The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-31
PRAYER AT EVENING.
Partisan Painters on the Merit of
Z Millett's L'Angleus.
MEISsoNSIER SHAKES HIS HEAD,
While Gerome Frankly Condemns It-BOu-
gereau Thinks Little of the Piece
The Price Was Ridiculous.

Especial TO TIE HERALD--Examiner Dispatch
NEW YORK, July 30.-The World print
to-day the following remarkable consensu
of opinion on Millet's famous "Angelus,
gathered by its Paris correspondent. TIL
capture of Milet's 'Angelus' by Amel
leans continues to DE the common talk of tn
press. AT garden party, given by Lor
and Lady Lytton, a few days ago, M. Meis
sonnier was among the guests. When tn
Worlds correspondent preached the subiec
of the 'Angelus' Che is pale little man
who looks like veritable Santa Claus wit
his long white bearG), he raised his arm
with an explanatory gesture, shrugged hi
shoulders and said: 81 have no opinion.
"But you, as painter of destination
must know what you think of the pric
paid for the 'Angelus.'"
'And because am painter" said Meis
sonnier, sis the reason why cannot say
No, no. no; will not talk about it."
The small gentleman's eyes sparkled
and there was an amused look on his fact
when he turned to some friends who were
standing near and said: lit was absurd
that price; the picture was not worth it
Then to the Worlds representative he said
LOU OLO <1hSOluo ~ w <ALAlCLAOSt az Iud
price. 1t is the best place for it. 1 am sure
it will not go to the Louvre, such work al
that price. 1 will not say more except
look into my eyes and you will know what
1 think of the 'Angelus' sale.'
! Your correspondent then addressed
Charles Clifford Dyer, the Venetian painter
who was one of the party, and asked hin
what he thought of the sale. Mr.. Dyer
said:
1.-The impulse of the moment raised the
price. Buyers from America gave it an
impetus it otherwise would not have had.
| | am an admire of Millet, and think he was
one of the early Socialists, very much in
painting what Whittiers Songs of Labor
are in poetry. He did the out of door
school which was continued by Bastien lie
Page"
| Meissonnier was interested in Dyer's re-
marks, after which he spoke to the World
correspondent of his taxing duties as pre-
sident of the exhibition art jury. 81 hope
soon to be through with it, as l want to
leave Paris for tour. in Italy, not to return
until the 18th Of September"
| 1t is said among Mel ssonnier's intimate
friends that this trip to Italy means wed
ding journey, and that the great artist is
soon to re-marry.
Meissonneirs wife died about a year and
half ago and he is now past seventy. The
lady who will become future mistress of
his home is a maiden of nearly forty years.
Her fathers estate joins that of Meis-
sonneir at his country place at P0iSsy. The
marriage contract is said to be signed but
no public announcement of it has yet been
made.
The World correspondent found Mr..
Gerome at his studio in Boulevard Cichy
engaged on piece of sculpture. The
artist has rather discarded his oil palette
for the chisel and hammer of the sculptor
Nand will during the coming winter devote
himself to bronzes. When told what the
World correspondent wished to learn from
him he said:
Il do not hesitate to express my free
opinion of the 'Angelus' sale; if you want
to know what l think about the 'Angelus.'
l think it a detestable conception; the ex-
ecution and whole picture are bad. In my
eyes it is the work of a third-class painter.
l am glad the picture is going out of
France. The Louvre will be much better
without it. l am not afraid to express my
opinion because l have reached that age
where | look at things afar and have not
the fear of rubbing up against peoples
opinion. When l was younger I was not
so frank about another artists work. As
far as the price is considered, when it was
first painted it wasn't worth 1000 francs,
and the picture is the same now as then.
To tell you how little my estimate of it IS,
l, can remember an anecdote about it.
Millet went one day to his barber and
while waiting there sent for his 'Angelus'
to be brought to the shop, as he intended to
take it somewhere with him, as he lived out
of town. The picture did not arrive in
time and Millet left without it. For three
weeks he forgot all about his 'Angelus,'
which had arrived at the barber shop and
which awaited his coming. The famous
'Angelus' reposed upon sofa in the barber
shop, and the gentlemen who came to be
shaved lounged up against it while waiting
their turn"
Il do not consider'' continued Gerome,
shat Il AngeIus' is Millet's chef d. euvre.
He has done better work, although even
what 1 consider bad work. The Americans
are absurd about the price paid for this
painting which, however, will not interfere
with future ones. There might have been
reasons for prices like that had it been the
work of Rousseau, Corot or Ii Il; as it is
now, 1 consider it the utmost folly"
On visiting Bouguereau, the World cor
respondent found him hobnobbing with
Julien, the artist, over letter about the
'tAngelusn which had appeared in the
Paris Temps, signed by Antoine Proust,
bidder at the sale for the state. 81 con-
slider the price of the "Angelus' very
much exaggerated" said Bouguereau.
Ordinarily it is worth about thirty thou
sand francs. The price of work of art
has nothing co do with its merits.
If merchants care to bcom or amateurs
want to dispute the price of a picture it
suddenly shoots into prom .nence and rea-
Lies an uniustified fortune. For example,
take COrot who, until he was sixty years of
age. sold his paintings for from one hun
bred to one hundred and fifty francs. He
was oyerjoyed when he received one hun
bred francs. Now his pictures are fash
ionable and are almost impossible to OBJ
tain. The "Angelus'' was doomed by some
amateurs and picture dealers and the Duke
D'Aumale had great deal to do with the
boom, too Had it been an English or Ger
man picture, they never would have been
excited into giving such fabulous sum,
but as the Americans were interested | am
surprised that some people consider 1t a
popular painting.
The next call was upon Vibert, the pain
ter of cardinals and red robes, who added to
his reputation in America by the sale of his
Returned Missionary" at the Morgan col
lection few years ago. and which brought
the large sum of S25, 900.
Vibert, when asked about the master
piece, said, well, what did Meissonnier
and Gerome says"
''Ah but l want to know what you
think, F" replied your correspondent.
q. "But 1 will not give you my opinion
alone; want to know if they told you
what they really thought9' said the artist.
WELL said your correspondent,
eGerome reioiced that America had Sc
Gu ed it and Meissonnier shrugged his
snouiders.'
''Then," said Vibert, II know quite well
W lat they think. The price of the AN
gelus' was ridiculous, but it W Il have no
effect on other pictures as it is simply bit
of clever work done by dealers. There is
no reason why should try to secure an e..
for my pictures because Mil