Evening star., 1885-06-06
ART NOTES.

Mr.. J. H. Witt, who formerly had studio
in this city. has been elected an Associate of the
National Academy of Design.
Mr.. Frederick f. Church. the well-known
painter of tropical scenery, has returned to New
York from Mexico, where he spent the winter.
- Mr.. Saint-Gaudens has modelled for the
Marquand Chapel at Princeton College, me-
dalion likeness of the late Prof. Joseph Henry,
of this city. The slab is of marble 6 feet by 4.
Miss Grace Hayter has recently completed
| portraits in crayon OF Mr.. and Mrs. o. g. Sta
| pies, OF Wizards hotel. which give much satis-
| laction to their friends, who regard them as
characterised by strength OF touch, fine express
| sion, and rare fidelity To nature.
-Sculptors and architects will be Interested
in the announcement that there is TO be erected
| "State Soldiers and Sailors Monument ia
! Indiana, and that a law has been passed by
| the legislature of that state enabling counties
| 10 erect county monuments with public money.
Circulars are already issued for the autumn
exhibition of the National Academy of Design,
which will be opened in New York, on Novem-
| ber 23. closing December 19. Pictures viii
be received at the academy ftom Monday. No
vember ., to Wednesday. November i, inclu-
| Siye.
The city of Lexington has purchased the
| ideal group of statuary entitled woman
| triumphant" the masterpiece of the late Joel
L. Hart, the Kentucky sculptor, which has
been on exhibition at Tiffanys in New York
| for long time. 1t is to be placed in n room
| specially set apart for that purpose in the new
courthouse at Lexington.
Mr.. W. V. Birncy, whose professional sue
cess in New York has entirely surpassed his
expectations, intends to spend the greater part
of the summer in this city. at the pleasant
home of his parents in lie Droit Park. While
| here Mr.. Birney will take charge of a limited
summer class for outdoor sketching. ETC.. for
which be is we'll qualified by his long and thor
ough European training
A somewhat novel departure in art has
been made by Mr. l.. p. Spinner, OF this city,
| who shows, at Ryneal's, on 7th street, a very
attractive portrait head of a lady, in black and
white oils. The subject is well chosen, being
quite classic in form and feature. and the effect
OF the picture is much like that OF well-exe-
cuted crayon drawing from a marble bust 1t
attracts much attention, and deSeryedly. Tor il
is at once pleasing and meritorious effort, and
viii doubtless attract notice to Mr.. Spinnerss
other work.
- Mr.. L. NJ. D. Gilaume, of this city, recently
painted portrait of eX-Judge Erskine, of the
| United States District Court I'm Georgia, which
is intended as gift from the bar OF Savannah
To be hung in the room OF that court. The por-
| trait Is regarded by the friends OF Judge Frs
| Kline as a fine likeness as well an excellent
| work of art. Mr.. Gilaume has also a "a COM
mission , to paint the portrait of Judge Nicol,
| wise be presented to the same court by the Sa-
vannah bar.
| A statue, heroic in size, of the late General
John c. Breckenridge, intended for his native
city, Lexington, upon which Edward Naen-
tue llSlnla sculptor, mas been at WORK for
several years, is now almost completed and an
effort will be made to have it arranged TO erect
and unveil it in that city with public cere-
probably be placed in the rotunda of the lrevv
court house. The Kentucky legislature appro-
priated $4,000 for the statue, and this sum
was largely augmented by private subscrip-
tions.
- Wards typical statue. representing the
New England Pilgrim, the gift to New York
from the New England Society, of that city, is
to be dedicated with appropriate ceremonies in
Central Park this afternoon Mr. Ward will
unNell the monument, which will be received
Oil behalf OF the city by Mayor Grace. The
commemorative address Will be delivered by
tIeorge William Curtis. The figure, which is of
heroic proportions, is of bronze and is pro-
hounced by critics a graceful and spirited work
OF art. But by and by some old hunter will
come along and observe that the way to hold a
gun is to Keep the hand OFF the muZZle.
