The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-11-24
New Publications.
EUGENE FnoMENr1N.

Mr.. Louis Gonse's Eugene Fromentin, Painter &
Writer" translated by Mary Caroline Robbins, is
work Of much interest, and will be gratefully vel
coined by all lovers of art and literature. Mr..
Gonse is Editor of the Gazette Des Beaux Arts,
and the present volume has been prepared from ar
ticles which appeared from time to time in the re-
view, and which have been collected retouched and
added to, in order to form whole nearly as pos
sibls perfect. To his own work he has added pre-
vously unpublished fragments of Fromentin's
writings. Hc has studied his subject with sympathy
and enthusiasm.
Fromentn was born in La Rochelle ia 1920. AS
a writer he exclusively French; as a painter he
had secret tenderness for the art of Holland. His
collegiate course was brilliant and he possessed rare
literary aptitude. At the age of seventeen he was
sent to Paris to study law. There he frequented
the soirees of Michelet Quinet and. Sainte Beuve,
and wrote verses both good and bad. In 1S48 he
commenced the practice of law, bat soon his taste
for painting carried the day, and he began to de-
vote himself to art and literature. Taking a hur-
ried trip to Algers to visit friend he became en-
amored of the scenery of that country, which filled
him with enthusiasm; and ''henceforth he belonged
toAfrica." At this time he wrote two books, "A
Summer in Sahara and "a Year in the Sahel,'
and made large number of studies for pictures at
Algiers, where he went with his wife Immediately
after bis marriage. From 1853 to '59 his pictures
at the Paris Saloon were ARABS Hunting with the
Falcon" IA Moorish Burial, )" "a Street in FL Ag-
horiat," Edge of an Oasis during Sroceo,'' "Au-
dience at Caliphate," and several others. OF
these pictures his biographer says, "They were of
the finest value and sparkled in the Exhibition like
precious stones" Fromentin received a medal and
decoration at the close of this Salon.
His famous work "Old Masters of Belgium and
Holland has also been admirably translated by
Mrs. Robbins, and is one of the most delightful
books about pictures that ever written. 1t has
been published uniform with the life of Fromentin
and the two volumes would be treasure in any
library. At the time of his sudden death Fromen-
tin had JUST been elected into the French Academy
He was an intimate personal friend and CORES
pondent of George Sand, and their letters, well
as those to Busson Dumesnil and others, form one
of the great attract ons of the book. Madame Sand
speaks of Fromentin "a model Of taste delicacy
perseverance and Distinction He was seductive
and picturesque talker. M. Gonse's book has as a
frontispiece spirited portrait of Fromentin, aud
many illustrations of the studies and drawings of
this artist which very suggestive and full of life
and energy. Of his own writings the book contains
beside letters, "a Critics Programme 1.-THE Isle of
Re" and as an appendix, a poem entitled "Un Mot
Sur II Art Contemporaries M. Gonse says,
eFromentin ranks with George Sand, Gautier, Mer-
imee and Renan, among the purest prose writer's of
the generation which is passing away
Too much praise cannot be given Mrs. Robbins
for the satisfactory manner in which she has done
her work. Having lived for several years at the
Hague, and spent much time in Europe, and being
herself an artist of merit well fine lnguist,
she is eminenty fitted for the task she has so sue
csssfully executed; and we profoundly grateful
to her for bringing within reach of the English
speaking public, books which will induce them to
study further the life and works of this great paint
er and writer,