Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-31
Art and Archaeology.

At Sfax, in Tunis, workmen have
come upon bsptismal fonts covered
with mosaics which are clearly Chris
tian in origin. A Christian church
with remains of mural paintings, ha'
been found in Constantinople under
meath mosque.
The monument to Delacroix will con
sist of his bust placed on a pyramit
which stands on a platform Of three
degrees. On the lowest will stand Q
Genius Of the Arts applauding. Or
the next a figure representing Time
who holds in his arms Justice, while the
latter will hold a crown toward the
bust. The sculptor is Jules Dalon,
and the allegory shows the delay Of
Justice in approaching Delacroix ac'
cording to his merits.
1t is proposed to unveil on August s,
1887, monument of Horace Benedict
Saussure at the foot Of Ment Blanc, not
far from the Col du Geant. On that
day one hundred years ago Saussure
made the first ascent Of the mountain.
The spot chosen is where Saussure
camped for sixteen days in snow and
ice during his Investigations as geolo-
gist and meteorologist. Subscriptions
are received in Geneva by AlphonSe
Favre, president Of the Swiss Geologi-
cal Commission.
In a paper on mural painting Fred
eric Crowninshield says: "For ages
custom has sanctioned the painted wall
oftemple, capitol, and theatre, but what
glorious opportunities are offered by
the walls of our colossal railroad sta
tons, our public halls, our mammoth
hotels and costly restaurants, our vast
stores Paint them, and the people
would be brought face to fare with art
in the daily routine Of life and absorb it
as children absorb foreign language. "
Napoleon was apt to be critical at all
hazards. On seeing Gerard's portrait
Of the Empress he was struck by the
likeness, but told the painter that he
thought the satin gown looked wet.
Gerard was terribly embarrassed, so
Bausset, the project Of the palace,
rushed to his rescue without knowing
quite what he said. Luckily for the
painter, his words we're Your Ma
jesty is quite right. Your Majesty has
made the most flattering eulogium of
this admirable composition" Napo-
leon took him at his word and went on
to other remarks which were really
hattering, leaving the painter highly
pleased but the painters friend still in
doubt whether he had made the latter
or marred him.
Isabey the elder was placed in an
awkward predicament by the great Ma
poleon. Eight days before the ceremony
Of his coronation in Notre Dame he or
dered the painter to furnish seven de-
signs containing hundred or more
persons each, to illustrate the various
stages Of the pageant. Rehearsals at
the church were impossible, owing to
the decorations going on there. Isabey
promised them off-hand and set his
wits to work. The seven designs
were impossible. lie bought up
all the little wooden figures, chill
dren's toys, to be found in the
shops, cut from colored paper the
robes and other gear, made a graded
plan OF Notre Dame, and in forty-eight
hours appeared before the Emperor.
Where are the designs 2" he cried.
"Sire, ] bring you something better
than drawings" answered Isabey, I'M
rolled his plan, unpacked his puppets,
and placed each in the place where the
name Of each actor in the pagent had
been written. This was the reception
at the door of Notre Dame.
DR.. John Beddoe has published the
results of thirty years study of the
races which make up the population Of
Britain. He takes county by county
from the Shetlands to Cornwall and
examines all available statistics, after
personal acquaintance with the in
habitants, measuring heads and noting
the color of skin, hair, and eyes. He
places great reliance on the latter,
thinking that the color Of the hair
is SO nearly permanent in races of
men as to be fairly trustworthy evil
dence in matterc nf athnical deacapt
and that nearly as much may be said
for the color of the eyes. Artists will
find curious conclusion in his vol
ume-namely, that the darker-skinned
portion OF the population Of Britain is
gaining on the blonde. He holds that
the Gaelic and Iberian races Of the
West, mostly dark-haired, arc tending
to swamp the blonde Teutonic of Eng
land by reflex emigration. This may
account for the wide difference found