New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-29
CHANNELS ART LIFE.
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES OF TILE
FAMOUS FRENCH PORTRAIT PAINTER
From CalignanL

from llSndnh artist
NJ Alexander Cabanel the well-known French aftse
SAID 70 one of our representative YESTERDAY Nv fstb,r
sd When was only two years old, and my widowed
mother had much difficulty IA realns rom INV earliest
en,io vi "a rat delight was in drawing, cannot
remember the time at which hEst Desan 70 n"A' U.s.
made sketches of everything about the house. S ana "a
II only happy when so Of ,Se Drawing School Of
yMontpeiier and two years later was 9neieu v pO
1l +, i've lessons for FIVE hours week. and in ex-
change was to receive a thorough edneau0n 5no
osr was Soy Of thirteen But wishing to cOnsecrae
my early years to the study OF painting anu n ar
and not 10 give then returned a refusal bu a,st
have always eSs wS mS artistic
IFrom that time, and TIL grew 10 nanoo,
foyd af music and PLAYED at one timo passay on
the violin, but Ielinqushed my musio p1sa a.
that nothing should interfere with my art a iais
not long enough TO divide between TWO sueh rN@s
pba swsTs look back with pleasure the epoch
Of my sojoure days passed IN STUDY s s S 5e
sechng and in visiting the marvellous SH n1 RUNS ny Which, S
held for lesson or counsel Iaeie, IT, tSe
formed one Of TIE eOSss sss t6e Composer Of
and Virginia. lie which continued uhgrohe ~ ::,v
"s for music was revived and It sim further
fossersd by an acquaintance formed by me WIN an,
ssrtorIs an English gentleman then residing in Rome
Miss Adelaide Kemble the famous prma Gonna ,S Iu
lost to The world at large the delight Of her h@s,
band and guests. She sfterwaId became h bn9
al the time lnew she had but two chdre, son
named Greville and daughte1. her tiu some
wears later often met. too, a. Korb Hsr
house her ilustrous sSte s. Slessu Of receiving
call from Mrs. Kembe's Oldest daughter Mis.
of phsdeha Of TnS S G seqsaa fs with her
shall not soon forget the delightful musle1t h g
Ssbtsd by tie sarOrs family at Rome nor tee hours
made brilliant By the aents OIL ehT esr During that
,,ns Sainied number Of pictures and several
portraits Among these on aSt a %ao one Of Mrs adelaide
Rsmbio saro One q the most T npofS of T NJ
Historical PslHsns Of this s seCSh IN Washington h
am very Of the fact that 6s1 HT eai@ M %e as
sns ts saS Among the prominent Of 6e Sc
are Cormon and Morot both winners be iamented
Bssen Lepase Gesx Francois Tsnaned fS friend
many e even after cessne be their professor
have had many American pupils ana one detect they
win not consent study long e 1SSs Of FaTo hoy
leap at once to the e ,Ob o. s tlo by Step
PoRTRAIT OF THE EMPEROR
wac oared 70 psnt the portrait of the Emperor
In 1863. chose to represent tae Amt simply in
ninS dress wearing the grand Gordon OF the Lesgpn
Of Honor, and with the Imperai ihA ncRSroInd The
s SRs Of Syef The y at indignant at a my aS
dacity in representing y NSp pay became recOnced
The innovation and that portrait ranks among was
successful SD aat Il hh he salon. tosr with
Of the earliest Of my American pSris a9v formerly
p ss S 81 ts SaS Of Paris the Of Mr. and MIS-
Shn RdEay Of PasasPtd BY fh6 EmPes
genie and was among the posseS SSSa sSe ontcd
TOOK Win hs spd france as Well after the disaster OF
seSsn The original study belongs 10 Nine 0ase'gi
. e aorlls made for tho execution by me Of
portrait Of Empress but on both Occasions 81 Sy
sittings and so it never was painted ,o, ~ thu
great many Of my gct onSses arc 70 feeling OF
rratifcafion at the thought that my Work Is no"'i
snu So msly friends Among these paintings
Il name them rather at random must own, are h me
nseUSi9s Z, Nr o J. W. Macay Bonliace and Agae
now n Cincinnati the Birth Of Venus replica 30 Of
my plctire In the Luxembourg. which Is IN mo COZ
lection of sIr Gibson, OF Philadelphia: the Evening
star also a PlsssRh a .Se York hs InSomn
Of Phede9 reduction OF the large work PIesentc5
BY me 70 The M Of 81 Ruth and noaz e
Death of Ephela,s the !" Casletscene,' from The
10 Mr Bo On 81 California the PA de Toomei
bought BY Mr. Vanderbilt The Msre care o. saye
also painted the portraits Of gsas t many y,
beauty being peculiarly congenlal 70 my pencil
SOME AMERICAN PORTRAITS
1t may be noted that one of the earliest OF my
American portraits, that OF the Countess de Ganoy:
brought INC good fortune in the first award TO me Of
the Medal of Honor. which was accorded to me once
again at the University Exhibition OF 1867, my conf
nv later American sitteis are included Mr.. and Mrs
John W. Mackay and their daughter now the Princess
Mrs. Maclay) the Misses Schuyler Of New York
Baltimore; Miss Catherine Wolfe, OF New-YorlS Ghs
portrait IS in the Metropolitan Museum OF that
T. and Mrs George Fske and Mr.. and MIS- Joseph
Fisk, Mrs. osgood, Of Chicago; Mr. and MIS- Warren
and Miss Warren. Miss Bonynge, Of san Francisco
Mrs Baldwin, of NewYork; Ms. and Miss Letter. Of
y Miss Grd daughter sse at o pans aG %
Robert Cutting and Mrs. Bradley Martin, OF Now
1 nSrk ioa mTs Of fSe CELEBRITIES Of Paris
artistic or socal-haye been fixed by my pencil upon
IN the first bloom OF her youth and IN The FIRST Hush
of her fame. The Duke dc MoIy sat for me IN "a
beautiful children, the Countess pinetWpl, ihe
Countess de Mercy and the good ae 9c
little Sisters Of the Poor, were among my stters.
%ss nU' f liz DS one Of Worsa@ Of New
York Mrs. c. r. Huntington This work t one
length portraits never exhibited in Parts, greatly
10 my regret, as the lady left for New-Yorh taking
Cleopatra painted for the Museum at Antwerp is
the latest Of my large historical pictures an now
well 9" Judith" and single figure representing
Tragedy.
MY art-nfs has been long and very busy one
have been an indeiagabl,ss worker , and complete
list Of my productions Womb @ ~ ,bs aea go rs
recollecons. IL has always been my theory that
an srSr proress in his art lie should remain
dent 70 the last, always aiming at the highest ideal
can never attain. but 1t is none the less his duty
10 try redcn IL.
one of the successes of my career which has given
me the greatest pleasure was The satisfactory com
pletion Tor a gentleman of New-YOrk Of the postlu.
nous portrait of his wife. 1 had never seen Inc
lady and hesitated long before attempting the task
from such data .as photographs and a minute de-
scriptsOn. Finally, hoping 70 bring ey my h wolk
some small degree OF consolation 10 the bcreaNed
husband / consented TO try what could do
panted the lady with her hand~on the lock OF a
closed door ana pauslng on the threshold 20 look
hack upon the place that had once known her ana
should thereafter know her no more. IL was q sli s
guar task that restoring TO the earth tho face anu
form OF tho beloved dead. and t was one that
executed with something OF reverental feeling as
we'll a unusual degree OF But emotion
however sincere. does not always avail 10 produce