Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-07-23

greatest attention at the recent eXpOsi-
ton of Meissonier's works ut Paris was
"Solferino." Napoleon III, is painted
from the orIgnal. Meissonier often
tells how he came to make the sketch.
''The Emperor, said the artist. 'Often
invited me to come TO FOntainebleau TO
show him my work. He always receiv-
ed me charmingly and after looking at
my canvas, where only the central fig
ure was wanting, asked me whose like
ness | intended to put in the vacant
place.
"sYours, sire,' answered.
$50 you willpalnt my portrait?' said
the Emperor.
Certainly
"'How?'
"'From memory and from the pub
lie prints
Then you can dispense with sit
ting?'
"'Yes, your Majesty
"'Welll will tell You what | will
do suddenly exclaimed the emperor.
we will get ou horseback and take
ride and chat as we go along. In that
way you can study me at your ease.
MY old friend Jadin had a studio at
/ FOntainebleau; ventured to ask Ma
poleon whether he would like to visit
| it. He was in gay mood and agreed
to my proposition. We found Jadin
hard at work, in a blouse. with a short
pipe in his mouth. The Emperor rolled
cigarette, sat astride Of a chair and
began to talk. l picked up the first
pencil L could lay my hands on to make
a sketch of my august model. In half
an hour had completed it,"
MeisSonier has NJ yer been eXcelled in
devotion to the technique of his art. He
prefers his studio at the country house
at Passy to the one in Paris on the Bou-
levard MalesherheS. The villa al
Passy stands between the railway en-
bankment and the Seine. He had a
special railway carriage made in order
to observe the movements of a horse
galloping at full speed alongside the
track and note the play of the muscles
and joints, together with the attitude
and gestures of the rider. If MeissOnler
whistles to paint a horse as it appears
when covered with mud, he let's one of
his grooms gallOp the brute across
ploUghed fields after a rain and daSbes
off sketch of il when it comes back
to the stables all flecked with foam and
bespattered with clay. If he wishes TO
pant dusty horsemsn he sends a groom
for sack of dust and besprinkles the
unhappy animal with it. If he wishes
to paint a snOw-stOrm he goes out of
doors and paints in the open air, under
an enormous umbrella, until his fingers
become too stiff to hold his brush.
None of his models dares to plead bad
weather as an excuse for suspendIng an
out of-door sitting. In course of time
they become case-hardened. Two poor
wretches, who represented Moreau and
DesaiX IN the picture of ''HOhenlin-
den," posed for their portraits with the
thermometer ranging ten degrees below
zero, with five feet of snow under their
boots.
Meissonier does not paint on any par
: t-galar plan--he paints what he sees as
he sees it. Sometimes he is LAVISH OF
bright pigments, at o6her times all is
pale gray and of a neutral tint. As he
does not paint by any fixed rules he
cannot teach his method to others. ''DC
as do" he tells them, and the pupils
try to, but-with the exception of De.
taille possibly-they don't.
Figaro tells rather a doubtful story
of MeissonIer and BllliOnaire Wander
bllt. "Thls monstrously rich Ameri-
can," the newspaper records, Twas
sitting for his portrait in the great
artists studio. The painter expressed
regret that the famous picture of Gen.
eral Desalx, one of his favOrite works,
was at Berlin and would not form one
of the collection of his paintings about
to be exhibited. -Four days later the
Yankee CreSus came for another sit
ting and said to the painter: MAY my
wife come up stairs? Her carriage is al
the door"
"Why of course, replied Melssonier
touching the bell. ''Introduce Madame
Vanderbilt" he tells the servant whC
, answers it.
After few minutes Mrs. Wander
bilt comes into the studio with "Gen
eral Desaix and his Staff" under he
arm. Her husband had purchased il
, by telegram of two lines:
Pay for picture of DeSaiX wha
please. Must have it at once.
VANDERBILT.
, Commodore ON the retired list
80, you see," said the fnancia
Titan, ''your picture will have hom
, IN New York i'll future. instead of il
, Berlin"