Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-06
ART NOTES.

The widow Of Theron Barnum has given to
the Missouri Historical Society portrait of the
negro bred Scott, whose case brought Judge
Taney into such Objectionable notoriety. The
painters name 10 not given.
Atlanta claims for the present the only
known portrait In oils Of Gen. Robert e. Lee
taken nom life during the war. 1t is by J. W.
King, who was attached to Richmond gallery
OF photographers, in the capacity Of fnisher and
painter.
- The governor general of Canada opened on
the 18th ult the Royal Canadian Academy Of Arts
at Montreal. The ceremonies were as elaborate
as possible. after Canadian fashion, and Lord
Lorne made pleasant speech. Several hun
dred paintings and water-colors are on ex-
hibition.
Miss Beckett and Miss Bertha Won Hillern,
the artists, are in Washington, on their way to
Virginia. where they will pass the summer in
out OF doors study Of art. Miss Won Hillern,
formerly 90 well known ~ an apostle Of physi-
cal culture, IL now rapidly gaining fame as
artist and essayist.
Millais, the English painter, has received
the signal honor Of being elected Foreign Asso-
ciate Of the French Academy Of Fine Arts, in the
place Of the italian sculptor Dupre, lately de-
ceased. Mr.. Millais had Gullaume Geefs, the
Belgian sculptor, and Franz List, the composer,
NJ Geefs and for Able List.
Mr.. Gaines B. Donoho, Of this city, sends as
his contribution to the Paris Salon this year an
oil painting representing IN Autumn Eject in
the Forest Of Fontainebleau. It was well re-
ceived by those present on opening dav, and
was considered Of enough consequence to be
specially referred to in the cable dispatches to
the New York Herald describing the opening Of
the Salon.
Mr.. Ulke is at work on second portrait Of
ex-Secretary Blaine, similar in size and general
style to the one Of that gentleman lately COM
pleted for the government Of Venezuela, and
which attracted 30 much favorable attention at
the meeting Of the Literary Society at Justice
Fields last Saturday evening. 1t will, how
ever, show little more spirit and "touch me II
you dare" expression than that work. and is
ilkeiy. therefore, to be more popular with the
distinguished gentleman's friends and admirers.
Mr.. Hubert Herkomer, the distinguished
English painter, is making preparations to open
private art school, on new principles and with
new aims, under his own charge, near London,
where he proposes to qualify students Of both
sexes for the highest walks in art. and where
those who fail to realize their best aspirations
will be instructed in other branches Of art, such
as etching, mezzOtint engraving, wood-carving
or metal chasing. The students. limited to the
number of sixty, will be chosen by Mr.. Herko-
mer himself, and none will be admitted who
cannot already draw creditably from the life.
The French Salon which opened on Monday
is generally admitted to be disappointment as
to quality, although the number of pictures sent
In for examination was never larger. There
are, of course, some strikingly good paintings,
but the general average is pronounced lower
Than usual. There are altogether 5642 works
IN the display. OF these, 2, 722 are oil paintings,
$50 sculptures and the remainder water coIors,
engravlngs, architectural designs, &c. very
large number of foreigners help swell the list of
exhibitors, and it is pleasant to know that
among them the English and the Americans
make respectable figure.
1t is likely that the proposed national mon
ument to Victor Emanuel. for which Italy some
time ago appropriated the munifcent sum of
1900, 900 liras (S1 800 0OO) will come to naught,
or at least be indefinitely postponed. for want of
worthy design. Over two hundred plans or
models have been submitted. covering the Wild
est possible range Of thought and treatment
but none Of them were adjudged to be suitable
in every respect for the intended memorial
1hls result seems to confirm the impression
now almost uniformly made upon visitors to
that country, namely, that the Italy of to-day
is paying good deal more attention to mate
rial development than to poetry and art.
A hasty glance at the catalogue Of the
spring exhibition of the New York Academy OF
| Design resulted last week i'm unintentional in
justice to two worthy Washington artists, by
emitting them from the list of those in this CITY
| having paintings on exhibition there. In addi-
| ton to those then mentioned, Mr.. Charles Lam
| man and Mr.. Louis ID. Meline of Washington,
are both represented on the walls of the Acad-
envy. The former exhibited "a Salmon River
| in Canada" and ION the Upper Potomac" and
the latter a "Stiil Life" which received the
| compliment. not often paid to the work Of young
artists, Of being hung ION the line" The cata-
| logue price of Mr.. Lanman's paintings is $3.50
and $500, respectively, and of Mr.. Meline's SIPS.
j Rosa Bonheur recently finished an import
ant painting. entitled "LiOns at Home" which
is attracting great attention in London. where
| it is now on exhibition. The background is a
thicket Of aloes and cacti, against which the
leOnine family is projected. The lion is sitting
| In that doggy attitude, with his fore paws eX-
| tended common to the males of the species, and
the iloness is at his side having apparently Just
| finished nursing her three cubs, one of whom is
( washing the other, while the third looks out of
| the picture with wistful little face Some of
the critics consider this as perhaps Mile. Bon
| hours greatest work; but it may well be doubted
whether it is equal to the Horse Fair" by the
same artist now owned by Mrs. A. 7. Stewart,
| of New York. This is beyond question the most
| important work of the kind ever achieved by q
| woman.
- Gabriel Dante Rosetti, the poet-painter,
who recently died in London, had high and
wide reputation as an artist, but it is exceed
ingly difficult to understand upon what it was
founded. He never exhibited at either the
Royal Academy or the Grosvenor Gallery, the
| two great show rooms of modern art In London;
his efforts were not on view in the rooms OF
dealers; nor did the public have free access to
| his studio. What pictures he chose to paint and
| sell were always promptly bought up by per
sonal friends and admirers, and at round prices,
too, even - prices go In England, and so far as
| Is known not one Of them has ever yet come
| under the hammer of tho auctioneer. It Is ex-
| tremely hard, therefore, to fix his exact place
| as an artist, either by comparison with other
artists or by the market value of his own works.
| Is determined by public sale; but for all that
| his high position seemed to be conceded. and
| his fame apparently went on increasing until his
death The case is probably without parallel
| In the history Of art.
lis there q current decadence In art /? It Is
| the general impression among critics and INTEL
lgent observers that there is, and the impress
sion seems to be unfortunately too well founded.
| The spring exhibition of the New York Academy
is not up to the mark Of the old displays of that