- 1t Is not often that statue, once erected, is
destroyed or removed for want Of artistic merit,
but this is what befei the efiigy OF Gen. Custer
by j. w. Mcdonald, which was erected at West
Point several years ago. The statue never gave
satisfaction TO the friends of the gallant cayal-
ryInan, and after long and patient efforts to
that end by his widow, with the approval of the
principal subscribers 10 the fund raised to pro-
cure 1t, the statue has at last been pulled from
us pedestal, boxed up, and stored away as rub
bis. IN the light of these facts it is not likely
liiit Mt: MclDonaids proposition to execute a
statue of Washington for Mount Vernon will be
favorably considered.
American artists appear to be honored
abroad whether they earn fame and riches at
home, or not. 4 lew weeks ago we noted
the fact that Mr.. Healy's portrait had been
added to those in the gallery Of the famous
painters in the Utizzi Palace, i'm Florence
and now we are able To chronicle tie in
| teligence that Mr.. LarEin G. Mad, the dis
tlnguished american sculptor. has been Sc
lected by the President of the Academy of
Fine Arts OF that city as the Professor to have
| the direction of the nude class i'm that institu-
current month N a NJ here Sa
many eminent sculptors reside this distinction
| Is by no means small compliment.
The paintings of both Mrs. Auna Lea Mer-
ritt and Mr.. John Sargent in this years
Royal Academy exhibition are highly praised
| by the London Times, which is usually very
| chary OF kind words for Americans. OF the
former picture, representing "Eve,' that Jour-
| nal says: Eve has tasted the apple. which lies
| come the knowledge of good and evil,' and
| with the knowledge remorse, expressed by
the head bowed down between the knees ana
by the hands tightly clasped. Several times
| before we have had occasion to mention Mrs
Merritt, both as a painter of the nude figure
and as an etcher; but she has never done any,
| thing SO fine as this Eve"
For some time past there have been indica-
tions of a falling Off in the popularity of Meis-
sonier, who was at one time SO great favorite
as to be badly spoiled. and the decline seems to
| be emphasized by the results of q sale which
| lately took place in Paris, where three of his
| pictures were knocked down at auction for the
| tfiIi1llS sums, respectively, OF $3.50, 81 so and
| Si5U There was a time, not long ago when
anything from Meissoniers pencil would have
| brought five times the highest of these amounts;
| His son-in- law, Detaile, will probably be the
next To feel a change in public favor. althouy hi
the untimely death of De Neuviile who was
greatly his superior in the same line of art wifi
doubtless be TO his professional advantage.
The late Prize Fund Exhibition i'm New
York was such pronounced success in eyery
way that the projectors of the enterprise are
already taking measures for the second COM
| petitive display, which it is intended shall he
even more interesting and important than was
the first. The present plan is to raise "a fund of
$4,000, which is TO be divided into awart of
$1,000 each and set apart for distribution
among the pictures contributed to the exhibit
tor by American artists. II is also proposed To
award ten gold medals, OF bullion value OF not
| sidered by the committee of award as next in
merit 10 those receiving the s., 900 prize The
exhibition will open in March next and will
be held, as was the first, in the splendid gal
| leries OF the American Art Association, on Dad
street.
| = De Neuvile, the French painter of military
| scenes, recently deceased, carried his love of
the realistic SO far as to smash the windows of
| his studio, tear the doors Off and riddle the
walls with bullets. His models most of them
soldiers who had made the campaign We're Oft en-
| nearly suiiocated by being piled upon one
another; the horses that came TO nim from the
knackers yard still alive were shot in the work.
shop itself, SO that they might fall naturally
All THIS was TO the great diSmay of his neigh.
Dors, who, In the beginning, not knowing what
10 make OF all this noise, frequently ran to the
police. The guardians Of the law, in their turn,
invaded the premises in order to prevent what
\, w 10 Ifx