The sun., 1884-04-27

0ovvfIn6 ~ 00ta9e. - Wto00 70 veSaD0ves
anA said. II DO protest TO you was DECEIVED"
But II out Of ail the masterpieces wrought b.
vslasQuss during this part Of his life con-
noissurs we're called upon 10 name the most
fsllcitous they would probably concur In point
Ing to the Surrender Of Breda" which 10
commonly designated a. Las Lanzas Hore
We 500 the MARQUES do 6pinola. accompanied
by his ofnoers. In the presence OF the Flemish
and Spanish armies. advancing to receive the
keys OF the city Of Breda from tho Governor
General. Justin Of Nassau. In tho background
arc camp and Notifications; In tho foreground
a horse. beyond which are soldiers bearing
lances which give tho picture Its popular ap.
pollation. This picture. which is now In the
Prado Museum. was painted In 1647 for the
Palace OF Busn Retro. Tho artist 10 said to
have taken unusuai pains with II out OF respect
to tho memory Of Spinola. who had been his
friend and travelling companion on his first
journey to Italy. Mr.. Curtis accounts II one OF
the iinest historical pictures In tho world. and
no directs attention TO the impression OF Inn
menslty conveyed with apparently scanty
means. Thoro arc not more than twenty hg-
urcs In sight. yet they infuse tho idea OF IN
army.
1t was In the year following the production Of
Las Lannas that Vclasduoz act out second
time for Italy. boIng on this occasion commits
stoned by Philip ~. to make extensive pur-
chascs for tho galleries OF tho Aloazar and tho
EscurlaL Tho mnstcr was accompanied by his
mulatto slave. Pareja who was himself to
provo IN artist OF no mean ability. That the
ostensible object OF his journey was not neglect
ed Is plain enough from tho fact that no car
ricd homo many valuable pictures. besides
three hundred pieces OF statuary. But he
seems during this second stay OF two years
in Italian cities to hnre sedulously striven to
gain larger and more absolute command OF
the technical processes which hnd been carried
In Venice. Florence. md Naples to such per-
foction. and no unquestionably added much to
his reputation. 1t was In Rome that he exc
cuted rfle portrait OF his slave. Pareja. q greatly
apriaudcd performance. which caused him to
DO chosen a member OF tho Academy OF st.
Luke. But tho principal work OF VelasQucz at
Rome. md one OF the paintings to which he 10
most indebted for his worldwide renown. was
the portrait OF his Holiness. Innocent X. Palo-
mino relates that when this picture was fln-
ished and placed In chamber OF tho palace. q
chamberlain entered tho room. and. seeing.
as no thought. the Pope himself. ro-
tired hastily. and cautioned his companions
In the antechamber to speak low. for his Holl-
ness was within. Mr. Curtis would describe
this composition as q symphony In red. the
ruddy face. the scarlet cap and capc. and tho
crimson chair being projected on rod curtain
for background. Yet out OF such unpromising
materials the artist produced n picture which
Sir Joshua Reynolds pronounced tho finest in
Rome. Indeed this and Gndo's st. MI
chael were tho only ones which Sir Joshua
dcigned to copy. Wo should not forget to
mention that an etching Of this admirable
portrait has been made BY A. Lalauze express
ly for this volume.
On his temperance in Madrid. Vclasauez is
appointed Aposentador del Roy. and. absorbed
In the duties OF this Office. hs paints compara-
lively little. Yot to the last few years Of his life
belong two pictures which would alone have
placed him on u level with the greatest painters
of Italy. and which nre counted among the
most priceless treasures OF tho Prado Museum
at Madrid. Wo refer. Of course. to Los Hilan-
deras" tho Spnners). and the Maids OF
Honor" uas Meninns). Tho former depicts a
scenein the royal tapestry mandatory of Santa
Isabel. There arc eight figures. al evidently
drawn from life: in the foreground an Old
woman with her head turned to speak
to girl behind her who is drawing
back rod curtain; In the centre a
second girl carding wool. but suspending her
work to observe n cat sleeping by her side; on
tho right Is n third damsel winding yarn from
u reo. while behind her Is fourth entering
tho chamber with basket; lastly. in an Rlcovo
in tho background. nrs threo ladies scrutinz-
Ing sample Of tapestry. OF this chef fGur,e
Raphael Mengs declared: Parece no turo parte
Ia naho en- la execution. shto que Sc pinto con sofa
Ia ro'untad -" 1t seems that the human hand
had no share In the creation OF this picture
which looks rs II 1t were evoked By one unaided
fiat OF the will"
With a glance at Las Mcninas" we must
take leave OF that portion Of Mr.. Curtis's pains
taking and full-stored book which Is devoted to
Ve!asIuez. In the studio Of tho artist Velas-
Qucz himself is standing on tho left before an
easel painting tho united portraits Of Philip
". and his wife Mariana. which arc seen re-
flected in n mirror: he holds a palette and
brushes. and suspcnds his work an instant
whio he turns his face to tho spectator. In the
foreground the Inianta Margaerita. o child
some five years old is listening to some merry
tnle from ono maid OF honor. while she gra-
clously receives glass Of water from another;
on tho right arc two dwarfs playing
with dog. and q young demoiselle.
habited rs nun. converscs with gudrod
dan,ds. while at tho rear the Queens Aposenta-
dor Is seen entoring the chamber by O flight OF
stops deserted through an open door. This
picture. finished In 1856. is esteomsd one OF the
most porfec! fac-simles OF nature that nrt has
ever produced. we arc t0lu tnot wnen the
King saw 1t he declared that ono thing was yet
lacking. and painted tho red cross OF Santiago
on the artists breast. Tho portrait OF himself
here introduced by the master Is the most au-
thentic likeness extant OF Nclazquez. and tho
reader will bo glad to learn that 1t
has been etched by NJ. Saint Ray
mond for this catalogue. Even In the
etching wistful intentness fingers
In tho eyes. and the fingers that nip tho brush
still tingle In alert docllity to tho impellinG
thought. 1t may have been this very picture.
which so forcibly depicts the soul OF tho artist
plunged In his work. as 1t was certainly the
irresistible penetration characteristic OF Velas-
quez, that Tennyson had In mind in the lines
which happily interpret tho aim and tho
achievement Of consummato portraiture:
Aswhen painter. porinx on fnce.
Divincly through all hindrancs Gnds the man
Behind It, and 10 pnints him that his face.
Tho shape and color Of q mind and life
Lives for his children. ever at its best
And brightest; 80 his face before us lives.
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