New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-12
TIE SERPENT CHARMEE.
=. ,,,ronr,Nr PICTURE BY GrRoME.

A
Mr. :. p. Avery has now on exhibition at
.,..,ou,s M &c Flfth-ave near FOureenl-si an I'M
- nic;ure by J. l.. GGrOme, just completed com
mission from citizen OF this city
r, nic,rr. is PAINTED on four feet long by
teet nine inches high and contains twelve figures.
rt. everything painted by this artist 1t exhlOl's Ill
80 mart a COmpl tie knowledge OF the subject
an astonishing science, a most painstaNng care
a. executiou and an absolute want OF feeling
IN. scene IL a large hall in some actually existing pu'
caro- and the background OF the picture is iormeu
., one OF the walls Of this apartment, cOmpcuev
covered from door ceiling with Persian ties Az the
,o,t Of this WALL seated upon the floor nine men ana
hoy are watching some intently, others WIFI Olcn'"
spathy-the strange scene that is enaeiing before them
rug mas been spread on the once handsome bu' 10"
broken aud ruined floor and on this rug STANDS Win MS
bark 10 us a boy OF fourteen years, entirely nakeu
about whose immovable body a huge anacohua Il
Irtpcd IN double fold, the boy holding the creature oy
the neck with his oustretched left hand, while WIN INC
reh he grasps the writhng tail Near the edge oil Ie
INC AT the left, are the basket in which the
serpent is kept and large eartheh oo''ie
On the other side of the at little distance from "
AL Old Arab crOssegged on the floor his legs COW
erred with a volumnous green garment the whole upper
part of his body Naked the SKIN drawn over his Dohe
like pal chmeDt drum He Is the serpent charmer
and he lays his long pipe OF smooth straight cane 10
his lips and produces sounds which are supposed 10 con-
trol the movements OF the anaconda AT his side lies
what we take be drum but there are 10 other acce
sOues
II will thus be that the composition OF the pres
en picture made up of the simplest elements mere is
pohing superuous TO distract the interest of the spec
tator but nevertheless 1t is impossible TO Keep Tue
ewes or the mind xedfor any length OF time on the chi
aaors in the scene indeed any part OF the picture
The painting is of its kind. ALI perfect, hnisheu 10
a finger nail and no sCbordinauon OF one part
10 another This hewever. is the usual practice WIN
ca belongs
school and only needs passing mention. We i'oR
long, and look Often returning to 1t again ana "E"'
at the beautiful tiles that cOihe the wall; we study
over and over, the faces OF the men who are ranged
against the wall, and try TO divine the thongh's' II
thoughts they be- which pass through their heads we
come back to this hoy who stands erect unmovhH' I'M
movable. not at ALL as fancy, like an Arab, nut IL
French boy the streets OF Paris; anu cnre} uh-
concerned about bis fate, pass over to the od S
carved out of ancient ivory, WHO plays to tbs serpent
from the qrdn deS PLANES his dites OF no tone Ana
SO the eye goes wandering about, from one lolh
AT interest to another pleased but not delighted the
mind not fed but only the curiosity excited
We may ask every thing OF this master, but that nc
.boli move NJ He may interest US. instruct us
sstouish U.s. but he never makes Us "eh'Ne IN the
reality of the scenes he describes. Most curcus.y'
though he knows all about the human body and can G'
sgn il with perfection as rare it is wonderful he
never succeeds in putting any life into his pcr~oEaS''
beyond ;ne life of the moment They are MS they are
but were they otherwise ask; viii they ever be
otherwise2 Now III the works OF every great mhcr o.
the figure we by sense of life OF unrest tIo'
the beings who people the ceiling Of the stLe 10 tie
peasants Of Muet this OF life, of movement, Is Tie
STRONGEST IMPRESSION we receive; but " is an
impress on we never get from any icure q Cc' me.
Net sometimes, IN the "Gwahz e" or Ddurn3
md again in the sword Dance and d" The Ram 49,
Girl" he boldly attacks subjects thai are Do'hn" W
out his sense of life this impression Of he continuity
ba.o Y.
Very few artists however have been successful IN tie
ATTEMPT 10 portray actual motion OF violent or pro-
nomced Kind. but have said, every great aIi'si
has proved himself great among other thihSs by tue
mower TO animate figures at resi-. and here II seems Ia
us GGrome i snguarly deficient rs II the "PA!yne'
and tbo eopatra" so with these 1gutes OF the boy
and his MASTER the thought connects them wi h
eculntufe aud detach them from thrr p!iled sur
roundIugs as IL they were many brOnZes. Indeed
The present picture 10 have grown on cl usI
10 meet Sir freddie Leighton. the president
~ the Eoval Academy, ms own ground.
and ~ rival IN. bronze siatuc Of Man stranglnc
python win ms &" Boy Playing with an A'a"n ia
~ a ,ot snrnisrd therefore 70 hear that NJ &c
modelling IA pTese i,uTe, 10 e east IA brohz a. h
has already modelled the Pnryue" from " FhlJn
bef o. ,he reovacus" ana the Cleopatra from ms
"Cle0pstra beor Caesar" But the new statue Nl'l
certainly be- inferior even 10 tde '[ '' v
is If an age when the IN developed "u ne -
there is no grace in his attitude; he stands hike Young
covering all tn upper part OF the trunk, give d~lo
portlon0d bigness % that part 01 inc hSIe' "t
suegest "A nfc.preserver. Modelling, whether 0l
the face or the figure seems refused
DIV GerOme whose people look az II cary out OF SOIp
or aiabaster-but this must be mt ndcd on ms part
since hls knowledge is all sufficient, II lie chose 10 as
play IT, The absence OF modelling adds, however 10 me
general impression Of hfeesssss his pictures are fb
LaaJ Grants; II We move away Tie group VIII Drca ul
and tnese uOols 20 meet their appointments al 0hcr
eudiOs But can imagine Mllets peasants 10 Ue
models they real peasants, hOl mdKe-DeheF's, al
~ they move away 1t will be 10 pursue O'her tsKs Ol
ttp same kind as those them now ENGAGED III.
word lit not now for the drst time, u &c ONES
paintiugs In no true OF the word Is tins paint
ing" at ALI: certainly here is no color 1t Is pleas
IRE 10 acknowledge the learning. the ialthfulnt7'
bronrht to tire study Of externas here az III all the pc
tures that 6erOme paints. but painting comes r0n We
desire 10 express wnat the penetration O Tue a n5
covers beneath every surface. GerOne j. pOweu aht
learned man, but III high sense ia he an ait't-cer
taiuly he poet-aud how can there DC one wiAou
fhe other As color, there Is no Slch thnS mere
fhoush there coUrs enough. But tie faults OF h
conposltiU!--the eye stopped at This breadth u wa
monotonO,is IN effect for ali its variety I'll pattern an'
the ippre deepened by tue hudunnS oI te HguIe
aransL the WALL with the isolation OF The TWO nGnros
tie hoy and mis- naster-these faults not Te0i en-
by pictorial effects. al distance OF ok Ieet th
absence Of all decorative effect is painfully cyldeut
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