The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-06-15

NOTES ON HIS EXHIBITION.
TNe Artistic Manners and wsys or wsrk-
6n-ns reueua Pictures.


thrown omen recently to the members o.
The local and foreign press commanding
srfYicient influence to obtain friendly ~
yifation. Judging by the comfortable
elbow room. the chosen few were select,
Resides the exclusive side OF the pro
erammc. purposely carried out 10 permit
fhe master full intercourse with his friends,
fellow. artists, and the critics, there vas
another stringent reason for the strict OBJ
scrvapce Of the laid-down law.
To-day being the opening-day the lady
nafrons OF the benevolent charity to which
Inc exhibit lends its attraction receive IN
person the guests. who are privileged by
ipvitstion 10 pay f0f.. hence every ehorl
was 10 be made TO insure the privacy OF
Yesterdays inspection. M. Meissonler-
his small, short figure full OF vivacity, Tor
even his flowing white beard seemed 10
bristle with pleasure-was here and there,
discussing and explaining matters with oil
the acute enjoyment OF a young artist al
his first exhibit. and with far less preten'
sion than most OF our youngest feel or as
sumo. looked in vain-and certainty
had time for observation from | until y
O'Clock for the pomposity so often attri-
buied 10 this painter. II he played DIS
modesty, then be played 1t well, and IL is
pity that. in that TOO, he does not prove
himself 10 be chef d'ecole. IT should give
cause for self-congratulation to see nun
dred masterpieces hung in room where
the most severe critic would not dare TO pass
ore canvas with sighting carelessness. II
was pleasure, too, TO see Bonnat nooh
arms with Meissonier M d ask bim WIN
..keenest interest how, for instance, ne oo-
tanned the effect OF sunlight, penetrating at
lust such an angle In the room, where
Young man stands waiting NJ tue WIN
dow-hls sword on the table on WINCH
he leans-a picture the master calls
"Wai;ng." The nditre replied
waited for It. was four years painting
that picture. yet il took me in all about III.
teen hours" II is supposed by many tha'
the greatest living painter, with the Ger
man Meissonier, Mcneil, is a slow worker.
Inquiry among those who know shows me
that he paints, on the contrary, with pro-
digious rapidly, only he proceeds by a
method of his own. He has numberless
sketches on hand, all Of which he works at
lust as his will and circumstances permit
when he feels like 1t, in truth. Were he
more mercenary and less artistic he would
probably have fortune. As facts stand
be has a banker, NJ. Petit, in whose gall
lery his work Is now shown. His con-
sc'enliousness is such that TO get can
vas from under his retouching brush M.
Petit has TO steal it. Nothing is ever CON-
plcte OF finished TO the masters Judgment
or deslre. When one has looked through
the collection, with feelings OF continued
amazement and wonder, the thought
strikes you, perhaps too forcibly, why can
SO many people try to paint. and where in
the world have they studied IL they have.
The offspring Of Meissonier's talent is
certainly in the Flemish school, but his
genius. his wonderiully-&een perception
OF the history OF the situation which in
spires him, his apallingly-perfect dellnea-
ton Of the fitness OF expression, his fac.
tvro and technique, are all IN all his own.
His sureness, his absolute perfection OF
detail. can only be judged at an exhibition
OF this kind, which comes once in life
time, and then not in every ones life.
Al, Meissonier could not, OF course, con-
trol the presence Of all his work. he
could not oblige Dir. Vanderbilt to send
over his purchased paintings. The gentle
man bought them and paid for them, and
does not-so say the critics-consider him
SELF rich enough to expose his property to
the renewed periIs OF ocean travel. 1t NAV
be cause Of regret, on rejecting how use
full those purchases are to the general
public-who never see them-that Mr..
Vanderbilt ever had the money to
buv them; but upon the whole, the
exhibition can stand on its own legs
without that one prop. From the
first and second pictures exhibited by
bi. Meissonier, one in 1884, the other In
1895, up to the last sketch Of picture still
to be begun-the entire struggle and study
of the artist is before ones eyes. This
one sketch the painter works at every
day" Paris, 1870 and 1871" as 1t IL
cailed-and is carried back to his studio
eyery evening. He gets up at 8 O'Clock,
paints at It until 10, when he ieturns 1t to
the Petit Gallery. The following descrip-
tjon OF this work-yet to be created by
Meissonier in Its ultimate size and form
is translation OF his own words:
"Thc horizon at the left is red with the
brightness OF the burning buildings, which
darken the heavens with their smoke.
Paris. with head decked with lions skin,
her long golden robe draped in Grape, en-
ergetically leans her sword on the crown
resting on gravestone bearing her I'M
mortal coat-oi.arms. Her lett hand raises
one end of the funereal rail to shield the
last of those who have died for her cause
the painter, Regnault, killed at Buzllryal.
AT her feet lie the dead, the dying.
All the devotion. all the courage, and
all sorts Of human grief, are depicted
by the national guards, the mobiles
the soldiers, sailors, priests, doctors
and women. Free Autheltine' wlth tne
white badge and red cross on his lei
arm. struck to death. LET'S fall the wounded
man that he was supporting, and offers L
own life. The enormous cannon. managed
nv the sailors, yomits death. Moltalll
wounded, Mobile seems to hurl his curse
at the enemy. Despres, the captain OF th'
frigate, and q sailor, dead al his feet, hav'
given their last breath to defend the ship
In the foreground de Dampierre, colone
of the Mobiles, the sword in his stiflenet
hand, his eyes wide open, look
threateningiy even in death. fall
en- horse seeks TO rise. Neverly, Thu
horseman, has fallen, still holding hi'
sword. At the feet Of Paris lies Franchett
Corpses lie on palms. A Nationa
Guard holds the staff Of large tricolore'
flag, which floats behind the city. ply
stefan sustains gunner, who leans on hi
sword. A woman. wild with grief, lean
sobbingly against the dead body OF he
husband. Two monks carry OF, on Iii
ter. n wounded man, before whom thos
ready for battle uncover their heads.
woman, recognizing the corpse OF her hus
band. throws herself upon him In despair
An old man seeks for his son among tn
dead, and above all, up in The air, come
the bideous, cadaverous spectre of famine
the black eagle in It's hand. III
she who is TO open the door 10 the enemy
Among the important paintings Of tn
exhibition is the "Rixe.' sent by Queer
Victoria. 1t was given by Napoleon III
The subject is wei known by the man,
reproductions, but 1t must be seen to b