Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-28
ART NOTES.


Spain, that artist has lately received the order
OF Leopold from the King Of the BelgianS.
AT the close OF Prot. Cornings recent course
of lectures on art in New York series OF reso-
buttons, moved by Rev. Dr. II. NJ. Field, veIy
warm and complimentary in character, were
unanimously adopted by the large, Intelligent
and appreciattye audience in attendance. Itwill
be remembered that DR.. Corning delivers the
opening lecture OF his course In this city in the
Congregational Church on Tuesday evening
next
1t is pleasant to know that the joint con-
gressionai library committee have favorably
acted on the suggestion heretofore made In this
column, that the government should purchase
Andrews portrait OF Martha Washington, now
hanging IN the east room OF the Executive
Mansion. This picture will make, at once, a
apartment and suitable companion to the
full length portrait OF Washington, now in place
there.
THE opening to the public on Wednesdays
during March and April of Mr.. w. T. Walters
picture gallery, uhe particulars in regard to
which will be found among our advertisements,
Will doubtless have the effect OF taking to Bal
timore good many WashingtonianS. who de
sire to see that famous art collection. In quality
and completeness, and especially in Its exa n
pies OF the modem French school, Mr.. Wallets
gallery is one Of the finest in the United States
II it is not in fact the very best.
"A monument to the memory of unknown
COME derate Dead" is to be erected In Mount
Olvet Cemetery, at Frederick Nd, and the
present intention Is to unvefl 1t on the goth of
June next. The monument, which is the result
OF efforts to that end made by the Ladies' Mon
with a f1ye-foot base of granite, which will be
surmounted by a Hfe-ske (six-fooD figure of
confederate soldier, cut In Italian marble. The
pedeStai Will De ornamented with four raised
panels, each OF Which will bear q suitable In
scr1ption, the Maryland coat-of-arms being
placed just above the front one.
Those interested in the subject will be glad
to learn that arrangements have been made
whereby there will be no Interference in the
course of lectures on art by Rev. DIR. Knapp and
that proposed to be delivered by Prof. Corning,
on account of their falling on the same eve
n1ngs, as heretofore announced. Dr. knapp's
diseeu a,s VIII hereafter be given on Monday
and Fridays as hitherto, SO that those wishing
to attend both courses can do so. This is an
excellent plan. The lectures Of each gentleman
are so good that many persons would be sorry
10 De Obliged to miss either course.
Simmons, the well-known American sculp-
tor. who has recently moved into new and
more spacious studio in Rome, has just COM
pleted a new female statue which he calls
Wandering in the Wilderness" cores
pondent OF the New York Evening Post who had
an opportunity to see it says: It is standing
figure, draped, and lfe-size. The subject IS
ideal, and conception natural to an American
reared in the devotional atmosphere of New
England, where Bible history is learned before
any other. The statue TepreS entS a young
Jewish woman with long treSses of braided hair
that are wound about her head. heavy veil is
on the head and hangs down to the waist be-
hind, while the dress falls In ample folds The
neck and arms are adorned with Jewels of the
period. The thin hands are clasped before her,
and the face has sad and patient expression
as OF one who Is weary OF wandering all her life
in the desert.
',a ,, of
bers of the AmeIi can Water Color Society, now
open in the Academy of Design in New York, is
said to be the largest of the kind ever made In
any country in the world The catalogue CON-
pr1ses 765 numbers in all, 635 of which are
water color drawings, and 100 in black and
white. Among so many pictures, and where so
large number OF artists are represented, m my
of the works must necessarily be unimportant
n character and some Of them Indifferent in
point O. meIit; but there are some very superior
| examples exhibited and on the whole the
| standard of average is pretty high. Both in ex-
| tent and quality, this display Illustrates In a
colors in this country. A few years ago they
| were hardly known here few artists gave any
| attention to that branch OF ART and those Who
| did found little encouragement in their efforts.
| Now the best talent we have does not hesitate
to seek expression in that form, and the results
| command about as high prices as Oil paintings
| OF the same size and from the same eaSel5
| woul bring.
- III Sulut icopGCtS lut cuuONuieut VI $OUUUU
| made by Mr.. Joseph E. Temple to the PenIsyl-
| vahia Academy Of Fine Arts this week is one of
! the most important and useful gifts ever made
| to the people OF Philadelphia. For one thing 1t
| ST cures to them one free exhibition day OF its
works of art every week,-a privilege they have
| years there are to be two free days each week.
| 1t also provides that one or two medals shall be
| given each year, either to students OF the acade
| my OF to any American exhibitors as the uIrec-
| tors Shall decide. the medals cost mot less
| than 800 each. The trust further requires that
| ont half the income shall be set apart each yeat
lists exhibited at the academy, the other halt
| gong to pay the expenses Of the institution.
| The people Of Philadelphia and vicinity should
now go to work aud offer up prayers that they
| may be more fortunate with their good fortune
! than some other communities have been, and
| that no person may be found in their midst who
has both the power and the disposition to defeat
| in any way the praiSeWOrthy purpose of their
| unSel1lSh DenefactOr
| After nearly eight years labor spent upon
it, the colossal "Lion of Belfort." designed and
executed as a symbol of the courageous resist
ance made at Belfort at the time when Paris
was beseged, has at last been relieved of all the
| scaffOldings and boardings that have hitherto
| hidden 1t from view. 1t now stands out with
very fine effect against the front of the rock on
| which the chateau or fortress that overlooks
| the town is built. 1t Is hewn out of immense
| blocks of stone of reddish color, and produces
1
| strength. AS the work. is the creation OF NJ.
| BarthOldi the eminent French sculptor who
il will be remembered, is the artist of the c)los-
! sal figure of Liberty Enlightening the World, y
| to be erected In New York harbor,|t is doubt
less one Of very considerable artistic merit; but
| at the same time it can hardly fail to suffer
| somewhat in public estimation from the feeling
that, fine as it may be, 1t Is copy of the thought
| II not in fact and form Of the justly celebrated
| Lion at Lucerne, the model for which was de-
| signed by ThorwaldSen, the great sculptor of the
| north, and which Is considered by many per-
sons the finest thing of the kind executed in
| modern times
| AT the time of the Hunt picture sale In Bos-
ton we expressed the opinion that the high
prices obtained were doubtless largely due to
| the fictitious circumstances attending it, and
| to sort OF craze existing for the moment to
| have something from his pencil, Independent OF
its artistic or commercial value. This view is
| fully confirmed by some OF the facts that have
| since come to light. Several Of the sketches
| which brought veIy considerable sums were
| mere memoranda In charcoal, -haSty drawings,
made, not with a view to finished pictures, but
to preserve in recollection certain effects OF light
| or lines, and Of no value whatever except as a
| suggestion or reminder to the artist himself. In
addition to this many of them were so badly
rubbed as to be almost indistinguishable. To
| snow that fashion has about as much to dc
with the demand for and price OF pictures as IL
has with the cost and style Of dresses, we may
| mention the fact that one of the charcoal
sketches referred to, which went at $500 af.eI
| sharp competition, turned out to be not by
III1rf oil hvyo md I'm uyrn