Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-03-29
Meissonier, the Printer.

Personally Meissonier is a man whom
it is difficult to describe. Picture to
yourself a little bit of fellow. as
brisk and merry as if he was listening
to some stimulating music, to which ali
other ears were deaf. On this BODY of
a dwarf is set magnificent head-a
head that is almost that of a visionary
with long locks of waving and snowy
white hair, and with long beard as
white as the hair. He reminds YOU of
one of those personifieations of rivers
in which the ancients delighted, or.
rather, of one of those musing fathers
of the earth that Coysevox has carved
for US under the thick linden trees of
the park at Versailles. When one
looks at this imposing head and venera-
bic beard, one entirely looses sight of
the slender body that ends in pair of
trousers like those of the English horse
trainer. Learned and witty to the ut
most limit, and, like true Partisan.
fond of ridiculing everything, with a
sharp eye to his own glory, the great
painter is more interesting within the
walls of his studio, surrounded by the
tokens of his work. The studio is an
enormous one, and fairly flooded with
light. 1t Is well stocked with pictures,
incomplete sketches, precious furniture.
arms and hangings. 1t is so large that
even the Marriage of Cana" could
have been painted in it with ease, and
yet it is here that MISSIONER touches
and retouches, witha religious patience,
those diminutive pictures that the
amateurs are so glad to cover with gold
pieces and bank notes. In spite of its
size the studio is arranged WI tn coqnet-
tishness that is almost feminine. Here
and there on the arm chairs and divans
are negligently cast clothes of richly
colored velvets, musketeer's hat with
its white, trailing plume, "a theatrical
sword with an elaborate carved hilt.
pile of brilliantly colored silks and
Eastern stuffs Everywhere, drawn up
in line, on easels, hanging on the walls
and even resting against the tables
pictures and quartettes, which we never
grow tired of admiring. The work of
the artist. that is now the furthest ad-
vanced represents two lovers singing
duet. The man, dtaped in a purple
simarre, is allowing his fingers to wan
der over the keys of an organ, while his
head is thrown back toward her who
stands beside him. The picture con-
tains all the charm of a mystic ode, all
the tenderness of two hearts which are
filed with but one and the same feel
ing. The red and green colors in the
picture are as dazzling as Oriental
goods spread out in the intense glare of
an Eastern sun. The master chats
pleasantly with such visitors and friends
as come in. His voice is clear, but, at
the end of his sentences it becomes
weak, and has some almost childish in
Elections. He taught easily and readi-
ly, and, from force of habit, can listen
gravely and calmly to the hyperbolical
praises that are SO prodigally bestowed
upon him and his work MISSIONER
does not content himself with being
one of the great contemporary masters.
He is, also, as learned collector ofrare
old books as any bibliophilist of the in
stitute. It is by studying those that he
is enabled to produce in his pictures
such faithful representations of the
centuries that have vanished, and of
scenes of adventure and chivalry that
have been forgotten by the common
herd Pittsburgh Telegraph.