Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-07
WHY DO1sE WAS UNHAPPY,
Some Interesting Particulars OF the
Great Artists Will.

Lucy Hooper in Philadelphia telegraph.
have just learned some interesting particu-
lars respecting Gustave Dore's will from one of
his friends 1t is perfectly true that he has left
orders to have all the paintings, drawings and
sculpture that were in his possession at the
time OF his death sealed up and kept for two
years from the date of his demise. At the ex-
piration Of that period they are to be sold at
auction. The accumulation Is an immense one.
comprising all the huge pictures in the DOr6
gallery OF London, some twenty or thirty more
of scarcely inferior size in his studio on the Rue
Bayard. dozen large pieces Of sculpture, as
many more small groups In terra-cotta. plaster
or bronze: and some hundreds OF drawings 1t
Is hard to decide as to whether this course OF
action On the part OF the lamented artist will
prove wise one or the reverse. 1t is undOubt-
edly true that the postponement of this sale for
| so long will deprive 1t OF the interest arising
| from the regret for Dore's untimely death, and
| the general sensation aroused by the event.
| On the other hand, 1t is thought by more than
one OF his artist friends that the appreciation OF
his talent among the art-lOvers of France will be
| far higher two years hence than it is now. His
personal fortune was divided into three parts,
one Of which goes to his brother, NJ Ernest
| DOre, who is an officer in the army another lie
left to married sister, and the third part is be-
queathed to the Society Of Artists formerly pre-
| sided over by Baron TAYLOR There is q second
Il
| following good and sufficient reasons: When
! the artist had achieved his first success he
brought his brother to Paris and established
| him in the office of stock broker. He took to
gambling in stocks, lost heavily. and Gustaye
| Dor6 was forced to make good these losses to
| the amount of some $50. 600. Hence the omis-
| sion of his name from the will.
| despite his vast and early successes" con-
| tinued my informant. ''DOre was never happy
| man. His failure to win recognition as painter
| preyed upon his spirits. His career had been
| such triumphant one that he could not COM
prehend why he should not achieve fresh tri-
| umph'in this new line. He was successful
| artist when he was mere child--he- was
| famous one before he came Of age But the
vivid and fertile imagination that served him SO
| splendidly at the outset of his career and that
| made him the first Illustrator of his time proved
| his bane when he attempted to become a
painter. He disdained study and laughed al
the slow processes by which less gifted mea
| learned to blend colors ahd to WELD q pencil
Lacking these elementary studies, his genius
failed to find adequate expression In the huge
| canvases that he loved to cover with Colossal
| figures. They were full of fine imaginative
qualities, they were marvellous pieces Of com
| position, but the drawing was all wrong and
the coloring set ones teeth on edge. He could
not draw single finger, much less an entire
| human form, correctly. He could not under
stand his own defects and he went on, veal
after year, painting gigantic pictures In thu
| hope of forcing the sneerin2 critics to reverse
their verdict of condemnation. That end wa.
never attained, and the kindly, genial artist
died with q sore sense Of injustice gnawing al
| his heart"