Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-11-23
ART.
Some Articles of Artistic Interest and
Novelty riositiez-Criticisms,

| Some Articles of Artistic Interest and
Novelty observation-disclosures.
In these days when people live with the
| view TO reading their names in the paper,
such austerity must appear to many like
| affectation; let such people undeceive
| themselves. Never was man more sin
cere; when Degas, the impressionist, speaks
thus he speaks the very essence of his be-
ing. But perhaps even more difficult than
the acceptation of this fact will be found
the association of such sentiments with a
sweet genial nature, untouched with mis-
anthropy or personal cynicism. Degas is
only really cynical in his art, and, although
! irony is an essential part of him, it finds
expression in kindly consciousness of the
, little weaknesses of human nature when
directed against those he loves. For in
stance, when he is in company with any
one who knew Manet, his confrere and
compeer in realistic pictorial art and the
! friend of his life, he loves to allude to
those little childishnesses of disposition
which make Manet's memory a well-be-
loved. even sacred, thing.-George Moore
IN the Magazine Of art.
One morning in May friend tried the
door of Degas, the impressionist, studio.
1t is always strictly fastened, and, when
shaken vigorously, voice calls from some
I loophole; if the visitor be an intimate
friend a string is pulled and he is allowed
to stumble his way up the corkscrew stair
/, case into the studio. There are there
neither Turkey carpets nor japanese
screens, nor, indeed, any of those signs
whereby we know the dwelling of the
.et na1v ot ha ,rfb anA
| where the artist works, is there daylight.
In perennial gloom and dust the vast can
vases of his youth are piled up in formida-
BILE barricades. Great wheels belonging to
| lithographic presses-lithography was for
! time one of Degas' avocations-suggest a
printing office. There i, much decaying
sculpture-dancing girls modelled in red
; wax, some dressed in muslin skirts, strange
| dolls-dolls, if you will, but dolls modelled
by man of genius. Degas was anxious
for breakfast He permitted his visitor to
glance at the work in progress and hurried
him away to meal with him-but not in
the cafe Degas has lately relinquished
his cafe and breakfasts at home in an apart
ment in the Rue Pigalle, overlooking 4
courtyard full of Towering chestnut trees.
Like white candles the blossoms stand
amid the shadowy enchantment of the
leaves. Chestnut trees Towering in the
May sunlight of courtyard-how charac-
teristically Partisan! As they entered the
apartment the eye of the visitor was caught
by faint drawing in red chalk, placed
upon a sideboard. He went straight to it.
Degas said: "Ah, look at it, bought it
only few days ago. 1t is drawing of a
far,aIa hx- Tne-raS ooE at thosa ffnper
nails; see how they are indicated! That's
my idea of genius-a man who finds hand
so lovely, SO wonderful, so difficult to render
that he viii shut himself up all his life,
content to do nothing else but indicate
finger nails."-1he Magazine Art.
George Hitchcock is an American artist
residing in Europe, and about whom most
of us know little except that he made a
great hit there with picture of Dutch
| tulip garden. But now an opportunity is