purchase the pictures. He took them
TO the great artist. Meissonier looked at them
very carefully and said that, although they had
price. The Marquis dc C. took them back to
tho owner who expressed Rreat satisfaction.
His behavior seemed 80 strange to the young
gentleman that he could not holp asking tho
reason. | have received n telegram" tho
dealer said. which offers mo twelve hundred
sufficient reason to be- satisfied 1t is not every
day that can make two hundred francs, and
he added. with mysterious air. 80 To whom p
asked the Marquis. will tell you some other
time. now ] am pledged to secrecy Somo
days later tho gcntloman was paying another
visit to Mnlssoncr. and the latter apprnred to
Do unusually nervous ana restless. Ihe VISITOR
Thought he was intruding ana alter rev MIN.
utes Withdrew. He WIS on the threshhold OF
the studio. wncn Mclssonier called him back
and held out his hand. " must confess aStn-
n great sin-to you" began Meissonor. and
trust you will grant nbSOluttOn. You cannot
find more easy-going priest, Monsieur Meis-
eonier." the gentleman replied, amused by
the gravity The artist had assumed; speak II
out-what Ia III" The artist led him to corner
of his ntelier and pointed to the two pictures
he had advised his visitor not To buy. The
MARQUIS looked Ct him n nmnz.mcnt. me
/ had the opportunity OF looking ut them
moro carefully aud apureeiatlng uem a. they
deserve Had | eutreatel you TO sell them 10
me you would have Offered them as present
| am positive you would. | had, then, but one
way 10 secure the coveted treasure without i'm
posing upon your good nhture-to dpcolVc you
about their value. and To telegraph ~ their
owner that would purchase thcm. Once. ina
conversation W. had abou, tho mania Tor oh
jscts OF art, YOU told me that you fully under
stood tho feyerish desire President De Dresses
felt to steal one Of Carreggios smaller canyns,s,
and that You would Do msrcilul to man who
was prompted 10 steal n work OF art. not by de-
basing motives, but by nm uncontrollabls loyo
thoughts into pra,ticc. Monsieur Ie Marquis ?"
| Monsieur heaSonier." the young mnn re-
piled. shaking hands with his intgroeutor. |
! am sorry only that you deprived me q the
| pleasure OF presenting them 70 you. Thoee
Bc,srtss are W. Saer rs nit N ths
| water" Tho two gentlemen, Notwithstanding
| the differences oi their ages. became very good
friends. l. must be added that n few days after
| ward the Marquis received a wnter-cOlor sketch
| 10y Moissonier which was Jewel and for which
! he was aitrrward offered l.0J0
In 1866 Y lward Deiailie. then II years old.
entered tue atelicr Of Msissonier for whom no
has ever since retained Kind Of yoneration.
in n few minutes he could sketch n figure full
| OF originality and life but like all persons who
| paint rather by instinct than from a knowledge
| Of natures forms his work was full OF faults.
| " lou must unlearn all that you know. heis.
| sonicr told him. after observing his manncr OF
drawing and painting. You must begin again by
drawing from nature. seriously. earnestly. and
minutey; you must first analyza and master
the parts then you will compose your svnthe-
sis. and paint with all the freedom and indie
pcndence in your character, want YOU to
simple outlines. The dragons YOU have
sketchcd have been brought uD in studio. not
el soldiers. paid 40 much an hour Tor sitting
not soldiers who can drive the enemy beyond
the frontier. For n year you will not touch the
nature" Dettlle found the order Il little too
strict. and showed soma reluctance 70 comply
with it, MeissOnier perceived II. and contin-
| ucd: Az you are endowed with an immense
talent II is worth the while to convince YOU
ne ueh TOOK lhr phlet.e anu on chhNas o
tho same sizH he began TO copy. in hlsown ex,
duiste style. his pupils dragon. The two
sketches were placed side by side on tho easel
| the master WIS not yet through with his, wher
| De;aille, percciving the difference, with rapid
motion 20 X his canvas. and threw Il in the ilr,
a hlacS coat ought 10 be painted with white
shall follow your teaching blindly" he ex'
ella med. Before two years hal elapsed. De
| taillo painted the studio OF his teacher. Meis-
sonier waS enrapiurcd Gt the pr"gr,sS 81 hi.
