National Republican., 1888-02-26
PICTURES Of RARE MERIT.
rHE VALUABLE COLLECTION OF MR. W
r. WALTERS. OF BALTIMORE
Paint,ng- "f Exceptional Excrii-nce-
R.nr,sentauy.- OF the Highest Artis-
tic standard ENp"nsuts Of the Mod
ern schools of French, English, aud
German.

tertnhns
MIR. W. r. Walters, of Baltimore, has
again opened hi, galleries ut his residence,
Nu. Mount Vernon place. The collcc-
tinu embraces over 2OO paintings of cX-
ccptiunal excellence from the brushes Of
the most celebrated opponents of the mod
crn school, Of French, English and Ger.
man art. each and every one So perfect an
example uf the lartist they represent and
of So rare and high an artistic standard
that the exhibition itself, without the ad-
diiunal incentive to contrbutc-in the
entrance fcc-townrd the various public
charities of the city, has induced many to
visit the place.
Wednesday being lcgalizcd holiday
great numbers were present rs visitors.
both the residents of the Monumental
city and lovers of art from Washington.
Mr. Walters j. Il collector of rare iudg-
mcnt and fine artistic taste and pcrccp
tiun. II l. almost remarkable that an
Americana comparatively unknown III the
art world. should have been able tO secure
81 many important and valuable works
So quietly, and without the fact being
more widely published Apart from mo-
tivCs which are in accordance with the
well known spirit of the owner, who has
used his wealth in habitual bcncvulcnCc.
that is to he commended tu other men
equally favored by fortune, the COllcc-
ti1n should he seen and studied by every
one who has an opportunity of doing So,
for no more striking aud unique pre-
Srntaiiun, lS whole, of the work of the
masters of modern art Can he seen in any
of the galleries here or abroad.
The unuuCstionCd work of the famous
painters who are represented in this col.
lection are being more and more widely
scattered. and more and more difficult To
obtain, and it cannot he many years before
the securing of any such works, 10y any
one individual, will he in the course of
events impossible
The galleries are elegantly finished in
rich tones of brown. The arChcd ceilings
are handsomely trcscocd and gildcd, and
the side walls are tapCStriCd in artistic
and conventional designs. The light fall
ing from above is adapted for the better
display of color and effect. Some few OF
the most important CanvuSSCS have already
become known from the fact that they
have been seen ut exhibitions bothat home
and abroad, notably those of Paris, Lon
don, and New York, but the majority have
gone directly from the artists studios oI
'UiiltTS HulItTltS W. WI. W ulltTN, us INI'
SOna letters in the catalogue attest.
Ofthc French the acknowledged school
par excellence, there are many superior
examples from the brushes of Gcrumr
MciSsonicr, CurOt, Bomnat, dAuhignc
and Xrim, all artists of equally original
capacity in technical and mechanical
ability. and other more recent followers u
their school, are represented by the wOrk'
in oil and aquarcllc,
Among the four RuusScaulS the study o
Ir Oivrc, winter solitude, is presented
with the deep poetic feeling and exquisite
perception of the harmOnicS of the visi
bile world peculiar to the artist. 1t is 4
view of the hills of NalmOndUiS as seer
across the Disc along the Dcs FurgctS road
The cumprsitiuu depicting little hilluck,
hcapcd in the foreground, covered with
hult-mcltcd snow, and the sun, red in the
midst of II lradcn sky, is seen sinking
through the threatening clouds, Il Soltud,
of intense lrcarincSS. The artist executed
this remarkable picture under pressure ~
necessity in eight days, and found it hut
another sad disappointment in his artistic
life. No one desired the pathetic scene
and II was twenty years after II was fin
i>hcd before it was sold or understood
, Alfred SruSirr says it is III rcsOundinl
Martyrs and The Duel After the Mas
qucr'lr,' C%rjtc especial admiration fnl
the rloIIi"~> Of detail and dramatic fore,
with which the subjects are presented
The >ccnr of the former is laid in III,
l'u"uS NaNimus, which adjOincd the
palace of the Caesars. This vast amphi
thcatcr, with its hundreds of spectators
forms the background of the picture. In
front of this multitude are the bodies
,moar"d with pitch To feed the flames
burning upon CROSSES In the middle dis.
tanrc Il band of Christians are kncclng
while priest stands among them looking
up in prayer In the left foreground. iSSll.
ing from an underground den. are three
animal>-twO lions and tiger. one OF
the ions has gained the ground, and
stands daIcd for II few moments by the
glare Of light and the mass of people sur
rounding him. lie halts suddenly in the
midst Of Il stride. This supreme moment
of Il lc mastcrly subject the artist has
sought to prcScnt,with the most successful
result
"rhc Duel, a smaller canvas, is "A scene
in the liuiS dc l}OulOgnc at daybrcak. Five
figures IN the picturesque and varied COS
TUNES ui masquerade give scope for
vivid color and original design, while the
dramatic presentation of the moral is set
forth by the bl0Od-Stancd snow, whcrcon
Il long, thin sword is thrown 4 dying
/ man in tOlly's dress sinks in the SUPPORT
/ ing arms of Il king and courlcr, while
/ the murderer, in the costume ufan Indian,
walks away with II Harlequin, his second.
Lawrence Alma Tadcma the celebrated
/ painter of Dutch origin, n student of Ant
Wcrpr, that is, in reality an Oil-Shuot of the
French school, is represented by six tine
paintings that present the beauty of an
tiluc life, The ''Saphho" in brlliuncy of
illumination and purity of treatment is
perhaps his best. The pnctcss is seated at
II dies k placed in front of the center of am
ampthcater of marble benches, the de-
lincation of which is mawclouSly real.
The veins in the hcwn seats, the ycIIowish
diScolorutiuns AT the edges of the joints.
the stains of wind and weather, are drawn
with surprising skill. In the center is
seated AlcwuS, the poet, with Tyre in hand
looking intcmtly forward while his fingers
sweep slowly over the strings The dark,
ardent face is cXquiSitcly set or by the rose
c"lorcd robe that falls about him The
attendants of Sapphu are grouped upon
the marble seats listening tu the poets
song, One rcd-harcd girl g;lzcS upon the
sparkling sea that is seen brrwccn the
dark green foliage of Lesbos.
THE Attack at Dawn, by Alphun,c DE
NruvillC, one of the most attractive can
vases, gives in n mastery manner the
surprise at daybrcak bya PruS~iun column
given to the detachment Of Burbuki in a