New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-03
JULES DUPRE.
"REMINISCENCES OF THE GREAT FRENCH
LANDSCAPE PAINTER.
.v,o,~ rup prcuIAR coRRssPoyDEST OF THE TRiBusl


the most interesting OF the many french ar'lsts
I have known lie was of an upright direcs
nature, emotional. and yet steady, apt TO take
fancies to other human beings. and to suck 10
them for he had the gift OF divinlng spirits, and
so his affections were not often misplaced. when
he did not like he was abrupt and cold when ne
liked his generous warmth OF heart was un-
bounded This was greatly shown in his friend,
ship for Theodore Rousseau. the landscape painter,
in whom he saw from the first time he met him q
door devil artist, man Of genius. The idea
never occurred TO Dupre Of the possible rivalry
of Rousseau. they both working in the same branch
OF art. The former was well known when he
took up the latter, and went about himself ia
picture-dealers and amateurs with his young
friends landscapes He even went further. Dupra
set himself up with large studio in the country
and made Rousseau share il until be could afford
to rent one for himself They worked In 1t side
bv side for years It had lovely outlook on the
River Disc at Isle Adam. II was here that Dupre
lived through the greater part of his artistic
life and died of the painful disease for which he
WAS operated on six weeks back. The operation
was successful But there was not at seventy
eight recuperative force enough to enable him u
pull through.
Dupre was Nantois The Celt dominated
in him. But he must have been of mixed
race. He thought he came Of seafaring people,
and had a sailor-like sincerity and simplicity
of character. The sea was never understood
by French art patrons until he began 70 PAM
it, His father was designer for porcelain and
became porcelain manufacturer, In which
business he made money. lie did not interfere
with the artistic vocation of Jules, who came
TO Paris the same year as George Sand-that OF
the Revolution which placed Louis Philippe Oh
L. holo fn
although he was her guest at different times at
Nohunt, and did there some landscapes VINCE
she pointed out He studied under one Diebod'
who was more of the Belgian than the French
school, and priced sincerity in rendering personal
i'm pressions but was still trammeled by the
conventionalities of the old-fashioned school OF
landscape painting Elaborate composition was
thought necessary to the good landscape, and the
badgers hair brush made the surface OF ruins,
promontories, brigands, blghted trees, smooth az
q mirror Dupre had money enough to make, on
quitting Diebold's studio, tour in search of the
picturesque in England. He saw there quantity
of paintings which showed him thA'
nature was the only possible raw material, and
that the mode in which it was assmilated oy inc
artist was what gave value TO the picture Con-
stable, bennington, David Roberts who brougho
Spain before the eyes of the British public) ana
Landseer were to him revelation. On his
return to France he made a pedestrian toHn
through the different provinces.
Though his pencil was so strong and concise ~
rendered shades with infinite subtlety. lhe nome
hest subjects, as seen and painted by him, vera
truly things Of beauty. What can be more COM
monplace in itself than his Farmyard in tho
Valley of Montmorency' his Views OF Az
centeuilp about as ugly n place as there is 10
the environs of Paris? But he found lovelnes
in the most ordinary objects. Abbcville is also 10
an uclv part of Picardy. The paintings done oi
its marshy, boggy country made people who bough'
Thorn long TO 20 and spend the summer there.
Was there ever any more delicious pastoral thdn
his Animals Crossing Ford" IL 1t was nos
Meadows near Southampton" The characters
istics of the different provinces OF France arc
brought out with subtle touches. Brittany
Berry, Limousin, Normandy and Picardy nave
distinct features, not due to mans ac'ioh' VI
earth and sky. Dupre would never allow 'Ia'
there was such thing as sky. There was ons
air which envelOped everything, and IN whIe'
clouds sailed. SO early in his career as 1888
Dupre received at a Paris Salon second-ehs
medal and the cross Of the Legion of Honor hs
got a medal at the Universal Exlhbltlon OIL 1917
and was made officer of the Legion OF hoHO,
| In 1870 Two of his pictures, Morning an'
Evening" have since been bought Dy tne i'De
Arts Ministry for the Luxembourg The one gives
the freshness, the promise the glow. OF mofnlhs
and the other the quiet and the pensve sadness
OF the hour when the vesper tolls IN the WHEN
b.lfry. They belonged to the San Donate cor
lection of Prince DemidoG, were brought 10 ,n
hammer in Paris. and were purchased for 4S,O''
francs There is fine show OF Dupre's paIu'Ns'
| at the Universal Exhibition.
Dupre was not ambitious OF being puneu ''
boosted not less than six months ago Oh ~, ~.
| having been interviewed In his life. Jour"'"
who were admitted TO his studio were asHeu ~
to "blaguer' talk nonsense about IT,
| were free TO cut up or praise MS pic'"', =,
But he held that il was degrading TO arr 10 N.
about the Iares and Penates Of the palmer.
was told that he would command far hie"o' -.
il he left the country to live In SNOWY "O"
in Paris. and made present TO doI ' . .,I5
/ so of some of his inferior landse"l''' L.,
puff him like everything 10 sell 'n' So ,hioh
| Mi,le,,s nicturcs were bulled by syhu'ca'o ""
had n number OF them. Inc proPo'"i -
Durro worry angry. He said he had iii''i
and happiness. and was not going 10 !'oi"'N
nv resorting TO low expedients pupre W. IN
NJ a commemorative nature. lie was soDe' -.
| II, md no Id with Goldsmith that man "'A
vs.. I;,,Io here below" Up TO the last year O'
',"sI,h continued robust lie was fond oil s,'As
n'' ~. works of his old friends, Corot p''.
%. m Troyon and Milet Perhaps " "
'o"I' % sneak of Millet as friend. Dup"
mucn ~ Va nraised him. but they seldom saw ESQ
other. -,...;oo, .,,oa,ion and was
r.aaaer of standard works OF French III MI
great lie had pocket edition of Monta;sn eerorsa
s carried about with him in hs tOarI seu Of u
Of Ia Fontainss F rssd ae iSs him. held
fon'' the shirt of the age of LOUIS ,s A how
given in the Fables which to ons OF that
read them were eth the i t,se' R,s'V Countries
PsrSds G Slnsa s t&e and Ds sqa
h0S SSt papre was particularly ssa h la sou
impression that the scene there be IS 50 much T..
forests and his melancholy sescs anon the IS