pupil. II Il all right h. told him; nov
| You no longer noed my guidance. paint as yOl
| feel YOU viii always paint we'll"
soanrI iso7 for which III Ste KIT St e,
art paid 10000. Mrissoniar worked hlteei
years on this painting. aiact which Will be read
| lily ba.ieVet when his manner OF painting Il
known. Whatever he its si2s. every figure Ia
paints l. tue object Of a special study lnishe,
OF tho Cuirlss.ers in 1907" was the subject o
"A series OF studies. each one OF which Is an al
mirahle b.t Of painting; the arm was not do
different positions. and had with 'ssed scor'
OF charges % cavalry. No d"tAu was put ol
canvas TINT had not been repeatedly examine
measured. and sSeichcd from nature. 50 tha
Gminarv pictures With Meissonier precisiol
Is more than "A passion; It Is "A mania. A Their
was Disagreement between two veterans Rbou
/ the color OF the collar OF the uniform worn by
certain regiment. he spent week IN Variou
| Libraries Ia order 10 gather evidence about tn
! sublact. and undertook n Journey 10 Dorieau
, 70 consult a veteran surviving member OF IN
regiment. Whenever he has determined upO
. | painting anything concerning the campaigns @
e | the lrsl Napoleon. he has employed a ss'rctgrl
| To read for him the EmperOr's historos-
> | score OF them-gnd has spent hundreds Of hour
/ IN the gardens Of the lnyalides chatting wit
| some o. the glorious survivors OF the first EN-
| pire and taking notes. one day the writer q
this sketch found him erampad on the Moor q
/. | his sidlto among threo or Tour soldiers. iron
/, | whom H. was learning how IN roll 4 cam
! | blanket and a tent. Having gathered oil tn
4 Information ho needs about ths thing he IN
tends TO portray, he goes u a TAILOR. a bnddlri
or AN armerrr. and has the object RECONSTRUCTED
which cannot b9 got otherwise. and hH Is Fl
! particular al lut tuc execution OF llH orutr u
j | has given, that very few workmen like 10 hay
= ANYTHING To- do with him. IA" has himss
modelled some small wax horses. upon whis
he adJ dsts the harness he waits 10 paint. in OF
der 10 seize the exact effect. To better study tn
motions ~ u trotting or galloping horse he Ia
had trfimwny CONSTRUCTED In his rnrk u
Pl!ssy. lie seats himself in . wagon. has hi
1 models trUt or gRlop by the side ol II. aud TIM
Studies the eontrurtions of the various mus lies
and every motion Of the animal, taking sketcho
e Of them all.
/ ono cannot imagine how much pains hi
: | ISL" or the " R"treut from Moscow" as II
otherwise called. cost him. In a bitng-col
70 winter day the writer hal gone to Poissy Ia
: gether with the celebrated art critic. Pau
y | Burty. 1t was showing and there was foc
OF snow On the ground We found Meissonie
o. on the turret OF his chalet seated In "a
= war costume OF Napoleon l.. on s,uua
x | gray horse. and painting the figure OF the En-
a | peror Ms II was rendered by Il large mirror tina
g stood nj some distance from him. He had bee
| there three hours, unmindiul Of tho cold, an
q WAS perfectly happy, rs he said, because he ma
| found the sinister tones Of n Russinn lnndscnp,
y | Paul Burty Ventured 10 remark that ns he hil
) already finished painting tho landscape II
a | might withdraw and continue his work in IN
. | studio. without exposing himself 10 the sam
\ | disaster that overlook the Grrt Army.
4 How could obtain in the studio Aleissunie
a | quite cXeitodly reiOined, " the right tone an
. the true effect ~ NapOeon's gray cont IN hHI
. moniOus contrast with the sOmbre grays OF tn
/ al a. 4 n n prpunI "a