Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-06-13
FROM TWO CAPITALS.
Paris the Artistic Capital Of the
WorId--A Peep at One Of the
Latest Art Collections.
The Salon the Only ANIMAL Interna-
tIOnal Exhibition OF Pictures.
An improvement Noted.
The Painters Having Fewer Orders hhNc
spent More Time on Ther
Salon Pictures This Year.


Special correspondence OF the Gazette.
PARIS, May 2l.--The art critic OF the
Figaro, M. Albert Wolf, has just gath
cred together into volume score of
the biographical and critical sketches OF
leading painters and sculptors contrib
uted 70 the Figaro In the last twenty
years, and he has vainglvriously entitled
his book ola Capitale dc Part" On
second thought, however, we must con-
fess that Paris is, Of truth, the artistic
capital Of the world The pictures OF
French painters and OF foreign painters
accepted in Paris have no merely local
reputation; they are scattered aud sala0le
ali the world over--in Austria and In
Australia, on the banks Of the Volga and
on the shores OF Lake Michigan. The
Salon Is the only annual exhibition OF
pictures which can be called international
la any exact sense OF the word. 1t Is
omen 70 all and hosptable to all; 1t is
managed by the artists themselves, and
not by any self-elected academy, aud
small wonder Is II that the painters and
sculptors OF all countries are eager for
the recognition Of It's jury.
French critics sometimes complain, and
American critics sometimes boast, that
the paintings Of the modern French school
are so highly appreciated out Of France,
and especially In America, that the best
works Of the best artists are hurried away
from Paris across the Atlantic TO New
York and Boston aud Baltimore. At the
gallery OF Georges Petit last year there
was loan exhibition OF modern French
pictures Of the highest quality. II was
called the disposition des Cent Chefs
d'euyre;n but one OF the best informed
OF American dealers told me that he
would have had no difficulty In picking
out Of the private galleries Of New York
hundred masterpieces by the same
artists quite the equal Of these scent
chefs-d'muyre,n If not OF surprising
merit. When one recalls the Morgan
sale aud the Vanderbilt collection In New
York, hlr Walters gallery in Baltimore,
and Mr. Quincy Shaw's multitude Of Mil
lets IN Boston, one must confess that
there Is ground for the grief OF the French
critic and for the
C6SGRATULATfoS or THE AMERICAN.
But there are not few galleries in
Paris Of marvellous richness. ! had the
felicity Of examining day or two ago
one OF the newest collections In Paris and
one OF the most allurng and magnificent.
M. Secretan has not been gathering
pictures for more than half dozen years,
but he has shown Judgment. He has
taken good advice and he spent his money
literally. The result is a collection the
wealth Of which can attempt TO indicate
only by the use of numerals, NJ. Secretan
has pictures worth quite 5000, 900 francs,
and marbles, terra.cottas, bronzes, brio
a-brac, etc, worth at least 100000 or
100000 more. He has twenty. seven
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF them hanging
together on one wall Of his gallery He
has at least a dozen Corots and as manv
Troyons lie has noble and graceful
Van Dyke, two characteristic Franz
Halls and series OF five Teniers (the
senses). He has remarkable Courbet--
a sane and wholesome piece Of painting.
Mr.. Vanderbilt has Millet's "Sower,"
and It IL one of the gems OF his collec-
tion; but on an easel sby itself In M
Secretan's parlor stands "L'Augelus,n
the most poetic picture Of peasant life
ever painted. For the benefit OF those
for whom figures have fascination, |
may note that NJ. Secretan paid 100000
francs (Sii, 1000 for "L'Angelus," and
that he has already refused an offer of
100000 francs (s6C,00O) for 1t.
The exhibition Of pastels, which closed
Just as the Salon opened, was curious
rather than remarkable. M. G.. Dubufe
nls had In 1t feeble and amateurish "a
liOpera,n than which no worse picture IL
often shown in New York. NJ Jacquet
had light and effective "Zalre." M,
Adrlen Moreau.sent charmlngly graceful
portrait OF young lady holding shep-
herds crook and standing out ON hill
side overlooking the sea. There were
half dozen landscapes by M. Yon, al
brilliant and vigorous, and half dozen
portraits by NJ. Emile Levy, all interest.
Ing. The most interesting was the
figure OF young lady in light
blue brocade against panel OI
dark blue plush, framed In gray wood
This pastel was an admirable example OF
the difference between work which Is
truly flushed aud work which is merely
haincky; IL is reproduced In photog
rayure IN the April number Of Les Lettrel
et les Arts, Goupil's new illustrated
monthly magazine M. Duez exhibited
portrait Of the younger Coquelin "madt
up for the stage and revealing thu
''make up obviously and Intentionally
The most extraordinary OF all these lot
pastGls was won by new man, NJ, Pau
Albert Bernard, who seems TO be pie
torial crank II Is called "The Dame or
Rouge (efet dc solr)," and 1t consists Of
lady In ruby velvet dress with tawny
orange cloak, reclining on rudy YER
million sofa and wearing whai
seems TO be phosphorescent necklace OF
electric glow.worms. Once l heard
Turner's "Slave Ship described as "a
rainbow struck by lightning,h NJ Bees
nard's pastel might fairly be called 90
Kaleidoscope with the scarlet fever
NJ Besnard has a picture In the SAILOR
alse. aud II Is nearly as ludricrous,0s THU
''Woman In Red.n Since the artists
themselves manage the Salon, the tast,
OF the jury Of admission Is more catholic
aud pictorial ecoontriotles have better
chance Of hospitality Perhaps II Is q lit
tie more difficult, therefore,
TO STRIKE AN AVERAGE,
and TO declare precisely the relative val
ne Of this Salon as compared with ii
predecessors vet there seems 10 DO con
sensus OF opinion as to tbs marked i'm
provOment this summer, The eye OF IN,
Anglo-Saxon-- may use this conven
lent term, despite MIR Freeman's pro
tests--detects At once a diminution In th,
number OF nudlties and cruditlesi Their,
Is less bust and less gore, There are still
naked women, aud to spare; there