The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-01-01
A TRUTHFUL RUSSIAN ARTIST.
How He Offended the Arcbbishop-A Pics
ure Which Did Not FIatter the Czsr.

How He Offended the Archbishop-A Pics.
ure Which Did Not Flatter the Cz,r
London News.l
The Russian painter Vereschagin is again
exhibiting ct Vienna one OF his great col.
lections of pictures AMI again, accoriin.
to custom, the exhibition has led to a pre-.
TO 4 This tims as our corresp ,ndsnt has
informed us the pr tie, comes from no less
person than the arehbi shop Of Viennl.
who has objecte to waat hs seems to con-
81 ler want of reverence in the treatmsn.
of the holy family in one Of the religious
scenes now on view in that capital. Tne
artist seems to have paint,l tbs Slvior al
on eastern carpenter--as in lesl Sir John
Millais AMI Mr.. Holman Hunt di befors
him-but without any sug .estion OF a
higher nature or higher mission This
is in entire harmony with his lifelong prac-
tice, he always paints from the life, and
admits no bin ling force in the most re-
vered conventions.
In his remarkable series on the last Russo
Turkish war, for instance, he did not scrupls
to represent thu emperor iu q very safe
place at Plevna, while thousands Of his
bravest troops were throwing away their
lives in the plain below in the vain hops of
aatteriDg imperial vanity with thu offer of
the fortress as birthday gift. The pict-
ure gave great offenss at court; and ths
czarowitz, who had meant to order it as a
present for his august father. repented with
some abruptness of his gracious intention. In
like manners in the Toorkistan series, which
had preceiel this Vereschagin venturel
sometimes to represent the Russians in
fight, though never in disgrace; AMI on
one occasion he pictured a dead Russian
soldier left in the desert for the crows A
Russian officer of the rank observed that i5
mu t be inaccurate, because the Russian
deal were never abando lone |; but the painter
replied with some a|parity that he la
seen IL with his own eyes, for be has fol-
lowel all the campaigns he treats
bn o sub equsnt series he shovel soma
thing mors hldeous-a barn full OF wouddei
who had bean simply orsottel after an en-
gagement, and who had perishei to man.
He has drawn and painted British India in
much the same spirit; aud his latest excur-
sion Is to Palestine, where he has pictured
the life of sacred history on the sugge stions
furnished by the life OF to-day, and has
drawn the holy family AMI the apostles lit
orally as set Of humble working folk It
is one of these pictures that has given Of
fense to the archbishop. To quote our COR
respondent it represents ths Savior in the
bosom Of his family, and is a very common
place Of poor Jewish carpenters house
This must bs something entirely new in art,
for Mr. Holman Hunts literary fiielity in
the accessories of his famous work on the
subject has not preclulel a cool deal of
ideahzation in the treatment of the central
figure. It is an EXPIRE ssion OF much moro
than Vereschagin's idiosyncrasy, for in
some sort 1t represents the attitude OF
young Russia toward all history, legend
AMI faith. The archbishop seems to have
carried his complaint to the Archiuke
Charles, but the painter anticipated tho
princely remonstrance by withdrawing the
work from his gallery.