Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-01
OUR PARIS LETTER.
THE NATIONAL TRIENNIAL EXHIBITION
OF FINE ARTS.
The Opening by Jules Feyry-Inharmony
Of Artists - Celebrated Tapestries,
Paintings, Etc on Exhibition.
PAPIs, December IA, 1883.

PAPIS, December IA, 1888.
The Exposition will remain open to the
public until the last of the month. 1t has
attracted many visitors, not only because
! it is interesting, but because it Is the first
Exposition founded by the Academy of
Fine Arts, which enjoys State sup
port and supervision. The name
of this Exposition has been changed
several times. 1t has been called the TIi.
ennial Exposition, the National Exposition
and the National Exposition of Fine Arts.
Now 1t is decided to call it the National
Triennial. AS it is to occur every third
year, the Triennial Exposition would be an
| appropriate name. But no one seems to
know why it is termed National, for it is
| no more national than the annual exposi.
tions or salons founded by the Society of
French Artists. This society is entirely
! independent of the Government, and its
juries are elected by its members. To de-
clare an art national because it has the
countenance and support of Govern
ment Institute, is, in the opinion
of intelligent Frenchmen, an absurdity,
and as proof of it, it ia Only necessary to
recall the fact that all the art truly ma.
tional, the work of De!acroix, Corot,
Dupre, and even of Gericault, has been for
many long years resolutely and systematic
ally ignored by the official juries chosen by
the Directors OF the Academy of Fine Arts.
The society of French artists has always
insisted upon greater hexibility of mind
and accessibility of ideas on the part Of
the members OF the Academy. 1t would
require too much space to enter into an
account Of their quarrels, which have be-
come matter OF history. The
OPENING OF THE TRIENNIAL EXPOSITION
Was exceptionally brilliant. There were
present all eminent French artists and
many of the distinguished artists of Eng
land, America, Holland, Belgium and Italy.
Monsieur Jules Ferry delivered the open
ing speech. He said that the members of
the Academy most earnestly desired the
friendly feeling and cooperation OF the So
ciety of French Artists, and he wished
them distinctly to understand that the
Academy had reformed; that it had re-
solved to ignore those artists who walked
in tire shoes of others, and that it would
henceforth countsnance, support and ex-
hibit all schools and all tendencies of art.
The Minister'S speech was full of soothing
and fisttering expressions OF good will to-
ward the Society, and ended by assuring
its members that the Triennial Exposition
was not organized with the slightest desire
to rival the annual expositions of the Soci-
ETY.. On the contrary, many members of
the Academy had warmly protested against
the organization of an official salon in the
fear that many might find in such an or.
ganizstion something disloyal to the gen.
eral salon. THE State, said Monsieur lie
Ministre, "does not dream of combating
with the Society of Artists. Do we not
leave you the most beautiful season of the
year, the spring, when all Paris so natu.
rally directs its steps towards the Champs
| Elysees? We have our salon in the au-
tumn, when every lady is at the seaside or
still in the country. Rest assured, then,
gentlemen, that nothing will be changed
! In France-there will only be another
salon the more" But to the majority of
French artists the Ministers speech
WAS NOT WHOLLY SATISFACTORY.
In a country like France, where the fine
| arts are OF such importance, the State can
! not well afford to be Indifferent to any
artistic movement. Great artistic work
| cannot be executed apart from the intiu-
ence and support of the State. What
would become of the young sculptors, for
instance, if the State abandoned them, or
| left them to look after themselves Who
would furnish their marble and buy their
| first productions and place them in the
museums, If not the State The reason.
able artist asks, Who furnishes the
money for the prizes won at the
| salons, and who provides the many
well-Glled purses for the young artists sent
to Rome and to the Netherlands?" Ger
| tainly it is the Government which does all
! this, and much more, for art in France.
| And, after all, the famous independence of
| the Society of Artists has been greatly ex-
aggerated. After organizing the Society
the members were very glad to take refuge
under the protection of the Government
by most humbly praying the State authori-
ties to attend the openings of their salons,
and to preside at the ceremony of the dis
! tributon of the prizes, and to pronounce
| little discourse upon the arts, a question
that the artists understood much better
than his Excellency, tde President Never
theless the Society knows the value of
Estate countenance, and the State has
been ever willing to do all it could to ad-
vance the interests of the Society, despite
| the many bitter quarrels between some of
its members and the Academy. In any
event, the Government had the right to
organize an exposition, but it Is unfortu-
nate that it should have chosen the cold
season, for the Palace of Industry is a
veritable Siberia just at this time. Even
in May, when the Society of Artists has
| its exposition in the same building, it is
| hardly comfortable The next Trlennial
| Salon should take place in June, or the
| Government should build a new palace,
which should be arranged for winter as
| well as for summer exposltlons. 1t ls diff
fieult to appreciate pictures when ones
! feet and hands are like bits of ice.
WORKS OF ART EXHIBITED.
But let US see if this first Triennial Ma
tional Exposition is interesting. We must
admit that, for the lovers Of novelty, there
will be some disappointment. 1t is good
salon, and all of the best work of
men of talent, but among eight
hundred pictures, seven hundred and
| fifty are already well known to the public.
| For the artist and for the critic this re.
seeing the same pictures after GER
tain lapse of time, in another building,
among other surroundings, is invaluable,
and for this reason alone the Triennial
Salons will be gain for many. On enter
ing the Exposition, the visitor is at once
impressed with the excellent arrangement
of the garden devoted to sculpture, and
with the elegance and good taste which
characterize the rooms devoted to painting.
In all these rooms the canvases are hung
upon level with the eye, so that one sees
them without fatigue. There are III
paintings exhibited by 372 painters. Ca
bsnel has ten, Dupre eight, the two Bretons
seven each, Lepage, Henner, Meissonnier
and Duchard six each. The other artists
have each from one to three paintings,
The sculpture comprises 297 works, ex.
hibited by $50 artists. Paris has never
seen such a beautiful exhibition of sculp-
ture nor such magnificent display of pot
terry and tapestry.
| ANCIENT AND MODERN TAPESTRY.
The whole length of the vast garden is
decorated with ancient tapestries which
have a curious history Before the revo