The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-03-13
DORE, THE ARTIST.

And now we may rest. for we've toid them
all
DORE, THE ARTIST.
A Glance at his Studio and a Sketch Of
His Character
As man. Dorc is very attractive.
though not many of his ac4uaintances
get at him. for he is moody. and. as
rule. loves his OWL company far better
than miscellaneous society. He lives and
has lived for twenty-five years in his
! mothers house. in the Ruc st. Domini
que. St. German, the ancient, historic
ianbourg. so full of official and minis
terial residences and old ariStocratic
hotels. His home is approached through
Il huge pnrtc-cochere, opening into a
courtyard. where You mount 4 broad
staircase and reach a large apartment,
| furnished after the French manner, but
filled with artistic objects and mementoes
of every sort. There are bits Of armor,
pictures, engravingS, books, bric-a-hrac
musical Instruments. tapestry, curious
weapons. china. souvenirs. several small
dogs. to which the artist is much
should say irrationally- what
ever. in short may lead to pictureSquene>s
and comfort.
lie has Il small studio near the apart
ment. and does much of his work there.
| He has also in the Rue Bayarti Il large
studio. one of the finest il not the finest
in the city, which many of our readers
have probably visited. lie has arranged
it Just as he wants it. and he has been oc-
cupicd with it for many years. 1t is a
beautiful place. Dorc takes exceeding
pride in it, and SAYS SO frankly, not being
a man to hide or repress any of his opin-
ions OF feelings. lie likes particularly
to show his friends his possessions: to
give their history and dcscant upon them
| in his lively dramatic way. provided he is
| in a genial humor. He is very delightful
| then, though there are times when he is
as melancholy a. a gib-cat. and cannot
| be made to talk Oil any subject. He pre-
fers in these humurs to be alone. and
does his best to maintain his solitude,
but often fails signally.
The difference between Glistave Done
cheerful, and Gnstave D"re gloomy, is so
marked. that he does not seem to he the
same person, and, indeed, he is not, as
he often declares. sometimes" he
says, " | am mastered by demon and |
cannot conquer him, hard as try. Then
am more disagrceable to myself than
am to anybody else i know it only too
well, but still am powerless in the grip
of the internal imp Dore's extraordi-
nary executive ability is well nigh pro-
verbal. Everybody knows it. aud Won
derS at it, who has seen any part of all
he has done. How can he find time for
| it a.? BY rising early in the morning-he
is frequently in his studio at 6 o clock
and keeping at his task until very late.
| He often works at night: he is pretty apt
| 10 III he Is ANXIOUS 10 1lnlSn anything.
and generally he is pressed.
Nobody but his intimates have any
idea how industrious he is. Many people
think he achieves by inspiration: but he
understands that toll is necessary to all
worthy accomplishment, and he carries
out his understanding most faithfully
|
and zealously. Work is a pleasure to
him-work that is of professional kind
and because it is pleasure he can take
long stretches of it. Unless he loved it.
it would kill him: but the labor that is
accompanied by qualification keeps one
fresh and young. Dore does not now
look day beyond forty. and when he is
talking on a subject he is interested in.
to somebody he is i'll sympathy with. he
would pass for thirty. so radiant is his
face, so spontaneous is his manner
If ever man wa enamorcd of his art
Dorc is. He will talk of it for hours
without any depression, and never tire:
and what is more, he will never tire his
companions either, for he is full Of illus
tration. variety and hllmor. His fund OF
! knowledge is immense. He appears to
have informed himself fully of whatever
appertainS to art. He knows its whole
| history, from the days OF Phidias. down
| to the departure of Coror. lie is Sur
| priSingly learned. and some of his talks
al Il
phonographicaly. He is well acquainted
with English and not few American
authors, which is very rare for Il French.
man. and is stepped in Shakespeare.
whom he admits to he altogether superior
to Corncilc on Racine. lie is SO much
| broader. has So much wider culture than
the majority of bis countrymen, that
| they sometimes accuse him OF lack of
patriotism. They misapprehend him.
| however.
One of Dore's most amiabe traits in
his franknesS, his simplicity, his inca
pacity of aiirctation. He never poses:
he never feigns; he is never disingenu-
Gus. What is in his mind comes out of
his mouth. The least irritation finds
vent; if he has grievance. he does not
harbor it; he pours it forth, and it is gone
forever. Thus, rs he says himself. he
purges his nature of all bitterness. of all
disturbing causes.
He enjoys superb health. and always
has enjoyed it. Albeit inclined to stout
ness, he is very active and agile, having
still preserving the physical nimbieness
he then acquired. Sometimes he will
talk, dance, and sing simultaneously, and
at the very topmost bound of flashing
animal spirits will drop into silence and
sadness without any apparent reason.