Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-11-23

publishers last year maue us acquainted
with Whistler's color-impressions = this
year they introduce George Hitchcock to
! US. In the Atmospheric Notes in Pastel
which they have placed on exhibition in
their galleries, highly interesting, artis-
| tic individuality is revealed to US. Mr..
Hitchcock is a colorist. That doesn't
mean that he can't draw, nor does it mean
that he revels in magnificent exuberance
of color la Delacroix, or Constant His
eye best appreciates the quieter effects of
color. He appreciates any and everything
for its color qualities the subject probably
concerns him little. But he observes so
closely, and reproduces the most subtle
effects with such cunning, and his artistic
personality is feltso strongly in his work
| that he holds our interest with almost ev-
erything that he has to show. Flowers he
evidently loves; but he does not paint the
traditional flower piece" No, he takes
the whole beds of crocuses, marigolds,
tulips and hyaoinths (Nos. q, 30, 40, 55),
and pictures them with dash and vivid
ness of impression that tells US little and
everything; or he puts the flowers into
the baskets of " Dutch Tulip-seller "(2S),
or shows us Hawthorn in the Dunes"
90, or bush of "Purple Iris" go by
the water side. Whatever he has to say
nearly always distinctly. Any striking or
beautiful effect that he sees he must study
and make note of-the shadow of cloud
passing over a cluster of red roofs (53), the
rapidly narrowing streak CT sunset light
between gray clouds approaching each
other (46), or exquisite effects of moonlight
on land and sea. One of the most striking
pictures here is "Dawn" (1S), really mas
terly in the truth of its sky-color and the
mere suggestion of reflected light on the
grass. Mr.. Hitchcock is not always sue
cessful, but as rule he is. have GER
talnly said enough to show that the ex-
hibition is one decidedly out of the COM
mon run of "shows," and that Geo. Hitch
cock is an artist in whom deep feeling
for the beauties of nature is Joined to the
power of concise but adequate expression.
The Epoch Critic.
At the recent exhibition of the Metro
politan Museum of Art in New York city
many new features were unvailed. Among
the collections were the models left by
John Ericsson. illustrating his experiments
and inventions, which have been presented
to the museum by his estate. Aside from
their historic Importance, they are beauti
ful specimens Of workmanship as well as
ingenuity, and viii be viewed and studied
with profit by many spectators. Many of
them were on exhibition at Philadelphia
in 1876 and form the subject of a handsome
quarto volume by the great inventor. An
extraordinary and beautiful marble sarco-
phagus, found in 1889 at Capranica, in the
Roman Campagna, has been secured by the
museum. 1t was found imbedded in solid
mass of masonry, which seem to have been
built over it to hide it in some period of
invasion. 1t contained the skeleton of a
young married woman, tall and finely
formed, who seemed to have died from
cancer in the jaw. The sarcophagus is
richly carved with basreliefs of the best
period of Roman art, the sculpture illus
trating the omnipotence and omnipresence
of the principle of love. On the body of
the sarcophagus four young children, or
genii, support three heavy garlands. Above
these three garlands, severally, are three
scenes from the story of Ariadne and The
seus. In the first scene she gives him the
clew, a ball Of thread, at the door of the
Labyrinth; in the second he slays the Min
otaur, and in the third he deserts her as
she sleeps. On the two ends of the sarco-
phagus are represented symbols of life, or
youth, and death. On the lid is low-relief
carving, representing two professions of
little Cupids, riding upon or drawn in
chariots by bulls, lions, bears, wild boars
and wild goats, which the Cupids have
tanned and brought into peaceful order.
The tyo professions meet at palm tree in
the center. The background is finely
sculptured with flowers and other orna-
ments in a style initiated by the artists of
the fifth century. The sarcophagus is quite
perfect, without the least restoration. 1t
is not often that Roman sarcophagus is
found with its cover unbroken. The story
of Ariadne was a favorite one of Roman
tombs, but the scenes usually occurring are
the Staying of the Minotaur and Bacchus
fencing with the deserted Ariadne. No
Roman museum contains sarcophagus
with the scene of the clew. Miss Sarah
Lazarus added number of fine and valua-
BILE objects to her collection, the "Moses
Lazarus collection" of miniatures, articles
in gold, precious stones, FANS etc. Henry
Marquand, son of Henry G. Marquand,
presented an aboriginal silver ak weighing
several pounds, which was found in So
nora, Mexico. This object is believed to
be unique by the officers of the museum
A fine marble bust of the painter Charles
l.. Elliott, by Launt Tompson, is among
the gifts of S. P. Avery He also pre-
sented two valuable copperplate engrav-
ings, with impressions from we'll known
representations in miniature and sculpture,
of Washington.